The Waste Action Group got out the big bins once again for the start of the annual Crediton Food Festival over the weekend of 14^th and 15^th June 2014. This time, four new recruits joined the loyal stalwarts from previous Festivals. In the welcome shade of the trees at the lower end of the Market Square, we set out our battery of  bins and took it in turns to chat to keen recyclers (thanks for the tips!) and to advise conscientious Festival-goers as to which category was the most suitable recipient for their empties and other waste.

Our twin aims are to keep as much waste out of landfill as possible and to inform and answer any questions on recycling. Each year we try something a little different, based on feedback from our volunteers and that of MDDC's Waste Department who take the waste away after the Festival ends.

The companies that process a lot of MDDC's recycling have exacting standards. The recycling processes have low tolerance for contamination by other substances. They need one material, whether it be tin, aluminium or each of the many different types of plastic. There must be as little as 5- to 8% contamination by anything else in the melted down mix (and labels alone can sometimes create this). [This is why we always ask for cleaned plastic at our bi-monthly Saturday plastic collections at Lords Meadow.]

The Festival always presents a challenge as we have no source of fresh running water on the Square with which to clean things.  So this year, we decided to put everything 'organic '- food, paper, card, wooden forks and recyclable food and drinks containers - in one big 'compostable' bin and glass, cans and clean plastic in other individual bins. The Green House kindly loaned us a bucket full of cold water to rinse the liquid residues from plastic glasses and bottles. However, plastic containers containing food leftovers had to go into landfill, a heavy weight on our consciences. So a great big thank you to stall holders who supplied food and drink in compostable containers and thumbs down to those using plastic.

We enjoyed ourselves, there was such a lovely atmosphere at the Festival and it's great to see so many people wanting to recycle. If anyone out there wants to spend a few hours now and again, getting happily mucky and rescuing waste from landfill, do come and join us. You don't even have to wait until the next Festival. We will be collecting clean plastics at our usual spot, on Peck and Strong's car park, on Saturday July 26^th 2014 and the last Saturdays in September and November this year.