Out & About Spring 2019

Out&About feature

Plans are also under way to set up a green market in the district. Another active member of the group is Jana Karstova Little, who is busy collecting crisp wrappers and other packaging that you would not normally think was recyclable. “I was out walking my dog and was really shocked at the amount of crisps packets and other rubbish that were just lying around. “I went back the next day and filled bags of the stuff – but then had to find something to do with it,” says Jana. “I discovered TerraCycle, which takes wrappers – like crisps packets – as well as all sorts of other packaging and recycles it. “They have partnered up with various companies who pay to have their packaging recycled and for every few kilograms you send back, they donate money to a charity chosen by you. “I have chosen Canine Partners – an organisation that partners people with physical disabilities with assistance dogs.” In the first six weeks of this year, Jana has amassed 22.7kg of waste that would otherwise have gone to landfill, this includes 3.5kg of oral products, 5.9kg of beauty product plastic packaging, 6.7kg of petfood flexible packaging and 11.6kg of crisps packets. “I’m so proud of everyone getting on board with this,” says Jana. “We have already raised more than £40.” Jana shows us the boxes in her garage filled with Ella’s Kitchen food pouches and tubes of Pringles, items that most people just chuck in the bin. She has also got various local companies collecting packaging for her, including Donnington Vets which is collecting pet food packaging for Jana to send on to TerraCycle. The list of what can be done to reduce waste and create a greener, cleaner planet is endless, but the Thatcham initiative is just one example of how a group of people can get together and make a difference. And there are more inspiring stories from other local communities over the page 

Initiatives from Thatcham & Newbury plastic free, recycling & zero waste UK. Recycling Jana Karstova Little collects: • All biscuit wrappers, non-savoury biscuit wrappers, all cracker wrappers, cake bar wrappers • All crisp packet and multi bag wrappers. NO popcorn bags. Please rinse and dry • Any toothbrush and the packaging, tooth paste tubes and caps, electric toothbrush heads and packaging. NO floss packaging, interdentals or denture related • All wet pet food pouches, all pet treat flexible packaging and pouches and dried pet food flexible plastic packaging. NO cans, cardboard or hard plastic • Personal care caps, pumps, plastic pots, flexible plastic tubes, hair colour kits, roll on deodorant, flexible plastc wipe packets beauty only, single use mask packets • Finish dishwashing tablets doypacks (flexible bags) no other brands • Tin foil – washed and dried Jenny Kirby • takes in used biros, felt tip pens and mechanical pencils • Milk bottle tops can be taken to the porch at St Mary’s church Thatcham. • Other small bottle (fizzy, squash, water, tetra Pak) tops can be mailed free to Freepost LUSH GREENHUB

Jenny Kirby at the recent pop-up shop in Thatcham and Jana Karstova Little with packaging ready to be sent to TerraCycle

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