Environment and Climate Change
One of the things we can all do to to help with climate change is to recycle more. If we can help break the cycle of single use containers into waste for landfill by recycling we can reduce the total energy and resources used. Overall energy reduction means less energy to create the next batch of plastic which saves energy and the plastic material resource itself. This saves on the carbon footprint, reduces overall waste and reduces contamination and reduces emissions into the atmosphere.
This set of pages has useful information on recycling and other initiatives to help the environment.
-
Verge Management Wildlife Corridor Trial
- On the southern approach to the Village between Whitsbury Cross and and the Whitsbury village sign you may have noticed a marked off area. This will be managed to promote wild flower growth and, we hope, be the start of a wildlife corridor. Typical modern verge management consists of cutting back at random times of the year and leaving the cuttings. These fertilise the ground , providing an ideal environment for the more robust growth (nettles, bracken) which outperform the more delicate flower species. The plan is to cut once before the growing season (early February) and and once after the wildflowers have seeded (late summer). All cuttings will be raked to the back of the verge under the hedge in an attempt to reduce the fertility…
- This is closer to the way meadows were managed before machine cutting became the norm. By doing this we hope to see a re-emergence of wild flowers, insects, invertebrates and small mammals that can take advantage of this approach.
- So far we have cut back the verge and marked it off. We are working with Hampshire County Council to make that section of verge is left so we can manage it ourselves.
- We aim to monitor changes over a season or two. If successful we will look to extend the approach to a wider length of the verge.
- See below the cutting back on a particularly cold Feb Sunday morning !!
-
Plastics Recycling
Have you wondered whether a plastic container can be recycled, below is a useful infographic of the plastic markings on containers and whether they can be recycled. We'll investigate and let you know which can be recycled locally by type.
Ecobriks
Ever wondered what else you could do with your plastics well heres a neat idea make an EcoBrick.
Recycling Information
Although we put our green boxes out each week you may have other waste that you are sure must be recycleable please see the extensive list below of locations to take recycleable waste to.
| Item | Location/Contact | Notes |
| Aluminium | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | |
| Aluminium foil | St Boniface
Church, Woodgreen Morrisons, Verwood |
|
| Animal Waste | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | Must be double-bagged; max 2 bags a day |
| Baby Food pouches and caps | New Forest Live at Home | “Ella’s” brand only |
| Ballpoint and felt-tip pens | New Forest Live at
Home Burgate School (Terracycle) Downton Recycling |
|
| Baths | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | |
| Batteries | Co-op Lidl Ringwood St Boniface Church, Woodgreen |
Domestic only, not vehicle, leisure, powertool, etc. |
| Batteries | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | domestic, vehicle, power tools |
| Bedding and sleeping bags | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | |
| Belts | St Boniface Church, Woodgreen | Leather and canvas only |
| Biscuit packets | New Forest Live at
Home Kerrie Grove Downton Recycling |
See below for
acceptable brands See below for acceptable brands |
| Bottle tops, plastic | St Mary’s Church St Boniface Church, Woodgreen Downton Recycling Wilton Riding for the Disabled |
Clean milk bottle
tops only Clean milk bottle tops only Clean milk bottle tops only Clean milk bottle tops only |
| Brassieres (Bras) | Downton Recycling | Clean and in usable condition |
| Bread bags | New Forest Live at
Home Kerrie Grove |
Plastic bags only |
| Cans, tins, and metal aerosols | Domestic waste
recycling Car park recycling bins |
|
| Cardboard | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | |
| Carpets | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | |
| CDs and DVDs | St Boniface Church, Woodgreen | |
| Christmas Trees | Car park recycling
bins Somerley Waste Recycling Centre |
real trees only |
