Kelly, U. (1995) Local Agenda 21 is Rubbish. Magpie 36, p.17
Local Agenda 21 is RUBBISH! by Unity Kelly
By their deeds shall ye know them. It is now two years since MW was asked if we would be willing to adopt and benefit from a bottle bank in Rusholme. A site was eventually agreed, over a year ago, in the Aldi car park on Great Western Street and that’s as far as it has got. Mike Shearing, Waste Minimisation Officer, explained that Manchester City Council have decided, in its infinite wisdom, that sites for bottle banks need planning permission, even on car parks, adding to the time and cost involved in getting them established. Other councils don’t find this necessary. Manchester now has fewer bottle bank sites – those in Withington Village and at Dales (ASDA) in Longsight have gone. In the same period Stockport has installed 100. Mini-recycling sites (glass, cans and paper). Do you get the feeling that someone up there is not really bothered?
I use the University bottle banks but the glass all goes in one bin and the University runs them as a loss-making cosmetic exercise. The nearest plastic recycling skip is in East Didsbury – only I need a car to shift the collection now. I don’t want my rubbish to end up on Red Moss or produce dioxins from an incinerator, or be part of some Mickey Mouse scheme. Will Local Agenda 21 come to my aid?
marchudson.net 