Eye Care

Tips for Eye Care

Eyes are one of  the most wonderful gift given to us, so we should take care of the eyes.

Here are some tips to take care of your eyes:

Take diet consisting of fruits and vegetables and full of vitamins to make eyes brighter.

Have a good night sleep and give enough rest to your eyes.

Wash eyes with cold water to get sparkling eyes. 

Soak cotton in Luke warm milk and cover eyes with it for 15 min. 

Wear a good quality sunglasses which protect your eyes from UV rays while going out in the sun.

 

To soothe tired eyes, take cucumber slices and place on closed eyes for 10 minutes. Now relax completely. 

Since the skin around the eyes is very sensitive, take good care and handle it delicately. You can massage your eyes with almond oil using your ring finger without giving much pressure.
 

If your eye twitches, or your eyes are red and feeling itchy, massage your scalp with curd.

After every 20 to 30 minutes of work, look at a distant away object and blink several times. This will help in better focusing.

For Puffy Eyes: Grate a potato with its peel and apply on your closed eyelids for about 20 minutes and relax completely. You may even take a nap.

Apply pure castor oil for the eyebrows  and eye lashes before going to bed for good growth.

Read in good light and keep a good distance while watching television. 

Splashing water on you face during breaks can keep you refreshed. This also helps in cooling your eyes.

Rub your palms against each other till them become warm. Cover your eyes with your warm palms for about a minute. Palming is another great way to relax and soothe your eyes. Do this in morning when you wake up.

For wrinkles or fine lines around the eyes, apply egg white, leave it till it dries and wash it off with cold water. Do this regularly or on alternate days. This natural remedy for wrinkles around the eyes is very effective.

In a small bowl of chilled water add few drops of Vitamin E oil or Rose Water. Dip cotton pads for 5 minutes in this and place on the eyes while relaxing for 20 minutes everyday.  This will refresh your eyes.

 

ANGER MANAGEMENT

ANGER

Anger is one of the most misunderstood and overused of human emotions. Anger is a natural emotion that every human and many non-human animals experience. We need to understand that anger is a reaction to an inner emotion and not a planned action.


Mild forms of human anger may include displeasure, irritation or dislike. When we react to frustration, criticism or a threat, we may become angry and usually this is a healthy response. Anger may be a secondary response to feeling sad, lonely or frightened.


Anger is not just a mental state of mind. It triggers an increase in heart rate, blood pressure and levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline.

Anger is a completely normal, usually healthy, human emotion. But when it gets out of control and turns destructive, it can lead to following problems:

• Backache
• Headache 
• Stroke 
• Skin problems
• Depression
• Eating disorders
• Low self-esteem
• Moodiness
• Grief     
• Rudeness
• Tiredness
• Hunger
• Pain   
• Some physical conditions, such as pre-menstrual syndroms 
• Physical illness 
• Mental illness 
• Alcohol, some drugs, alcohol abuse, drug abuse 
• Injustice
• Being teased or bullied  
• Humiliation
• Embarrassment
• Deadlines 
• Traffic jam 
• Disappointment
• Failure
• Infidelity
• Burglary
• Financial problems   
• Being told you have a serious illness   
  
  

What Is Anger Management?

Anger management is a procedure of acquiring the skills to recognize signs that you are becoming angry, and taking action to deal with the situation in a positive way.

Dealing with Anger:

The first step in dealing with anger is to become aware of it. There are many ways to handle anger once you recognize it and get to the reason of it.

Relaxation: As simple as it sounds, basic relaxation exercises can be powerful tools in overcoming one's anger. Among these simple techniques are deep breathing. BREATH IN and OUT.

Express your anger: Make sure you do this when you have calmed down. Do this in an non-aggressive way.

Cognitive Restructuring: Cognitive restructuring is basically changing the way you think about things. This involves thinking more positively about a situation.

Problem Solving: Not all anger is inappropriate. Make a plan for how you can fix the situation and approach it with good intentions.

Better Communication: Angry people tend to jump to conclusions and overreact. By slowing down and thinking about what to say, this problem can be avoided. Also, make sure you understand what other people are saying before responding to them.

Using Humor: By refusing to take yourself too seriously, you can defuse your anger. Try using humorous imagery to lighten your mood or to make fun of yourself. However, you should avoid using sarcastic and harsh humor which is simply another expression of anger.

Change Your Environment: Often our environment contributes to our anger by causing irritation and fury. When stress becomes too intense, simply get away for 15 minutes and refresh.