| Clothing | Car park recycling
bins Charity shops Clothes swap Charity bags |
|
| Coffee pods | Nationwide | Tassimo and L’Or only |
| Coins | St Boniface Church, Woodgreen | |
| Contact lens containers | AJ Bass | |
| Cooking Oil | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | |
| Corks | St Boniface
Church, Woodgreen Recorked UK |
|
| Crisp multipack bags | Kerrie Grove | |
| Crisp packets, single | Gourmet Grocer New Forest Live at Home |
Folded flat only please: no origami! |
| Egg Boxes | St Boniface Church, Woodgreen | |
| Elastic bands | Royal Mail | Post Office bands
only Simon Dorrington (FGL) has offered to collect these |
| Electrical Equipment and Appliances | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | |
| Engine Oil | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | Sealed container; max 10 litres/month |
| Fire Extinguishers | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | Only if manufacturer does not take them back |
| Fridges and Freezers | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | |
| Furniture | ||
| Garden Waste | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | |
| Gas bottles | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | Max 15 kg |
| Glass bottles and jars | Domestic monthly
collection Car park recycling bins |
|
| Inhalers | Any Pharmacy | |
| iPods | St Boniface Church, Woodgreen | |
| Light Bulbs | Somerley Waste
Recycling Centre Downton Recycling |
Low-energy (CFL) only |
| Mattresses |
British Heart Foundation British Red Cross https://www.collectyouroldbed.com |
If useable If useable Will collect and recycle; costs from £11.99 |
| Metal foil | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | Including take-away containers |
| Milk bottle foil tops | Kerrie Grove | |
| Mobile Phones | St Boniface
Church, Woodgreen Somerley Waste Recycling Centre |
|
| Neckties | St Boniface Church, Woodgreen | |
| Paint | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | Sealed container, max 5 litre/month |
| Pet food pouches | New Forest Live at
Home Purr and Miaow |
|
| Plant pots | St Boniface
Church, Woodgreen Downton Recycling |
Small only Small only, clean |
| Plant pots | Stewarts Garden Centres | Only if marked PS(6) or PP(5) – NOT if marked PETE(1), HDPE(2), V(3), LDPE(4), or Other (7) |
| Plasterboard | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | Not free; see website for charges |
| Popcorn packet | Gourmet Grocer
Kerrie Grove New Forest Live at Home |
|
| Postage Stamps | St Boniface
Church, Woodgreen Downton Recycling |
|
| Pringles tubes | Gourmet Grocer New Forest Live at Home |
“genuine” Pringles only |
| Printer and Toner Cartridges | Somerley Waste
Recycling Centre Downton Recycling |
|
| Records (LPs and 45s) | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | |
| Ring Pulls (from drinks cans) | St Boniface
Church, Woodgreen Downton Recycling |
|
| Rubble | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | Not free; see website for charges |
| Scrap metal | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | |
| SCUBA air bottles | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | |
| Sinks and toilets | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | Not free; see website for charges |
| Snack packets | New Forest Live at
Home Kerrie Grove |
See respective URLs (below) for which brands are accepted |
| Soil | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | Not free; see website for charges |
| Spectacles | AJ Bass Downton Recycling |
Also accept broken spectacles |
| Textiles | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | |
| Toothbrushes | New Forest Live at
Home Downton Recycling |
|
| Toothpaste tubes | New Forest Live at
Home Downton Recycling |
|
| Wallpaper | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | |
| Water filter cartridges | St Boniface
Church, Woodgreen Downton Recycling |
|
| Wood | Somerley Waste Recycling Centre | |
| Wool | St Boniface Church, Woodgreen | yarn, not fleece! |
| Links and Addresses: | ||
| Downton Mini-Recycling Centre: Downton Baptist Church, South Lane, Downton, SP5 3NA | ||
| Royal Mail Elastic Band Freepost: Royal Mail, Rubber Band Recycling Department, Freepost, Tomb Street, Belfast BT1 1AA | ||
| Somerley Waste Recycling Centre: https://www.hants.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling/recyclingcentres/hwrcfinder/Somerley | ||