ETLerwick

Congratulations to the parts of Shetland that are now able to recycle materials. Every little bit helps.

Yes. Do ask the council questions. They are best prepared to give you the best answer, and potentially, the answer you need. My introduction was simply to open the conversation.

Please ask your question on the Web site, quoting it... "We will be assessing all routes to see what issues there might be and how they can be solved to help everyone recycle. If you have any specific issues please contact us using the details at the bottom of the page." [emphasis mine]

Want to highlight this -- questions answered if you ask: https://www.shetland.gov.uk/rubbish-recycling/recycling-faq.asp Who Ray!

I'm hanging my head....

Where are you doing your research? I'm researching in the Shetland Museum Archives, which I found to be absolutely top drawer. No restrictions, except no pens -- only pencils allowed when using their materials. Archivists are uniformly knowledgeable, accessible and helpful. I'm venturing into Scolloway Museum Archives when they open in April. Stay tuned. Good luck!

Every little bit helps -- and however we participate, we can make a difference. Thx, Space.

It's important that you read all the posts on a topic -- not just one. Ask questions about what you need/ want to know. You'll be welcome in Shetland! Especially if you operate with your curiosity, wide eyes and manners fully on display.

Nice find! thx for sharing this.

Ignoring the pontifical rat-holes that have developed in this thread, I remain hopeful that we can change behaviours in Shetland and begin to 'save the planet' in our very own, little, wee, tiny way. Yes, avoid buying plastic in any way you can. That, too, is a good first-step that only an individual can take. Please don't resist Shetland/ Scotland's efforts to recycle based on what you read/ post here. Yes, Who Ray! for all who participate.

"Recycling scheme off to 'strong start' up north" Who Ray! This is truly positive news. Thanks to all.

Any Lerwick groups needing another volunteer? On foot, and experienced with beach clean-up in other geographies. Pls contact via Shetlink. Thanks!

Agreed. I can choose what I buy, e.g. choose non-prepacked or single use stuff, I make my opinion known through feedback if I receive unnecessarily wasteful packaging in the post etc. As customers we have got to put pressure on suppliers to reduce or prevent waste at source? How little waste can we put out in the first place? Try this motto: recycle, reduce, reuse, refuse. It can work!