Sleep: try to get at least 7 hours good quality sleep every night. Sleep is crucial for good mental and physical health.

Recycle Week round up & Cybermummy!

Blimmin' 'eck, I've hardly had chance to stop for a cup of tea since Recycle Week began last week. I've been too busy hanging around with 'Shedwyn' our mascot for the Stand up for Recycling out on the Street Campaign and 1000 bin challenge, which I launched in conjunction with My Zero Waste only last Monday.

For those who are new to the challenge, the mission is to collect 1000 photos and videos of on-street recycling bins, the aim of which is to raise awareness of "recycling-on-the-go" facilities.  It's a totally independent social-media campaign, which although supported by WRAP's Recycle Now team, is simply a bloggers' grassroots initiative to inject some fun into the subject of recycling.

But crikey, what an amazing week it's been, with photos coming into our Facebook page  from as far as Greece and Shedwyn impersonators coming out of the woodwork from all sorts of unexpected corners.

It started with a gaggle of Shedwyn imposters popping up at a recycling bin in Bury St Edmunds ready for Monday's launch.

I don't think it was that difficult for folk to spot the real Shedwyn from the line up of imposters that included a very busy mum, a local soap maker, a borough councillor, a wildlife volunteer and a children's clothes shop owner.  To see who the Real Shedwyn is, you'll find there's a huge clue on the new website, which was also launched on Monday.

Monday was brilliant. Not only did the Facebook page reach over 100 followers, but photos started to come in too.  What really made it though was the announcement by Suffolk's comedy club "the Chortle Factory" on BBC Radio Suffolk that they were getting behind the campaign and planning all sorts of frivolity for pop up entertainment at local recycling bins as well as comedy litter picks.

Next, came confirmation from a whole range of performers including Abi Roberts, Doug Segal and Checkley Bush, as well as Crouch End's new comedy club Boom-Tish!, that they would all be doing something over the summer at an adopted recycling bin.

But it's not just comedians, singers and entertainers who are getting involved.  News in at the end of last week was that talented artist Penny Lindop would be getting her sketchpad out at a recycling bin and submitting her entry of support too.

And throughout the week, Shedwyn popped up in all sorts of places, including:

A random waterside recycling bin in Ely (and it is random, especially as it is the only one):

An eco-club visit to Abbots Green Community Primary School in Suffolk

On a train to London

And of course the Cybermummy conference in London, where she mingled with some fabulous bloggers, including the gorgeous Clare from The Babbling Mummy.

and the amazing Melinda from Her Melness Speaks....Out!

And look who else she bumped into...

...none other than Michael Douglas, the One Show's very own Street Barber...who just wanted to get on record that he's not actually responsible for Shedwyn's barnet, but he did let on that he's got up to some recycling shenanigans of his own in recent years.  Shedwyn's on a promise to get a link to one of his videos for the 1000 bins campaign and I can tell you now, she's very excited at that news indeed.  Look at her.  Bless her. She just can't contain herself!


Then it was down to business and the hunt for recycling bins at Cybermummy's conference venue (The Brewery in London), which was kindly modelled by the most wonderful Surprised Zoe.  Of course, she's not always surprised,. but that's how I've come to know her.

And last but not least, the event just wouldn't have been the same without a truckload of Shedwyn imposters popping up at the after-show party.  And here's a fabulous line-up of the suspicious characters, but I'm not going to reveal who they are.  That would spoil the fun!  I'm going to leave it to my blogging pals to guess and see if they can spot themselves too.

So...Cybermummy Shedwyns....here's over to you........a dozen imposters to make your minds boggle.

  1. I think this Cybermummy Shedwyn was startled by the flash

2. And this Cybermummy let her hair down in style

 3. This Shedwyn imposter just knows the glass of wine will give her away.

 

4. This CyberShedwyn hangs around more bins than she might reveal.

 5. This Shedwyn is dreaming of her next blogpost.

  6. While this Shedwyn imposter doesn't blog at all. Could she be an imposter in more ways than one?

  7. This disguise is good baby!

 8.A bearded Shedwyn. Whatever next!

  9.  Yeah baby. Work it Shedywn number 9!

10. And check out this rock chick!

11. Glam rocks! But there was no funny business in this Shedwyn's powder room.

12. And this Shedwyn is so hot, she's simply "smokin'"

It was a great day hanging out with so many Shedwyns at the Cybermummy party and my only regret was that I had to leave early to catch the train home.  However, I did catch a few extra Recycle Week snaps to add to the 1000 bins Facebook page.

