Double your recycling
05/09/2023 at 5:39 pm | Posted in Recycling | Leave a commentTags: Balsall Heath
Good news for Balsall Heath . You can now ask for second recycling bin. If you want to recycle as much as possible, and have space for an extra bin, the Waste Department can provide a free second blue bin. This will help the city increase its recycling rates . The extra recycling bin will be for your dry recycling (metals, glass and plastics). Your original recycling bin will then be used for paper and card only. There are long delays for deliveries of recycling pods . If you are waiting for a replacement please put your cardboard recycling in a neat pile next to your recycling bin. How to ask for a second bin
Many people are unsure what should go in the recycling bin, but this is explained on the council’s website
Mobile Recycling wagon coming to Calthorpe Park
17/09/2021 at 8:50 am | Posted in Recycling | Leave a commentTags: Balsall Heath
Monday 20th September will see a first visit by a mobile recycling wagon to Edward Road, Balsall Heath, at Calthorpe Park . People can bring out their unwanted items and the crew will help you put them into the right compartment for recycling; cardboard, clothing, electrical goods and small furniture. Operates morning 7am to 12 .00
This is part of a drive against anti-fly-tipping by the City Council, to give people a positive way to get rid of unwanted stuff. However, a lot of it will still go into the “crusher” vehicle, and so to the incinerator. But in other towns, such as Bristol, you would have a fully separated recycling collection by a wagon like this, coming down your street every week.
Our Council is testing what the response to the new wagon is from local people, so please use it. Many people don’t have car or don’t have time to drive to the “tip”, so this is your chance.
Take large items to the tip
11/06/2021 at 10:10 am | Posted in Recycling, Streets | Leave a commentTags: Balsall Heath
Householders can now use a van to take large items to Household Recycling Centres in Birmingham. This may help with the problem of mattresses, beds, fridges and furniture being dumped on street corners in Balsall Heath and similar areas. Commercial vans cost £78, but if you can use your own or a friend’s van it should be free to enter, if you have booked a slot in advance. Both mattresses and fridges can be recycled for the materials. Fridges contain a chemical that is really bad for the atmosphere, so you should not dismantle it yourself. Some suppliers of new mattresses will take the old one away in the delivery van for a small fee.
Of course, if the items are still usable then people can consider giving it to a charity such as Betel or CT, so that a low income family benefit. If you can get to Sutton Coldfield then the Re-users can take a wide variety of items including waste wood. One way to get use of a van could be to join the Co-wheels car club.
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Replace Incineration with Recycling
03/11/2020 at 10:51 am | Posted in Air pollution, Food, Recycling | Leave a commentA Petition has been started, calling on Birmingham City Council to make a plan to run down its incineration of council-collected waste, and instead to reuse, recycle, compost or digest what people throw away. . The incinerator at Tyseley is a huge emitter of carbon dioxide, and the Council has adopted a Climate Emergency Declaration, to reduce to zero carbon by 2030.
Many people in Balsall Heath try to recycle and compost at home, but a big change is wanted if Birmingham is to reach the recycling rate of the best cities. Birmingham Friends of the Earth’s petition will go the Council at the start of December.
The petition is HERE
First Dogs’ Toilet
13/02/2020 at 7:35 pm | Posted in Green Spaces, Recycling, Walking | Leave a commentTags: Balsall Heath, Moseley
In Moseley Park we have opened the first dogs’ composting toilet. I saw one in the grounds of the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales, and discussions began about whether it could happen here. Dog walkers and their dogs assembled to see the ribbon cut and to “”make donations”.
An advantage of Moseley Park is that the manager and trustees can be innovative, while the limited number of people who pay for a key fob for daily access are willing to cooperate. It is essential that only the compostable bags which are on offer in the Park are used for the poo, because regular plastic doesn’t compost. Then it is over to the worms. I expect the bin will never be emptied and additions just keep breaking down. It is Nature’s Way.. A chain secures the lid so children cannot climb in, nor the lid blow open. it is a closed system, except at the bottom where the wheelie bin has been cut off and buried. John Newson
Litterbusters
13/03/2019 at 2:42 pm | Posted in Green Spaces, Recycling, Streets | Leave a commentTags: Balsall Heath, Moseley
Great work by Moseley Litterbusters in their recent “raid” on Balsall Heath. They filled many sacks with our rubbish and are looking for helpers.
Here they are as reported in our wonderful Neighbourhood News online Balsall Heath
Clean Up Day
08/06/2018 at 10:26 am | Posted in Green Spaces, Recycling, Wildlife | Leave a commentTags: Balsall Heath, wildlife trust
We have recovered 5 bags of plastic bottles and 3 of mixed rubbish from the banks of the River Rea, alongside Calthorpe Park, on 5th June World Environment Day, in our Plastic Pickup in Balsall Heath. The cans and bottles have all gone to be recycled.
A local resident said “I am happy to help, because I am fed up with all the mess, but there should be a way to prevent all this plastic being dumped and polluting our neighbourhood”. We have discovered that no-one owns the land along the river bank, so no-one is responsible for cleaning it.
John Newson went on to a “Beat Plastic Pollution” meeting of the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust, where they were discussing their plastic pledge, which encourages individuals to cut their own use of plastic packaging. The meeting was at Birmingham Friends of the Earth, who are asking for a national deposit return scheme to get all bottles and cans returned to shops. A shop is opening this month in Digbeth, which says it will have no plastic packaging.
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Street Audit
05/02/2018 at 1:40 pm | Posted in Cycling, Recycling, Streets, Walking | 1 CommentWe are going to have a street audit of Edward Road in Balsall Heath on Wednesday 7th February at 2pm. The idea is to walk the length of the road, noting any problems for pedestrians; such as blocked footway, poor parking, dangerous crossing, litter and dumped items. We want to identify who may be able to take action, especially to prevent the problems from repeating. Could rubbish be sent to recycling?
A better environment would encourage people to walk and cycle short distances rather than drive everywhere. We will report back on our findings, via this blog. Anyone interested is most welcome to join us. A follow up Spring Clean event should happen next month. Meet up 2pm on Wednesday outside MECC, corner of Edward Road and Court Road – take about an hour.
Finding out where to recycle
03/10/2016 at 8:57 am | Posted in Recycling | Leave a commentTags: Balsall Heath
BHIOP is glad to see that a new Recycling Locator has been created, to help people in Birmingham find out where to give their unwanted items to be re-used or recycled. You can type in your address to the website http://www.cleanerbrum.org.uk and it comes up with a list of places nearby that will accept the item, or says whether you can put it into the doorstep recycling collection. Many local authorities offer this kind of information, so it is good that Birmingham is catching up. Here is the link
Waste Isn’t Rubbish
03/03/2016 at 12:37 pm | Posted in Recycling | Leave a commentOn Saturday 5th March people will be gathering at 11am at the Old Print Works on Moseley Road to celebrate its coming back to life. Balsall Heath Is Our Planet will run two workshops and a stall to show that ‘Waste Isn’t Rubbish’, focussing on the waste of households and businesses. What can you recycle? what can you compost? The building is an example of community action restoring a historic building that was disused. There will be a programme of talks and demonstrations of practical skills and crafts, some suitable for children. More details
Also on Saturday 5th March, the Moseley Road Swimming Baths built 1907 will have its open day starting at 1.30pm with tours and stalls of the history of this nationally-important building, and discussion of its future. Details here
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