Where is the evidence, preferably in the form of a detailed, comprehensive, accurate, realistic and believable environmental audit, proving the proposed changes will create a more environmentally beneficial situation than the status quo? Don't refer me to the cherry picked waffling piece of spin and propoganda that's been waved around so far either, its devoid of accuracy and fluffily light on data quantified in numbers and hard facts to the point its more unhelpful than helpful. Prove this is an environmentally beneficial change and I'll back it, otherwise it IS just a box ticking political exercise that deserves contempt. Just because 'Zero Waste Scotland' aka. Holyrood says it is, most certainly does not make it so - if for no other reason than they are political, and by default of being so operate primarily to a political agenda. Your single question deserves an answer. Please attend a Carbon Literacy seminar and teach yourself about how to answer your own question. Further, what will you do to recycle? Stop side stepping the question by moving the goalposts. The EU, via the Scottish Government via the SIC expects me to expend the time and effort to required, to comply with their new refuse collection and disposal model. I do not believe their new model to be less damaging to the planet's resources and the environment than the current model in use, in fact I believe their new model will consume more of the planet's resources and cause greater enviornmental damage that the current model. The onus is on the EU, via the Scottish Government, via the SIC to provide proof their new model consumes less of the planet's resource and causes less environmental damage than the current model if they're expecting folk's cooperation, not on each individual to go and seek on that answer for themselves. They're proposing the change, they're implementing the change, its their responsibility to convince people its the right one. I'll skip over the patronising arrogance of your reply, which in and of itself marks you down as very probably an SIC employee. But I will point out that I have disabilities which prevent me from attending most events. What provision is there to make reasonable adjustments so that someone with disabilities is not excluded from these seminars you mention? Finally, regardless what may be on offer at any seminar, it is not going to answer my questions, which are case specific to the SIC's new waste collection, management and disposal proposals, as they have not revealed/quantified the amounts involved. What tonnage of combustible material will their proposal remove from the incinerator, and what is the loss of thermal capacity to SHEAP by default of that removal of fuel? How many tonnes of material will be shipped to Aberdeen and onward haulage, and what is the carbon footprint in transportation terms of each of those tonnes to reach its reprocessing destination? What are the current/historical emissions of the incinerator, and what are they expected to be once teh new model is up and running? I could go on all night, and I'd still not e done, but you get the gist.... ALL of the above questions and their answers, and dozens more factor in to the big picture equation of whether or not the new model is an 'improvement' over the current model, or not. Where are those questions answered, where is the data to do so with, why has it not been published in full? They surely wouldn't have something to hide, would they. Blind us with science, stop trying to baffle us with bovine excrement. As to what I do to recycle - and I'm getting a little tired answering this question on here. I do what I've always done, and most Shetlanders used to do. Pretty much anything I own, or have ever owned was obtained used. When something breaks, I fix it. When something is unfixable, it gets broken up and component parts 're-purposed', and if SIC - Housing had had the midder wit to provide every house they own with at least one lum, instead of everything run on diesel guzzling over-priced electric, I could carry in both hands with room to spare all I'd actually throw away each week, as the rest would be helping keep me warm. Why are you under the impression that the OP has to answer your questions? If in any doubt here is here post below: Who Ray! Looking forward to recycle efforts in Shetland. Help spread the word to locals, tourists, and everyone who can do this responsible bit, to clean up after one's-self. Let's do all we can to make this work. Read the Shetland Times and review the SIC link that leads to the 'how-to' page, so that you can understand how to sort, manage, curb and otherwise support recycling isle-wide. Please, let's use this thread to support the effort, answer questions, support each other -- if you want to post negative responses, please start another thread. Thank you in advance! I'm not, and never said I was. The OP said to use it to 'answer questions' (see emboldened in your copy and paste), questions need to be asked before they can be answered, and I'm asking mine. I don't mind who answers them, although it would be encuraging to see the OP at least try to seeing as they started this. As to these questions: "What tonnage of combustible material will their proposal remove from the incinerator, and what is the loss of thermal capacity to SHEAP by default of that removal of fuel? How many tonnes of material will be shipped to Aberdeen and onward haulage, and what is the carbon footprint in transportation terms of each of those tonnes to reach its reprocessing destination? What are the current/historical emissions of the incinerator, and what are they expected to be once teh new model is up and running?" You're asking for crystal-ball answers, or at least only assumptions for answers, since the individually quantify-able variables involved have not yet been defined in practical use. No one on earth can answer your questions as posed: there can only be estimates. It's also possible you would have difficulty accepting estimates, simply resulting in more questions/ doubt by you. Finally, 'green' doesn't equate to 'economical'. What life-saving action do you know of that saves money? Ambulance? A&E services? 'Green' does mean 'change behaviour'. In the long-run, we'll see the economical advantages, and the life-saving results of changing our behaviours.

Thanks again to all, for these contributions. I'm looking f'w'd to helping make this scheme -- and its improvements work for Shetland. Every program of this type has to start somewhere, and yes, there will be growing pains. But let's do whatever we can to get from here to there as quickly as possible.

You could contact your vendor and explain that you're most interested in the most economical/ green shipping scheme, and yes, you're willing to assume some liability for a few broken toothpicks.