And yesterday, a fitting end to Recycle Week, The Rubbish Diet got a mention in  The Independent on Sunday's Cybermummy feature.  I caught up with the article whilst on a family excursion to Southwold.  I did notice that I'd been re-christened as Kate.

Oh well, I'm sure there's a touch of royalty in the sentiment and Kate is rather fashionable, just like "recycling-on-the-go"

So I kept the feature and when the rest of the newspaper was finished, I popped it into the "newish" recycling bin on The Green

A fitting end to a fun-packed Recycle Week. 

For more information about what else I got up to at this year's Cybermummy, check out my post over on my other blog...Anything but rubbish.  It's the place where I ramble about things away from the bin.

Although Recycle Week is over, this is only the very beginning for the 1000 bins challenge, which runs right up to the end of Zero Waste Week on the 11 September.  It would be great if you could join in and encourage your friends to submit photos as well as entertaining videos.  There will even be a competition too, details of which will be announced at www.myzerowaste.com at the end of July.

For details of how you can participate, please vist www.1000bins.com.

In the meantime, I am sure the CyberShedwyns (who were such great sports) will reveal themselves very soon.

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Recipe: Quorn Bolognese Vermicelli Bake

This is a nice filling and comforting pasta bake- a vegetarian main that's packed with flavour, that will feed the whole family very happily. Using vermicelli gives it a really interesting texture, different to most pasta bakes, and ensures that the dish doesn't dry out. Quorn is a vegetarian mince, made through combining a type of mushroom with microproteins from eggs. You can of course use TVP or any other similar veggie mince in this dish.

Quorn Bolognese Vermicelli Bake (serves 4)

2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 x 350g pack of Quorn mince
650ml Passata
1 vegetable Oxo stock cube
2 tsp Italian seasoning (a dried herb mix of oregano, marjoram and basil)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp worchester sauce
250g vermicelli pasta
125g grated mozzarella
75g grated cheddar
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Fry the red onion and garlic in the olive oil in a large saucepan, covered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the Quorn, passata, stock cube, herbs and sugar, and cook on a low-medium heat uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C. Cook the vermicelli in salted boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and mix into the Quorn mixture (once it has had its 15 minutes), mix well, season to taste, and then pour into a baking dish.
3. Smooth over to make it even, top with the mozzarella and cheddar, and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Heat the bake under a hot grill for a couple of minutes to gratinate, and serve!

BAD BREATH

Bad Breath

Bad breath, medically called "halitosis" can result from poor dental health habits and may be a sign of other health problems. Bad breath develops from the bacteria that are present in our mouth. These bacteria contact with the food we eat and release a foul odor.

Basically, all the food you eat begins to be broken down in your mouth. As foods are digested and absorbed into your bloodstream, they are eventually carried to your lungs and given off in your breath. If you eat foods with strong odors (such as garlic or onions), brushing and flossing -- even mouthwash -- merely covers up the odor temporarily. The odor will not go away completely until the foods have passed through your body.

WHAT CAUSES BAD BREATH?

If you don't brush and floss your teeth daily, food particles can remain in your mouth, which promotes bacterial growth between teeth, around the gums, and on the tongue. This causes bad breath.


Dry mouth also causes bad breath. When you have dry mouth, especially in the morning, dead cells accumulate in the mouth and decompose causing foul odor.


When our mouth is dry, saliva production decreases, leaving the mouth’s natural ability to clean itself impaired. Saliva is the mouth’s natural mouthwash, which contains properties that reduces bacteria in the mouth.

TREATMENT OF BAD BREATH

Brush your teeth and rinse your mouth thoroughly after every meal to remove food particle from the mouth.


Brush with baking soda to reduce the acidity in the mouth and make it difficult for the bacteria to grow.


When you are brushing your teeth, also brush your tongue. The tongue is covered with thousands of tiny hairs that can trap bacteria.

Drink sufficient amount of water (6-8 glasses) daily.


Gargle with salt water to reduce bacteria in the mouth.


Quit smoking. Tar and nicotine can build up on the surface of the teeth, tongue and cheeks. It can also dry the mouth and inhibit saliva flow.


Exercise and eat fiber rich foods to prevent constipation.


A few drops of peppermint or tea tree oil can be applied to the tongue or toothbrush to help freshen the breath. In addition to its refreshing nature, their antibacterial properties will kill the bacteria found in the mouth.

