This is the email newsletter from Shropshire Community Recycling Limited: the network of voluntary and community groups in Shropshire taking action to reduce waste and increase recycling. For more information visit http://www.scrl.org.uk. If you don't want to recieve further newsletters, please reply to this message with unsubscribe in the subject line. Please do forward this on to others who might be interested.

Grants going well
Don’t forget SCRL has a pot of money to enable voluntary and community groups to improve their recycling and waste management. Groups like Ludlow Assembly Rooms have used SCRL money to introduce recycling to their audiences and to encourage them to separate their waste so more of it can be recycled.

As we write there is still grant funding available so do visit the website or contact Rosemary Collie (rosemary@furniturescheme.co.uk) to find out more.

Wonderful Wales
One of the services that SCRL is able to offer network members (and remember membership is free) is study visits to projects outside Shropshire that may be of interest. We recently organised a very fruitful visit over the border and in to Powys. There are some great projects working in the Welshpool and Newtown areas including Cae Post (hugely impressive commercial-scale social enterprise which primarily recycles plastics and cans ), Phoenix (a furniture scheme successfully operating from the second floor of a former department store in Newtown) and Cwm Harry Land Trust which, amongst many other projects, runs a kerbside kitchen waste collection and recycling scheme.

The Mid Wales trip follows on from our successful visit to Bristol where we saw a large range of fascinating projects including a Wood Recycling scheme; Children's Scrapstore; and a different model of a furniture and electrical goods recycling scheme.

If anyone has suggestions of projects which they think would be interesting for members to visit please contact Rosemary Collie (rosemary@furniturescheme.co.uk)

Green Fairs galore
We had a very successful stand at Shrewsbury Green Fair. Salopians really are very engaged with recycling. We will also be appearing at the Ludlow Green Fair on 29th August 2010. Do come and see us if you are in the area.

Workshops coming soon
We are hoping to run a series of workshops in September or October designed to inspire and engage adults in working with recycled materials. We hope that many of them will go on to work in their own communities on existing or new recycling projects. Details are being confirmed right now but if you’d like us to let you know once we have dates and venues confirmed, email ben@benproctor.co.uk (or keep an eye on our blog and facebook page)

Also now available on (recycled) paper
In addition to our electronic means of communication, we also have a small and rather vivid flyer. This details and promotes the work of SCRL and encourages people to get in touch. It’s the sort of thing that might be useful on a noticeboard or in a reception point. If you or your organisation could make use of a few of these leaflets, do drop a line to ben@benproctor.co.uk

Charity and village hall recycling collections
Recycling collections from village halls and any premises occupied by a charity or used wholly or mainly for charitable purposes are covered by special regulations. Under Schedule 2 of the 1992 Controlled Waste Regs the local authority can charge for collection (but not disposal) of a range of waste types. The policy in Shropshire is to charge £90 per year for which the Council will provide a standard sized rubbish wheelie bin as well as the usual household recycling boxes and green waste wheelie bin. The waste and recycling will be collected on the same cycle as the neighbouring houses. If your group might be eligible for and interested in this service, contact Shropshire Council on 0345 678 9007.

Well done to all of us
We recently heard from Shropshire Council that, for the first time, we in Shropshire recycle (or compost) more of our household waste than we chuck away. That’s excellent news and it’s only possible because of the excellent partnership working between individuals, the Council, its contractors and the Voluntary and Community sector.