Where is the evidence, preferably in the form of a detailed, comprehensive, accurate, realistic and believable environmental audit, proving the proposed changes will create a more environmentally beneficial situation than the status quo? Don't refer me to the cherry picked waffling piece of spin and propoganda that's been waved around so far either, its devoid of accuracy and fluffily light on data quantified in numbers and hard facts to the point its more unhelpful than helpful. Prove this is an environmentally beneficial change and I'll back it, otherwise it IS just a box ticking political exercise that deserves contempt. Just because 'Zero Waste Scotland' aka. Holyrood says it is, most certainly does not make it so - if for no other reason than they are political, and by default of being so operate primarily to a political agenda. Your single question deserves an answer. Please attend a Carbon Literacy seminar and teach yourself about how to answer your own question. Further, what will you do to recycle? Stop side stepping the question by moving the goalposts. The EU, via the Scottish Government via the SIC expects me to expend the time and effort to required, to comply with their new refuse collection and disposal model. I do not believe their new model to be less damaging to the planet's resources and the environment than the current model in use, in fact I believe their new model will consume more of the planet's resources and cause greater enviornmental damage that the current model. The onus is on the EU, via the Scottish Government, via the SIC to provide proof their new model consumes less of the planet's resource and causes less environmental damage than the current model if they're expecting folk's cooperation, not on each individual to go and seek on that answer for themselves. They're proposing the change, they're implementing the change, its their responsibility to convince people its the right one. I'll skip over the patronising arrogance of your reply, which in and of itself marks you down as very probably an SIC employee. But I will point out that I have disabilities which prevent me from attending most events. What provision is there to make reasonable adjustments so that someone with disabilities is not excluded from these seminars you mention? Finally, regardless what may be on offer at any seminar, it is not going to answer my questions, which are case specific to the SIC's new waste collection, management and disposal proposals, as they have not revealed/quantified the amounts involved. What tonnage of combustible material will their proposal remove from the incinerator, and what is the loss of thermal capacity to SHEAP by default of that removal of fuel? How many tonnes of material will be shipped to Aberdeen and onward haulage, and what is the carbon footprint in transportation terms of each of those tonnes to reach its reprocessing destination? What are the current/historical emissions of the incinerator, and what are they expected to be once teh new model is up and running? I could go on all night, and I'd still not e done, but you get the gist.... ALL of the above questions and their answers, and dozens more factor in to the big picture equation of whether or not the new model is an 'improvement' over the current model, or not. Where are those questions answered, where is the data to do so with, why has it not been published in full? They surely wouldn't have something to hide, would they. Blind us with science, stop trying to baffle us with bovine excrement. As to what I do to recycle - and I'm getting a little tired answering this question on here. I do what I've always done, and most Shetlanders used to do. Pretty much anything I own, or have ever owned was obtained used. When something breaks, I fix it. When something is unfixable, it gets broken up and component parts 're-purposed', and if SIC - Housing had had the midder wit to provide every house they own with at least one lum, instead of everything run on diesel guzzling over-priced electric, I could carry in both hands with room to spare all I'd actually throw away each week, as the rest would be helping keep me warm. Thank you again for your opinion -- and for all you do to recycle/ reuse/ in Shetland. Every little bit helps

Maybe a Go-Fund-Me scheme set up by the kids' group(s)?

Was there something about how you attached them/ secured them that could have contributed to this flight(s)?

"Reached your quota of positive votes for the day" Huh?? -- This is a good thing in my book -- many helpful, solid contributions. Thank you, all!

Or because the SIC refuses to do what is done in other parts of the UK, namely employ folk to pick up rubbish outside of the toon. Instead, they try to con people into thinking we should all volunteer for the clean ups. Be far too sensible for anyone doing community service to be lowered to picking up rubbish. And before you accuse me of being all doom and gloom/SIC bashing, I do think that folk should pick up their own rubbish/take it home with them/place in suitable receptacle. I agree. Maybe a different thing but I have always been staggered at the amount to stuff washed up on beaches, beyond belief in some places, so glad to get involved in a redd up were I can. Blue Planet - wooble of conscience for our political leaders that might change something regarding plastics in the sea, and hopefully that will continue to filter down to everything we do. Good point. Let's each adopt a beach and walk it regularly, picking up whatever non-natural material we find there, and bring it to a central location. Weekly walks are good for the beach, good for the walker, good for the soul. Point one out -- tell me where to find a fouled beach. I'll volunteer!

Yes, and some of the economics of this may mean that because of our geographic location, shipping/ storing/ merchandising/ selling 'loose veg' is pretty impractical. Looking forward to a seasonal farmers market!

I like this, too. Apparently one machine scheme accepts plastic (standard, single-use bottles?) and returns tokens or coupons to be spent in the shoppe that hosts the machine. I'm not certain how to engage individual shoppe owners, however, in exploring this option.

Where is the evidence, preferably in the form of a detailed, comprehensive, accurate, realistic and believable environmental audit, proving the proposed changes will create a more environmentally beneficial situation than the status quo? Don't refer me to the cherry picked waffling piece of spin and propoganda that's been waved around so far either, its devoid of accuracy and fluffily light on data quantified in numbers and hard facts to the point its more unhelpful than helpful. Prove this is an environmentally beneficial change and I'll back it, otherwise it IS just a box ticking political exercise that deserves contempt. Just because 'Zero Waste Scotland' aka. Holyrood says it is, most certainly does not make it so - if for no other reason than they are political, and by default of being so operate primarily to a political agenda. Your single question deserves an answer. Please attend a Carbon Literacy seminar and teach yourself about how to answer your own question. Further, what will you do to recycle?

This is a valid question -- and it may be that the pickup technology requires these bins: I don't know. Let's wait for someone from SIC to address your concern/ ideas.