Recipe: Red Onion Chutney

Hey guys. Well, gotta admit, you may see a little less of me over the next couple of months. Well these past couple of weeks, not only have I had my exams to worry about, and arranging the usual Glastonbury Festival "holiday", but i've got a new job too! Don't worry, I havent quit the garden centre job that I love, but basically i've got a job for the summer at new restaurant chain "The Cosy Club". Nice menu (sorta ciabattas, paninis, all day breakfast, tapas, and specials), Nice people, and rather a lot of hours! So until I (hopefully) get to Uni in October, there might be a few less posts than usual! This red onion chutney is stunnin', fab with a big slab of brie, in a cheese sandwich, or with a juicy homemade burger!

Red Onion Chutney (makes 750g)

110ml olive oil
1kg peeled and thinly sliced red onions (about 10/11 onions)
1 tsp dried thyme
400g caster sugar
150ml red wine vinegar
250ml cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
50g finely chopped cocktail gherkins

1. In a large saucepan, fry the onions and thyme in the olive oil, on a medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add sugar, stir in, and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add the vinegars, and cook on a medium heat for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Take the chutney off the heat, and skim off any excess oil with a ladle. Mix in the chopped gherkins, add a little salt and pepper, and spoon into jars.

Home Remedies for Dandruff

HOME REMEDIES FOR DANDRUFF

Dandruff is best described as the excessive shedding of skin on the scalp. Many people suffer from dandruff problems. Fortunately, there are many ways to treat and prevent dandruff.

Causes of Dandruff

Dandruff is a condition marked by excessive scalp flaking and itchiness. Dandruff has several causes, including dry skin, excessive cold weather, Hormonal changes, an overgrowth of yeast. Stress and poor diet also have been linked to dandruff.

Home Remedies:

Keep hair and scalp clean to avoid accumulation of dead cells:
The foremost consideration in the treatment of dandruff is to keep the hair and scalp clean so as to minimise the accumulation of dead cells.

Mix lemon peels with extra virgin coconut oil and allow the mixture to absorb direct sunlight for one week or up to 10 days. Strain the mixture and use it to pre-treat hair before shampooing.

Hair should be brushed daily to improve circulation:
The hair should be brushed daily to improve the circulation and remove any flakiness. Exposure of the head to the rays of the sun is also a useful measure in the treatment of dandruff.

Washing hair in green gram powder twice weekly helps keep the scalp healthy and reduces dandruff.

Using olive oil on hair gives the scalp healthy nourishment with such vitamins as vitamins A, E and K. Olive oil also has anti-inflammatory qualities, which can be helpful when the scalp is irritated. Olive oil should be warmed slightly and applied to the hair and scalp, and keep it for at least 30 minutes before shampooing and rinsing.

Dandruff Treatment using Lime:
The use of a teaspoon of fresh lime juice for the last rinse, while washing the hair, is another useful remedy. This not only leaves the hair glowing but also removes stickiness and prevents dandruff. Lime juice or lemon juice is an excellent oily dandruff home remedy and can also be used to prevent this scalp condition.

Dandruff can be removed by massaging the hair for half an hour with curd which has been kept open for three days, or with a few drops of lime juice mixed. Apply it on your hair before taking shower.

Dandruff Shampoo:
Mild cases of dandruff often can be cured just by washing the hair and scalp daily with a gentle shampoo. Shampooing can remove excess oil and dandruff flakes from the scalp. If a gentle shampoo doesn't do the trick, a medicated dandruff shampoo might be necessary.

STRESS and BEAUTY

STRESS and BEAUTY

Stress has become our face's constant companion and is unfortunately one of the major causes of premature ageing.

We all experience stress from time to time, but when stress occurs frequently and is left uncontrolled it can cause both health concerns and a hazard to your appearance.

To manage stress, you need to understand how body reacts to tension?

Stress is a natural response to emotional or physical threats. This can be from work, a daily routine or family life. When we are tense, our adrenal glands release "stress response" hormones and increases levels of cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that can effect oil production in the skin and creates higher levels of visceral fat (abdominal fat). Increased oil production can lead to skin problems and acne.

Stress also makes the body more susceptible to infection and causes the skin to repair itself more slowly by time.

How Harmful Stress Is?

Once this stress response has been activated, the body responds by an increase in heart rate, an increase in blood pressure, muscular stress, and the blood flowing away from the digestive functions toward the muscles.

Your digestive system shuts down. Food will pass undigested into the small intestines, your immune system is disturbed.

