Zero Waste Podcast 11: Buy Less, Repair and Re-skill

Welcome to our penultimate Zero Waste Podcast. We drop in on a Remade in Edinburgh computer and textile repair and re-skill session and take a sneak peek into Leith's brand new 'Sewing Bee Cafe', it opens later this month:   

If you need to repair your trousers or your laptop you're in luck! Remade in Edinburgh run free drop in sessions at the South Bridge Resource Centre every Friday morning. Here's a laptop health check in action:

Find out more on the Remade in Edinburgh website, on facebook or follow on twitter, @RemadeEdinburgh. REmade are looking for textile and tool donations too, so do get in touch.

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The Sewing Bee Cafe

The Sewing Bee Cafe is half way down Leith Walk, next to the Brass Monkey. You can follow the cafe on facebook. Look out for the new window display coming soon for the Leith Shop Idol competition:

Cafe owner Kal Ali (below) was inspired to start the Sewing Bee Cafe after working with the Warm Hearts Quilting Group. We visited the group for Zero Waste Podcast 6: Waste Action in Action.

 

For every bag of waste we throw out, 70 bags of waste are produced just to make the things we've thrown away! Read more on the issues surrounding our consumer culture in 'Zero Waste Podcast 10: But Less, Borrow Instead'.

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Edinburgh, we don't need to keep consuming, lets get mending!

It's fun, it's funky.... it's time to mend our ways.

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If you have iTunes installed on your computer you can subscribe to our audio as a podcast by clicking here.

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The Zero Waste Podcast series is produced by Emily Dodd for Greener Leith and funded by City of Edinburgh Council Waste Action Grants, Vegware and Changeworks. 

The theme tune for the podcast was brought to you by Waste Action Grant funded project, Trash Arts.

Zero Waste Podcast 10: Buy Less, Borrow Instead

In thirty years we consumed over one third of the earth’s natural resource space. Do we need to keep buying?

The people of Leith are sharing books, toys, cars and even fish tanks. Visit Casselbank Kids Toy Library, meet founder member of Greener Leith Ally Tibbit to find out about the online Leith Lending Circle and pop into the pub, Sofi’s bar to swap books and DVD’s. All this and more on our latest podcast: 

If you have iTunes installed on your computer you can subscribe to our audio as a podcast by clicking here. 

Casselbank Kids Toy Library

Here are some photos I took during my visit the toy library:

Casselbank Kids meet every Thursday morning from 9.30-11.30am at South Leith Baptist Church, 5a Casselbank Street (2nd right from the foot of Leith Walk). It cost £3 for family membership for the year and toys are 20p, 40p and 60p to borrow for a week. Call 07954 206908 for more information. 

The Leith Lending Circle

The Leith Lending Circle is a great way to share and borrow household items if you live in Leith. Read more about it on Greener Leith. This online lending circle includes insurance for valuable items and is provided by Ecomodo. 

Libraries and the City Car Club

You can visit your local library and borrow books for free, find out more on the Edinbrugh City Libraries Website or on the Tales of One City blog. The Edinburgh City Car Club was set up by Changeworks in 1999 with funding from the City of Edinburgh Council. This project has been so sucessful we now have car clubs throughout the UK.

The Bigger Picture

The next 'buy nothing day' is November 24, 2012. The challenge is to raise awareness of the issues behind our mass consumerism and think about how it's effecting the rest of the planet.

We've been tricked into thinking we need to keep consuming, manufacturers even design items to be obsolete after a couple of years. It started to boost our economy but it's not sustainable. Find out about all of this and more in the eye opening, engaging short film the Story of Stuff:

 

With resources decreasing and population increasing sharing may be the best way forward.   

The Zero Waste Podcast series is produced by Emily Dodd for Greener Leith and funded by City of Edinburgh Council Waste Action Grants, Vegware and Changeworks. 

The theme tune for the podcast was brought to you by Waste Action Grant funded project, Trash Arts.

Zero Waste Podcast 9: Smart Shopping Says No to Plastic

I made an official visit to the Scottish Parliment to talk to Gordon Millar, environmental campaigner and Alison Johnstone, Green Councillor and MSP on smart shopping and their plans to ban plastic bags in Edinburgh.

Are plastic bags really a problem? What's happening locally and globally and what do you do if you've forgotten your bag for life? Listen to find out all this and more:

If you have iTunes installed on your computer you can subscribe to our audio as a podcast by clicking here. 

Just this week Seattle Council voted to ban single use plastic bags in their City. Italy banned plastic bags a year ago and Rwanda is now entering it's forth year of plastic bag free living. Wales introduced a levee on plastic bags, causing some confusion. Would an outright ban on plastic bags be a more straightforward solution for Edinburgh? You can follow the campaign to Ban Plastic Bags in Edinburgh on twitter and facebook.

Here in Leith our reusable bonus bag has been a big hit with councilors and locals. The funding for the scheme has finished but the bags are for life. Read more in the Edinburgh Guardian article mentioned in the podcast.

