More Information and Guides - Information Snippets from EcoZ.co.uk in Warwickshire

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> Install a water butt in your garden to recycle rain water

This is the Install a water butt in your garden to recycle rain water from the The benefits of recycling rain water range - click here for full details.

Thousands of litres of rainwater fall on the average roof every year. Collecting this water and using it on your garden is better for your lawn and plants as well as the environment. Other points to consider: (1) Fit a lid to stop leaves collecting or small animals falling in and drowning (2) If you want to collect more water than can be stored in one butt, it's possible to get a connector kit to link up two or more. healthy composted soil will retain moisture and nutrients, choosing drought-tolerant plants means your garden needs less water, planting new shrubs and trees through plastic helps to retain moisture and control weeds, loose mulches (such as wood bark or coarse home compost) around established plants stop water evaporating.

> How to compost successfully

This is the How to compost successfully from the Information about how to compost successfully range - click here for full details.

Step 1) Your compost heap should be at least 3 foot square. That’s a good size if you’re starting out, and is easy to maintain. Use branches and/or twigs for the bottom layer to allow some air flow. Step 2) Use branches and/or twigs for the bottom layer to allow some air flow. Then add a layer of leaves and/or garden trimmings (the carbon or brown layer). Next comes a layer of kitchen scraps (the nitrogen or green layer). Only animal manure from VEGETARIAN animals is allowed in the nitrogen layer. Step 3) The top layer should be 4 - 6 inches of soil. As new layers are added, you can turn the pile. Add water to keep the compost heap moist. You should have a good compost heap going in as little as 2 months.

> I thought everything ended up in landfill

This is the I thought everything ended up in landfill from the home recycling bins range - click here for full details.

Everything goes to landfill, doesn't it? Well, actually, NO In the UK...more than 95% of the recycling collected is recycled. The remaining 5% is often not recycled because the wrong materials have been put out for collection or are too dirty to be reprocessed. The recycled material is used to make new products: All the newsprint (the paper for newspapers) manufactured in the UK is now made from 100% recycled > The UK currently recycles around 50% of container glass (like bottles and jars). That’s doubled over the last 5 years > Any glass product can use up to 80% recycled material > It takes about 25 2-litre drinks bottles to make one adult size fleece jacket. > As well as the environmental benefits of recycling, there are financial incentives too – a growing number of companies such as those featured on www.recycledproducts.org.uk rely on recycled materials for their products and services. If everything really went to landfill, these companies wouldn’t exist!

> Where does the waste go

This is the Where does the waste go from the home recycling bins range - click here for full details.

Aluminium cans are shredded, melted down, and the molten aluminium poured into moulds to make ingots. These are then sold to companies who make new products such as car and plane parts, or maybe the can containing your next drink! Glass is crushed and added to the mix of raw materials that make up new glass containers. The materials are melted in a furnace, and then moulded or blown to make new bottles and jars. Glass is also used to make unusual stuff - it's an ingredient used to make new bricks and a filtration media for swimming pools. Sorted plastics have a wide variety of uses and can be shredded, washed, melted and moulded into new products such as new bottles, garden furniture or fleece jackets. When paper gets to the recycled paper mill it is added to water and turned into pulp. It is screened, cleaned and where required, de-inked until it is suitable for making new paper products such as newsprint, cardboard, packaging, tissue and office items.