Pale complexion: Blood flow is disturbed during stress period which results in sending the majority of blood to vital organs like the brain, heart, and lungs and therefore, away from the skin.

Headaches: Clenched muscles in the neck, face, and scalp can lead to tension headaches. Also known as muscle-contraction headaches these range from mild to severe pain.

How you can deal with Stress?

Find a quite place and go there, frequently if needed.

Deep breathing activates what's known as a parasympathetic response: it increases digestion, slows the heart rate and relaxes muscles.

Allow plenty of time for sleep, and practice good "sleep hygiene." That means sleeping in a comfortable place, no caffeine or alcohol before bed and getting up at a regular time each morning (regardless of how well you slept the night before).

Get some regular exercise almost every day for at least 30 minutes. It could be a walk around the block or a work-out at the gym, but get up and move. Don't, however, exercise within 1 - 2 hours of going to bed.

Eat healthy ... remember lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Try to avoid lots of fatty foods and sugary foods.

Do something which gives you comfort and relax your mind.

Drink plenty of fluids, preferably water. Limit caffeinated drinks and alcohol.

Talk to someone ...... a friend, family member, counselor, or clergy member, even a pet or stuffed animal.

Be with people. The strongest factor that separates those who deal with stress well from those that don't is the presence of a strong social network of friends and family. Being with these people, talking to them, spending time with them, doing for others and letting others help you is the most important thing you can do to get through stressful times.

Recipe: Pork, Butterbean and Spring Green Casserole

I've been meaning to write this up for ages- this is such a moreish recipe- maybe the reason its taken me ages to put this up is because we've started eating it before i can take a picture of it! Lol! Nick says this is his favourite recipe of mine. This, my keema matar, and my chicken and black bean stew are his favourites. I think in general he just loves casseroles- as do I. Use a very lean cut of meat, and make sure you sear it, and your result will be literally melt-in-the-mouth pork! Takes a while in the oven, but it's still a fairly simple recipe to make though. Apologies for dirty oven though- filthy! Shall have to get nick into some marigolds to get scrubbing that hob (haha!)

Pork, butterbean and spring green casserole (serves 2)

2 tbsp olive oil
250g diced lean pork, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 rashers smoky bacon, diced
1 banana shallot (or 4 little shallots) sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tin butterbeans, drained and rinsed
500ml chicken stock
1 bay leaf
150g diced spring greens
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
½ tsp Worchester sauce
1 rounded tsp cornflour, mixed with a little water
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. In a casserole, fry the seasoned pork in the olive oil on a high heat for about 5 minutes. Add the shallot, bacon and garlic and cook for 5 more minutes.
2. Add all the other ingredients (except the cornflour), mix well, put the lid on, and put in the oven for an hour.
3. Remove from the oven, add the cornflour mixture, mix in, then put back in the oven for a further 45 minutes. Remove, season to taste, and serve!

Eat Healthy Stay Young

EAT HEALTHY STAY YOUNG

Healthy eating builds a healthy body. You can improve your skin with healthy eating. Improving your skin and health requires a nutritious diet, plenty of water, fresh air, exercise, sleep and minimum stress.

What You CAN Do?

Eating healthy doesn't mean giving up the foods you love, it means choosing food wisely. Try some of the following suggestions while eating to get a healthy lifestyle.

1- Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods:

You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health, and no single food supplies them all. Your daily  food selection should include bread and other whole-grain products; fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat, poultry, fish and other protein foods.

2- Breakfast is the key to stay Young and Healthy: 

Do you know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day?

Most people give a variety of reasons for not eating breakfast. A common reason is that they are not hungry in the morning, which is a result of eating a full meal late in the evening or late snacking. When they go to bed, the body is still busy digesting all that food. 

In the result, if you skip breakfast in the morning you may find yourself tired, dizzy and irritable and that your concentration is poor. It may take you longer to carry out tasks or you just might not feel to do anything.

3- Eat moderate portions:

If you keep portion sizes of your food reasonable, it's easier to eat that food and stay healthy. Most of all it helps food to digest fast.

 

4- Eat slowly:

It's a wonderful way to savour your food and to eat less. Start by putting your fork down between bites, chewing a bit more or cutting food into smaller pieces.

5- Eat regular meals:

Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting in overeating. When you're very hungry, it's also tempting to forget about good nutrition. Snacking between meals can help curb hunger, but don't eat so much that your snack becomes an entire meal.