Gordon was inspired to start his campaign by the Plastic Pollution Coalition in the US. This trailer to the film 'Midway' gives you an idea of the global plastic problem. WARNING, be prepared for beauty amidst terrible tragedy:

If that left you feeling a little sick, think about changing the way you shop and cheer up with some Zero Waste Chrismtas Shopping tips from Alison and Gordon, I've even added sleigh bells: 

That's the last Zero Waste Podcast for 2011, we'll be back in January. Wishing you a very merry Zero Waste Christmas. 

The Zero Waste Podcast series is produced by Emily Dodd for Greener Leith and funded by City of Edinburgh Council Waste Action Grants, Vegware and Changeworks. 

The theme tune for the podcast was brought to you by Waste Action Grant funded project, Trash Arts.

Zero Waste Podcast 7: Worms in the House

Last month we met Anne. She was successfully home composting in an Edinburgh flat with a small garden. Well done Anne but what about those of us with no garden at all? How are we supposed to compost? Meet Kathleen and her DIY wormery:

Her wormery cost less than £5 to make and has been going strong for over two years! Find out why Kathleen started a wormery, why she loves worms and what you can do with the juice (worm wee) and black gold compost they produce by listening to our latest podcast:

WARNING: This women is seriously in love with worms...

If you have iTunes installed on your computer you can subscribe to our audio as a podcast by clicking here. To see inside Kathleen's wormery press play on the photo slideshow:

I may not love worms like Kathleen but after doing a bit of research I can appreciate them. I'm fond of facts, did you know worms: 

• Eat at least their own body weight in food waste every day
• Have 5 hearts (Doctor Who that's more than you!)
• Breath through their skin
• Are hermaphrodites - both sexes produce eggs and sperm, they have a saddle on thier back when they're mature 

If you want to know more about worms and get answers to questions like "Help, all my worms have died!" then worm city is the website for you. New wormeries cost £100 but you can make one for less than £5 just like Kathleen.

To Make Kathleen's Wormery you will need:

• A big tub with a lid
• 1 brewers tap (you could take one from a wine bag?)
• Some stones
• Netting for oranges (to bag stones)
• Leaves/Shredded paper 
• Woolly jumper (optional)
• Worms (not earth worms, tiger worms. Get them from a compost bin)
• Drill

Method:

• Fit tap to bin at lowest point
• Drill small air holes around the top of the tub
• Put stones in netting to cover bottom 15cm of tub - this acts as a sump to collect the liquid
• Half fill bin with leaves and shredded paper
• Introduce worms
• Top up with leaves and shredded paper
• Place jumper over disc
• Put the lid on

Worms eat:

• Tea bags & coffee grinds
• Vegetable & fruit scraps
• Cardboard & shredded paper
• Cooked food 

Remember, worms don't have teeth! Before they eat anything, bacteria and fungi make it mushy and that all happens faster if you make the food pieces as small as possible.

If you are a DIY enthusiast and would like to make a more fancy wormery, check this out

DIY Wormery

PLEASE NOTE: Worm composting is a fantastic way to reduce the amount of waste you send to landfill and make a beneficial produce for your plants. 

If you want to talk to someone in Edinburgh about wormeries log onto the Changeworks website, call 0131 555 4010 or email wasteprevention@changeworks.org.uk. 

I'll leave you with a few more worm facts in the form of a counting rhyme I wrote for children, but like wormeries it's for all ages. Add your own actions:

Five wiggle worms, munch an apple core 

One wiggled off and then there were four 

Four wiggle worms, in a wormery

One wiggled off and then there were three

Three wiggle worms, making compost poo

One wiggled off and then there were two

Two wiggle worms, hiding from the sun

One wiggled off and then there was one

One wiggle worm, feeling all alone

He wiggled off and then there was none 

The Zero Waste Podcast series is produced by Emily Dodd for Greener Leith and funded by City of Edinburgh Council Waste Action Grants, Vegware and Changeworks. 

The theme tune for the podcast was brought to you by Waste Action Grant funded project, Trash Arts.

Zero Waste Podcast 6: Waste Action in Action

The City Of Edinburgh Council runs a Waste Action Grant scheme to help fund individuals, community groups and schools to reduce waste to landfill and change attitudes towards waste. The deadline for the next Waste Action Grant is just around the corner on 12th December and you can apply for up to £2,500. At Greener Leith we were delighted to receive a grant earlier this year to make a series of 12 Zero Waste Podcasts. 

We're half way through our podcast series and in this podcast we catch up with some of the other Waste Action Grant funded groups in Edinburgh to see how their projects are going. The Living Memory Association are sharing their memories of rationing and 'make do and mend' with school children. Abundance Edinburgh pick and press surplus fruit in the city.  The Warm Hearts Quilting Group run a quilt production line in a church hall. Listen to waste action in action:

If you have iTunes installed on your computer you can subscribe to our audio as a podcast by clicking here.

