Company rescues Can Crushing efforts!

I bought this super, sturdy can crusher from Home Recycling about 8 years ago. Last weekend the black crushing mechanism  on the lid broke. Home Recycling came to the rescue and  the new part was attached  to a cleaned lid, ready for action! 
Our thanks to Chris Hasling and his team. This is a small, successful company, provides an excellent, friendly service. Great!

A good read

We started collecting unwanted books a couple of years ago and I've been amazed at the quantity and quality of books that have been left at the recycling centre; too many to sell locally and at the gate!
So I've set up a store on Amazon for the best "as new" books and other, older and antique and interesting paper and hardbacks. All at avery reasonable prices!
www.amazon.co.uk/shops/ecomaid

Have a look. Would Mysteries of the Dead Sea Scrolls by Harvey Minkoff be of interest?
It doesn't appear to have been read!

THE BIG GAP

There are no sinister reasons for the lack of postings since September. I've just been busy doing other things, as well as recycling!
However, there has been a lot of extra activity at the recycling centre to insure that all the textiles that are left there, are not stolen by the rogue traders, a nationwide problem it would seem.

TEXTILE BANK AND ROGUE TRADERS

I have a key to our textile bank and keep a check on the amount left there, so I know when items disappear. Then, the police and Black Country Rags are informed, but these thieves seem to be able to carry our their dastardly trade unhindered! I suspect that most textile banks are not monitored, so that most schools and charities who recycle textiles for fundraising purposes, have no idea that these people are taking money from their good cause.

UPDATE

Following this, the police stopped two male occupants in a white transit van, which was full of textiles. more textile banks have been raided in Stowmarket and I'm pleased to report that our local council is taking this very seriously.

They have sent a letter to all organisations that have recycling facilities, warning them about rogue traders and asking everyone to be vigilant and report any suspicious incidents involving

people in unmarked vans trying to gain access to clothing banks.

They are also liaisoning with BCR Global Textiles, who in turn are going to replace our bank witha new, NO ACCESS to anyone who doesn't know the code

B R I L L I A N T

Money Matters

RECYCLING
to help the environment,
as well as raising funds

At about this time every year I send the records for the recycling fund to the accountants Larking Gowen to be checked. Next term, I shall give a copy of their report to the Governors.
The income for this year is quite pleasing, bearing in mind that a lot of textiles were taken from our textile bank at the end of last year.
Most of the money raised derives from the cartridges that are donated from local and national companies and the weight credits from the paper, glass and textile banks (just over £3800.00).
We raised an extra £200.00 plus from aluminium cans, CDs and book sales.
Not bad for a small village school, with less than 100 pupils.

Recycling Books

I've been really surprised by the quality and quantity of books that have been left at the recycling centre over the last yearor so. Some are obviously unwanted presents, unblemished and unread! Others have perhaps been read once and then discarded. When I ran out of storage space, I decided to sell the best ones at the gate. The sign says it all!

Win one--lose one

The diggers and workman arrived the week before Christmas and managed to make a start on the new playground area, before the snow got too bad. The topsoil has been removed and some of it will be used to fill in the pond in the school's small,wildlife area.
Older than the school, the pond and its surrounding area, were improved when the recycling area was developed, but has since become shaded by nearby trees and been impinged upon by the new footpath along the road.
S0, great news about the new play area and a sad goodbye to the pond.

Rogue Traders

Most people will have had one of these charity bags put through their door, asking for old clothes/textiles/bric-a-bracor toys, the proceeds of which will be given to a "good cause"

This one arrived, a few weeks before Christmas. On the appropriate day, a van with bearing the Clothesaid logo, toured the village to collect that bags that had been left out at the kerbside. I have no reason to believe that this scheme is not a legitimate one.

However, I've been aware for some time, that the textile recycling industry is plagued by "rogue traders". their scams include picking the bags up before the legitimate collectors and distributing bags and collecting for fake charities.

My interest in this was heightened last month, when I went to put all the lose items into bags and realised that our textile bank had been raided. The stupid people had left evidence of their illegal actions behind. So they are also gaining access to textile banks and helping themselves to clothing, which they can sell at car boot sales, markets and even, perhap, legitimate textile companies-- who knows? Textiles are quite valuable just now.

The police are are aware of the problem and are keeping an eye on our recycling centre, but it seems that the only way to catch these people is to make a note of the vehicle registration number or take a photo of them doing their dastardly deed. Many schools and most supermarkets have textile banks and the question is -- would you be suspicious to see a bank being emptied by a man with a van?

P.S. Black Country Rags will still continue to collect the textiles that are donated to school, but the procedure will be slightly different! So kind supporters,

PLEASE CONTINUE TO BRING

YOUR TEXTILES TO OUR RECYCLING CENTRE