RECYCLE ON THE GO with Shedwyn and friends

WELL WELL WELL.  I'm still getting over the shock of being outed recently by The Observer's very lovely Lucy Siegle who just so happened to reveal to the nation, my peculiar habit of embarrassing the kids by taking photos of municipal trash cans.   Yes I know....!

But I admit it.  Indeed I really do have a sad collection of bin photos, recycling ones in particular, taken whilst out shopping and on holiday, both in the UK and overseas, Well it IS research you know!  In fact this is the blogpost that initially grabbed the attention, taken on a day-trip to Barry Island in South Wales, the spiritual home of sitcom Gavin & Stacey.

Now I don't think I'm the only one to notice how these hight street recycling bins are starting to pop up in all manner of places in the UK.  And I bet I'm not the only one to have taken photos of them either (although most people will only have included them unknowingly in the background). But if you start looking, you'll find them in many high streets and tourist hotspots around the country, and they're proving to be a very valuable tool in helping the UK reduce the amount of plastic, aluminium and paper that's sent to landfill or incineration.

They come in all shapes and sizes too.  Take the one above for instance, which was snapped at Brussels' Eurostar terminal.  It even looks like a giant shape-sorter.   Of course there are plenty more inconspicuous ones that often get overlooked, which is why Rachelle Strauss at My Zero Waste and I are launching a challenge to promote these very useful facilities and find out exactly where they are.

So the challenge ladies and gentlemen, is TO COLLECT 1000 PHOTOS or VIDEOS by the end of this year's National Zero Waste Week, which takes place on 5-11 September.

Yes 1000!  I know!!!

That's more than this busy mother of two can manage, which is why we've employed the talents of our bespectacled pal SHEDWYN, who's as mad as brush and will be popping up in all sorts of places around the country taking photos.  Here she is....getting prepared for some hard and fast recycling action on the streets of London, either that or trying to flag down a taxi with an empty drinks bottle and a copy of The Metro.

But good grief, WHERE did she get those glasses!!!  Oh bless her.

Anyway, Shedwyn's other mission is to make recycling bins as entertaining as possible and she'll even be encouraging the odd comedian or busker to strut their stuff as they recycle on the go.

But even this Welsh Wonderwoman can't do this without any help either.  She needs YOUR help and WE'D LOVE YOU TO JOIN IN TOO.  It's really easy.  We simply need you to 'snap & post' a few photos, that's all.

Whenever you spot a public high-street recycling bin, it would be great if you could take a quick photo and post it onto our NEW FACEBOOK PAGE!   The funnier or more unusual, the better.  You could put yourself in the frame too, or even send an entertaining video to show off your hidden (or not so hidden) talents. They'll also be entered into our photo collection as well as any sketches or artwork submitted by artists.  To add them directly, you just need to 'like' the new Facebook page and upload them straight to the page's wall, which you will find at: Standup for Recycling out on the street: The 1000 bin challenge.

Just remember to include the town and location of where you found the bin.  It would be brilliant to get submissions of overseas bins too, especially if they offer extra design features, such as voice-activation or play music.

Even if you don't have a Facebook account, you can still join in by sending your submissions to: standup@therubbishdiet.co.uk and we will post them online for you.

All submissions added will be automatically entered into the Zero Waste Week annual competition, details of which will be announced at www.myzerowaste.com at the end of July.  The final deadline for the challenge is 11 September and all winners will be revealed at the end of September.

Our 1000 bin challenge is an independent social-media campaign, coordinated by The Rubbish Diet blog and My Zero Waste.  It is officially being launched on Monday 20th June to show our support for WRAP's Recycle Week 2011 campaign, which itself runs until 26th June.

And this year's Recycle Week looks like it's going to be a real brilliant one.  The theme is Recycling - Home and Away and aims to demonstrate the positive effect of recycling a little bit more, whether at home, at work or out-and-about. There's even a competition to guess the location of  some on-street recycling bins at the Recycle Now website.  I reckon old Shedwyn will be able to have a good crack at that, given the way she gets around!

The other big news this year is that anti-litter organisation Keep Britain Tidy is also partnering with WRAP and has been working with pilot authorities to launch this year's Recycle Week, encouraging organisers of Big Tidy Up events to recycle litter.  More information about Recycle Week and how you can get involved is now available at www.recyclenow.com and www.thebigtidyup.org.

So what are you waiting for?  There's lots going on and I'm looking forward to seeing what you'll get up to.  Whatever it is, just remember to keep it clean...AND remember to take your camera.