If you would like to help the Warm Hearts Quilting Group by donating material or volunteering they meet every Monday from 12 - 3pm at the Holy Cross Church Hall, 11 Bangholm Loan. Here are photos of them in action:

Abundance Edinburgh do a great job of reducing and reusing surplus fruit in the city and it's a lot of fun so why not join them? If you would like to borrow apple presses and fruit picking equipment for your community group have a look here.    

For more information on the Living Memory Association including a fantastic photo archive, log on to their website. Here's a wee photo I took to give you a taster: 

Apply for Waste Action Funding: Deadline 12th December

Remeber the deadline for the next big Waste Action Grant is 12th December, you can apply for up to £2,500, amazing!

There are small grants too, up to £250 available all year round. Download an application form and find out more here.

Funded projects include everything from buying wormeries,  setting up toy libraries to making music from waste. Trash Music provide our podcast theme tune. Read more about funded projects and get some ideas for your grant here.

Lastly, there's an excellent video introducing two very different waste action funded projects:

The Zero Waste Podcast series is produced by Emily Dodd for Greener Leith and funded by City of Edinburgh Council Waste Action Grants, Vegware and Changeworks. 

The theme tune for the podcast was brought to you by Waste Action Grant funded project, Trash Arts.

Zero Waste Podcast 4: Cutting Waste in the Classroom

Jessica and Bonnie have a story to share with you, it's about what they're doing to cut waste in the classroom at Leith Primary School.

Will the nursery find Coco the bear in the bin? What does Head Teacher Mr Friend have to say about food waste? How much paper did Primary 5 reuse and what did they make with it?

Can Zero Waste Heroes really help the government to reduce waste? Listen to the first Greener Leith Podcast presented entirely by local school pupils to find out:

Leith Primary School are working towards their Eco Schools silver award and ultimately their first Green Flag.

The Green Flag is a huge achievement for a school, it takes around two years and involves all year groups, teachers and the community. Flags are awarded after an Eco Schools Assesment from Keep Scotland Beautiful. 

Leith based Environmental Organisation Changeworks run free workshops and assemblies like the ones on this podcast to help Edinburgh schools reduce waste. 

Leith Walk Primary School are taking part in the Zero Waste Heroes schools competition. Schools receive a pack that includes a fun interactive lesson for the Eco-schools committee, a power pack of missions with action plans, stickers, posters and a set of weighing scales for the school.

You can find out more on the Changeworks Schools page.

The Zero Waste Podcast series is produced by Emily Dodd for Greener Leith and funded by City of Edinburgh Council Waste Action Grants, Vegware and Changeworks. 

If you have iTunes installed on your computer you can subscribe to our audio as a podcast by clicking here. 

The theme tune for the podcast was brought to you by Waste Action Grant funded project, Trash Arts.

Zero Waste Podcast 3: Charity Shops & Clothes Swaps

In a consumer culture, clothes generate cash. The UK fashion industry brings in over 20 billion pounds every year. Fashion changes and we keep buying. New clothes make us feel good, we need clothes to keep warm. There are many ways to justify our spending habits but what about the clothes that no longer cut it on the catwalk?

I visited Changeworks, Leith to find out how can we reduce, reuse and recycle clothes in Edinburgh. I put reuse in to practice at a clothes swap party at Sofi’s bar in the Shore. Can you really recycle your underwear? Were men spotted swapping kilts in Leith in the name of sustainability? All this and more in our latest Zero Waste Podcast:

 

If you have iTunes installed on your computer you can subscribe to our audio as a podcast by clicking here. 

Here are some photos I took at Sofi’s Clothes Swap Party:

You can find your nearest charity show on The Edinburgh Charity Shop and Reuse Map. It's free to download or you can pick up a paper copy from Changeworks or at most local charity shops.

The Zero Waste Podcast series is produced by Emily Dodd for Greener Leith and funded by City of Edinburgh Council Waste Action Grants, Vegware and Changeworks. 

The theme tune for the podcast was brought to you by Waste Action Grant funded project, Trash Arts.

Sloe Gin Foraging

The small, bitter, wild fruit of the blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) or sloe is sought after in autumn for it’s gin flavour enhancing properties. We mounted bikes and used the Forager's Friend map to see if we could find a sloe in Leith:

Listen to Foraging for Sloes on Audioboo

 

The Forager's Friend is a collaborative map of edible and useful wild plants with links to information, photographs and recipes all added and shared by users. The Forager's Friend team say: 

Foraging is lots of fun - we hope this mix of technology and the outdoors will help people all over to enjoy and appreciate their natural environment.

The Forager's Friend project was started by Rob Kyle (Rob the Forager) and put together by a group of friends. Rob is also part of the team behind Abundance Edinburgh, they collect surplus fruit grown in the city and put it to good use.

The Abundance Edinburgh project was recently awarded a City of Edinburgh Council Waste Action Grant to buy fruit picking equipment, we’ll be interviewing them soon to find out how they’re cutting waste in Edinburgh for our Zero Waste Podcast series.

Read more from Emily on Sustainable Stories, Twitter or Facebook.