Age group: Any

How long it will take: As long as you like

What materials you will need: None

The aim of the activity: To find ways of re-cycling as much as possible in your community

What to do:

Reduce and re-use

Using less stuff in the first place is always the best thing to do - i.e. not buy so much stuff in the first place. Brainstorm with your group all the things you can think of where you could create less waste or re-use materials which normally get thrown away. Suggest running a campaign to encourage local people to take up one of your ideas or to encourage the local council to provide facilities needed for it.

Recycle

Recycling is not an ideal answer. It takes energy, can produce pollution and there may not be enough uses for the product. However, having reduced rubbish then what we do produce should be recycled.

Plastic
In theory all plastics can be recycled. In practise the systems are only in place to recycle plastics labelled 1,2 & 3. Somewhere on plastic containers, often on the base, there is a little triangle with arrows going round, usually with the number in the middle.

• Some local authorities provide 'green bins' to put your paper, plastics and cans in. These are then emptied like dustbins and the contents sorted and recycled. This makes it much easier for people to recycle these items. Does your local authority operate a scheme like this? If not, write to them and ask them to consider starting one.
• Some areas have community-run 'kerb-side' recycling schemes who collect recyclables. Find out if such a scheme operates in your area and get in touch with them. They might be prepared to send someone to talk at your group and explain what they do and they might like some help with promoting the service.

Compost
Anything organic can be composted. In a compost heap things usually rot aerobically (with oxygen around) and give off some carbon dioxide. In a shallow pit which won't get waterlogged this should happen. In a deep pit and/or one that gets waterlogged they will probably rot anaerobically (without oxygen) and will then give off some smelly gases and methane, which is a much more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. If we produce an anaerobic pit then we're not doing anything better than a landfill site.

Paper and card will rot in a compost heap and actually improve the garden compost heap. It has to be scrunched up, as a folded newspaper will take a very long time to rot.

• Do the households which your group come from compost their waste? A possible activity here is to get the group to produce a leaflet explaining how to set up and maintain a compost bin - and why composting is a good idea. This can then be distributed locally.

Camp rubbish
Camp provides a good opportunity for getting children into the re-cycling habit (if they aren't already!). You could have a rota group (clan) specially to look after recycling, or rename your garbage rota 'Recycling and garbage rota'.

• Make sure you have suitable containers for each type of re-cyclable waste
• Check the locality of your campsite for recycling facilities
• Engage some young people on the first day of the camp in making signs and posters to ensure that everyone knows where to put their waste and what can be recycled.
• Think about ways of re-using any waste material in the camp programme - for craft activities for example.

Here are some tips on what can and can't, usually, be recycled.

Food waste
Ideally all food waste would be composted. On a large camp the logistics of doing this are difficult. In some circumstances it is not a good idea to put meat or fish waste into compost so that should go into the absolute rubbish. If you can light fires you can burn this on the fire.

Glass
Jars, bottles etc. - should be recyclable locally - should be washed and put carefully (without breaking) in container labelled 'glass'

Metal
Lid from jar - can't be recycled - put in "absolute rubbish"
Tin can (steel with tin coating) - recycleable but maybe not locally - should be washed, both ends removed with tin opener, squashed flat and put in container labelled "cans"
Aluminium can - recycleable and should be possible locally - should be squashed and put in container labelled "cans"
Aluminium foil - recyclable - put in with the cans

Plastic
Check for the number in the triangle on the container - 1,2 & 3 can be recycled.
Lid of jar - usually can't be recycled - put in "absolute rubbish"
Margarine tub - usually can't be recycled - put in "absolute rubbish"
Plastic milk bottle - recyclable but maybe not locally - should be washed and squashed and put in container labelled "recycleable plastic"
Clear plastic drink bottle - recyclable but maybe not locally
Crisp packet (plastic) - can't be recycled - put in absolute rubbish
Snack wrapper (plastic) - can't be recycled - put in absolute rubbish
Thin plastic wrapping, plastic bag etc. - can't be recycled - put in absolute rubbish

Cardboard
packaging - could be recycled or composted

Paper
Can be composted
Drink carton (card coated with plastic or metal foil) - can't be recycled - squash and put in absolute rubbish

Mixed materials
If they can't be separated then they probably have to go in the absolute rubbish.