1000 photos eh.....whoa...this will definitely be a challenge and a half, especially as we'll only have just 12 weeks.   It's time for Shedwyn and her mates to get snapping.

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WEETF: debating the future of UK waste policy

Two days ago I was privileged to attend the Westminster Energy, Environment and Transport Forum's (WEETF) keynote seminar: The future of UK Waste Policy.

OK, I admit that it might not sound the most rivetting of days out for many, but for a blogging waste geek like me, it was a real opportunity to witness first hand the priorities of those who have a direct influence on the way in which the UK will protect the world's natural and material resources.


The Forum, which runs conferences and seminars in London aims to provide the "premier environment" for policy makers in Parliament, Whitehall and government agencies to engage with key stakeholders.

And indeed it was a seminar that brought together an impressive range of representatives from many relating sectors.  These included academia, government, retail, local authorities, waste management companies, anaerobic digestion specialists, waste reduction consultants, the energy from waste sector and anti-incineration networks.  It was probably the most widespread range of interested parties and stakeholders that I've ever witnessed in one room, since I started The Rubbish Diet blog three years ago.  There was also representation from emerging market investors amongst the delegate list.  Now that's a sector I don't come across every day.

Chaired in turn by Barry Gardiner MP (Member, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee) and Lord Redesdale, Chairman, (Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Assocation), the event presented a plethora of professional opinion addressing topics that included The UK's record on waste management, delivering a zero waste economy by 2014, comparing waste policies in England and Scotland, the role of energy recovery in the future of waste management and the view from Wrap.

It was quickly acknowledged by industry expert Paul Levett, that the most useful tool in reducing waste has been the Landfill Tax, the impact of which will continue to have a positive effect as it rises towards £80 per tonne in 2014.  Paul Levett also stated that private investment had been successful in the municpal sector, but as municipal waste represented one third of the country's arisings, investment was also needed in other sectors too.  What particularly stood out for me was his view that waste should stop being a political issue and draw a cross-party consensus.  Frankly, I couldn't agree more, especially as many of the goal-scoring antics amongst political egos are often more effective at delaying the essential than moving as quickly as we should towards necessary solutions.

Although unable to provide actual detail of Defra's Waste Review, which won't be published until later this month,  Neil Thornton Defra's Director of Climate, Waste and Atmosphere (cool job title, by the way) highlighted the key drivers for the waste review, which included:

• The new government & new economic backdrop, including localism and Big Society policies
• The coalition programme and Defra's revised business plan
• The need to agree goals for 2014-20, setting the path towards a zero waste economy
• Exploring voluntary responsibility deals amongst businesses and Climate Change Act powers for household charging
• Promotiing increased Energy from Waste through anaerobic digestion.

While Neil Thornton highlighted that there are now 173 local authorities collecting five or more dry recyclables at the kerbside (helping to reduce the average annual residual waste per person by 76kg since 2006/07), he also stated that a key tool in waste reduction will be the introduction of the Waste Hierarchy as a legal obligation in the UK.  This means that the new Waste (England & Wales) Regulations 2011 (effective from September) will put a legal obligation on businesses and local authorities to place Waste Prevention Plans as a priority in their operations.  This will affect businesses that produce waste, import or export waste, carry or transport waste, keep or store waste, treat waste, dispose of waste and those that operate as waste brokers or dealers.

It is expected that waste policy changes will also see

• a move towards a zero waste economy
• a more sustainable use of materials, 
• improving services to businesses and households
• more voluntary approaches, 
• better targeted systems for enforcement
• a smaller\different role for central government, putting more decisions into the hands of local communities and civil society
• waste management becoming a very important part of the green economy.

Simon Aumônier, waste life cycle expert and partner at Environmental Resources Management  emphasised that waste prevention must be a top priority for future policy, highlighting the embodied impact (i.e. Raw materials, transport and production) of products and produce that are wasted.  The significance of this issue was later reinforced by Richard Swannell of Wrap, who illustrated the point with an example of the humble burger, stating that 2,400 litres of embedded water is required for just one 150 gram beefburger.  Working with WWF, Wrap has also calculated that food waste amounts to 6,200 billion litres of embedded water per year and clothing waste comes in at 2,400 billion litres.

This theme of Waste Prevention was echoed by Bob Gordon, Head of Environment at the British Retail Consortium (BRC), who highlighted how the brands and retailers that signed up to the Courtauld Commitment have in 5 years prevented 1.2 million tonnes of food and packaging waste and are continuing to make further reductions.  Commenting on pressures facing local authorities from certain public and political quarters to return to weekly rubbish collections he stated that this would be at odds with what the government is trying to achieve.

