Refuse and Recycling

Dialogue:______read aloud in pairs

A: Are you satisfied with the available resources in you city for dealing with refuse and recyclables?

B: Well, the absence of separate food waste collection is a great disappointment. Our Waste Transfer Station would receive far fewer complaints without the odour of rotting food?

A: But don't you think it would be complicated to collect in a city like our own where there are so many different types of household and seagulls on the hunt for sources of food?

B: Not at all. Other cities manage and the seagulls open the black bags whenever they can find them anyway. Its a question of having the will, educating the public, and of good organisation.

A: What is good about the way things are managed in your city?

B: There are many good initiatives, including outlets for recycling. People make significant use of facebook marketplace and other social media groups for passing on unwanted items so that they can be reused. There are also small shops such as Infinity, Hisbe and stalls in the Open Market where you can refill your washing up liquid, laundry liquid and fabric softener bottles.

A: Do many people take the trouble to do that?

B: Yes. Some of these shops have done quite well. I know we have a lot of students in our city and they are often criticised for poor recycling habits, but a lot of good initiatives are run by young people.

A: Are there outlets for everything you would want to get rid of?

B: Yes, mostly. As in other towns or cities, there are many charity shops. A few of these will take large items of furniture such as beds and sofas, depending on age and condition. There is now a collection service for small electricals. Almost any item with a plug, battery or cable can be donated, except for printers, CRT monitors, electric toothbrushes, headphones and domestic batteries. There is a wood recycling project, which will collect waste timber within 48 hours of notification.

A: How do you get rid of the things which these outlets refuse to accept?

B: They can be taken to one of the Council's Household Recycling Sites. In the case of large items, such as beds, sofas. armchairs, cookers, fridges and washing machines, you can pay a fee and the Council will collect from your home.

A: What do you do with old batteries?

B: The shops which sell new ones will usually take them. Supermarkets are pretty good at this. Some provide recycling for paper and card, mixed plastic, mixed cans, textiles, as well as batteries. At specific sites, they accept tetra pack cartons, small electricals and books too.