| I was very excited to review Reduce, Reuse, | | | | bulbs, funeral alternatives to consider, what the |
| Recycle - An Easy Household Guide by UK author, | | | | various numbers on plastics mean -it's all covered |
| Nicky Scott. Because my husband and I wrote | | | | here in this tidy book. I found the information |
| Trash Talk, which is a similar guide written for | | | | about all the different kinds of batteries, |
| North Americans, I was very interested to learn | | | | particularly the button-cell variety (watch, camera, |
| how individuals in the UK are dealing with reducing | | | | calculator, etc), quite interesting. Interestingly, I |
| waste. | | | | never considered donating furniture too battered |
| With the 96-page book, the author attempts to | | | | for reuse to upholsterer businesses and classes, |
| provide a guide for people to follow; "in a world of | | | | where they may wish to reuse the frame to |
| confusing messages" where overwhelming | | | | make new furniture. |
| environmental problems weigh down our hearts, | | | | Readers may find that some of the information is |
| Nicky hopes to encourage readers with positive | | | | repetitive and Chapter four seems to reiterate |
| information. Cute little illustrations by Axel | | | | what the book is trying to say. I enjoyed chapter |
| Scheffler accompany most of the pages, adding a | | | | five, which discusses the future of zero waste |
| little touch of humor. | | | | and cleaner waste (less toxic or greenhouse gas |
| One of the first things Nicky discusses is the | | | | producing), very much. The book closes with an |
| importance of refusing to purchase | | | | excellent resource section that offers roughly |
| over-packaged items - in fact he states it is the | | | | two-dozen organizations along with their contact |
| main focus of the book, and it does briefly | | | | information and lists about thirty books that are |
| discusses avoiding disposables, things that cannot | | | | certain to make the environmentalist in you drool |
| be recycled and those that are made from all | | | | with anticipation. |
| virgin materials. Whereas the book seems to | | | | Nicky Scott, Chairperson for the National |
| concentrate on how to reuse or recycle existing | | | | Community Composting Network (CCN) in the |
| trash, it also comments on seeing the reuse, | | | | UK, is the author of three small books (roughly 4 |
| repair or recycle potential for products we are | | | | x 6 inches) dealing with waste reduction and has |
| considering buying. He also suggests taking | | | | appeared in two videos about composting. His |
| advantage of re-fill retailers (i.e. in Canada: Body | | | | interest began while working at a compost |
| Shop, Sampson Soaps, etc) and bulk outlets | | | | business as a young man, and the passion grew |
| (grocery stores, bulk products at hair salons, etc). | | | | while he studied at the UK's leading organic |
| The author mentions that maintenance increases | | | | research organization, The Henry Doubleday |
| the likely hood of reuse and stressed donations | | | | Research Association. As initiator and Secretary |
| and private sales. Tips are included on ways to | | | | of one of the first community composting |
| make the recycle system run more smoothly and | | | | projects, which continues to created jobs, and the |
| interesting UK statistics. | | | | head of the newsletter for the CCN organization - |
| Chapter three hosts 59 pages of an extensive | | | | he is a busy man. Between all this, he squeezes in |
| A-Z guide for items that are commonly found in | | | | time to run workshops and give lectures. In his |
| waste bins. What to do with Fluorescent and CFL | | | | spare time, Nicky is a musician and artist. |