From a Zero Waste perspective, it was refreshing to hear Claudia Kuss-Tenzer, Research and Policy Programme Manager at Waste Watch, highlight that Zero Waste policies should be defined as Zero Waste and not "Zero Waste to Landfill".  She also called on government to support the Friends of the Earth ambitions to cut residual waste by 50% by 2020.

One of this year's most surprising and exciting developments to hit the waste and recycling sector was also introduced at the seminar, by Roy Brown, CEO of nappy recycling company Knowaste. With over 20 years experience in Canada, the company is launching the UK's first specialist recycling facility for absorbant hygiene waste, which includes disposable nappies, adult incontinence and feminine hygiene products, using state-of-the-art technology to create quality plastics and fibres.

Its first UK plant will be completed in West Bromwich this summer, with facilities to recycle 36 tonnes of absorbent hygiene products per annum. The plastics output will be used for products such as roof tiles, seed trays and "plastic timber" for the landscaping and construction industries, whereas the fibres can be reclaimed for green energy fuel or sterilised and recycled for use in corrugated board, blow moulded packaging (replacing polystyrene packaging), seeding mulch and as fillers in the construction industries.

Knowaste contracts will initially be through the commercial sector but the company also has plans to target the residential sector too, with solutions to recycle 750 tonnes of waste that's generated through municipal waste per year.   Roy Brown stated that they had been attracted to the UK by drivers such as the Landfill Tax and the move towards a Zero Waste economy.  Announcements about new plants that the company plans to roll out across the UK will be made at the RWM exhibition in September.

While the government is aiming for 50% recycling targets for 2020 in England, Zero Waste Scotland, represented by Iain Gulland has its sights on 75% by 2025.  The organisation provides a range of support programmes, campaigns and other interventions to help people and organisations on the journey to Zero Waste and is promoting resource efficiency as a key theme with benefits of creating a low carbon economy, better economic performance and material security. Alongside this it is also calling for more producer responsibility.

The seminar continued with the role of energy recovery technologies, including much debate around anaerobic digestion (AD), gasification of dry waste and EfW plants, with representation from Hayley Conboy, Policy Adviser for Environment at the CBI, who highlighted the importance of recovery technologies to the waste landscape. 

Michael Chesshire (Technology Director at BiogenGreenfinch) who was introduced by Lord Redesdale as the "Godfather of AD",  detailed how processing food waste through such technology not only is a vital process for creating biofertilers and biomethane energy, but this waste stream is also proving to be very effective in reducing waste arisings.  He also commented on how anaerobic digestion is very scalable and that food waste plants can offer a combined use for farm slurries and crop waste, highlighting the benefits for farmers.

Professor Jim Swithenbank, Chairman, Sheffield University Waste Incineration Centre, presented the role of thermal technologies in using non recyclable waste residues to "mitigate UK energy poverty and climate change" and called for the government to place a priority on district heating and combined heat and power (CHP).  He stated that one tonne of waste was equal to one barrel of oil.

Jane Green, of the Zero Waste Alliance UK, added a word of caution for local authorities going down the incinerator\energy from waste route and that was concern for the impact on levels of sorted recyclates and confliction with the waste prevention message.

Having been catapulted into the waste scene three years ago, when waste was most definitely considered a very negative problem, there is an air about the sector that has transformed the landscape into one of great opportunity. Listening to talk of resource efficiency, economic development and green technologies depicted a scene of hope, underpinned by legislation that is taking this issue very seriously indeed.

This was reinforced by Lord Resedale's closing comments, highlighting that politicians are now taking a real interest in waste and that is going to the key issue of the next five years, having moved significantly up the agenda.  He also added that energy prices are going up 20% this year and from now we will see a close connection between the areas of waste, energy prices and resource management.

It will no doubt be a sector rife with commercial opportunities as pre-existing and emerging players ptich for new opportunities and fight for survival over the next few decades.  I just now hope that the solutions that shine through will be those that are best for the environment, the economy AND our societies and that the voice of local communities will play a key role in the future of waste.

This blogpost serves only as a summary of Thursday's seminar.  For full details, transcripts, along with delegate lists and speaker biographies can be ordered from the Westminster Energy, Environment and Transport Forum.

Other publications to look out for through June are Wrap's new business plan, which will be published on Tuesday and the long awaited Waste Review, which will be published by Defra soon after.

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