Category Archives: environment

Keeping Rubbish out of the Green Wheelie Bin

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Hottest Day of the year
The Vale of White Horse District Council sent out a press release last week to remind residents not to contaminate their green recycling bin with rubbish.

The recycling crew check the top of the green wheelie bin, and sometimes slap a sticker on it and leave it unemptied. (The truck-load could be rejected at the recycling centre if any rubbish got noticed there.)

In the Vale of White Horse District – two weeks ago, out of 63,000 bins, 2,211 got a contamination sticker:
* Black bags/coloured bags – 1078
* Food – 331
* Textiles – 206
* Other – 596

We have two bins in our kitchen, one recyclable, and one not. When I transfer the recyclable bin to the green bin, I sometimes notice a jay cloth and put it in the black wheelie bin. On other occasions I save a glass jar and put it in the green wheelie bin.

Cycle Route fully open

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Cycle Route fully open
The local cycle route – called the Hanson Way – runs from Oxford to Didcot via Abingdon and is part of Sustrans national route 5 which stretches 381 miles from Reading to North Wales. The work to upgrade part of the cycle route between Sutton Courtney and Abingdon is now complete and fully reopened.
Cycle Route fully open
The cycleway is now wider and smoother and free from overhanging trees. There are also bright spots in the tarmac which will make it safer when cycling in the dark.

It is a safer route for cycles than the roads, and is a more direct cycle route, than the roads, between Abingdon and Milton Park – where many people work, and from Abingdon to Didcot train station – for people who cycle and commute to London.

A better world

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Encouragement and Hope
At 10am on Sunday morning some locals were standing in the Market Place socially distancing and displaying messages of hope. The world has changed dramatically in the last two months due to a global pandemic. The old ways of doing things, ways that were not sustainable for the planet, could be made to change for the better.
Encouragement and Hope
Encouragement and Hope
Encouragement and Hope
Thanks to Tim for these pictures.
Encouragement and Hope
There have been a lot of people out cycling during the lockdown, particularly young families for whom the roads are not always felt to be safe. A new cycle lane has been put in along Bath Street during the lockdown. The cycle way to Milton Park and Didcot is being improved. Car drivers are being more sympathetic to cyclists at the moment.
Encouragement and Hope
Today, I went to Pedal Power – the bike shop on the Vineyard. They are open to one customer at a time – at the times specified on their website. There could be a small queue outside. This was a chance to get things needed to keep our bikes on the road. I could have sent off for the same things from ebay or amazon but I saved money by going to Pedal Power and shopped local.

Bottles and Cars

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Bottles and Cars
Tony says ‘Following an article in Round and About . . .

Two pensioners went for an exercise walk today, litter picking as always, and in addition to the usual found a cache of rubbish chucked into the nettles alongside the Thames. Somebody had been having a big party.

They filled two bags but had to leave a box of bottles because it was more than they could carry to the nearest bin by the lock. They are constantly amazed at the amount of litter in the streets. Drinks cans and beer bottles often still half full, crisp packets, tissues, soda bombs and so many blue plastic gloves. What sort of people leave this stuff lying around?’
Bottles and Cars
The cars are coming back but not yet to normal levels. This picture is of Ock Street today.

Di says ‘For my walk this morning, just before 11, I went down the Radley Road from Kingfisher School to the St Edmunds roundabout and back and thought I would practise & being Alert! Last time it was very quiet but today I counted 69 vehicle movements, about a dozen of them commercial.  It felt pretty much like a pre coronavirus normal working day, probably due in no small measure to the mixed messages we are getting.  I wonder how it is in other parts of the town.’