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Earl Ferrers is the government Minister responsible for the regulation of the recycling industry. He is undoubtedly an able politician, and yet is he even vaguely qualified to judge the future of one of this country’s longest established and environmentally necessary industries (The House Clearance Industry)? At a recent Recycling exhibition , representatives from the UK House Clearance Group asked the Minister to explain the reasoning behind the placing of used copper, brass and other everyday metals in the category of controlled waste.

An informal meeting was held in Dundee on 3rd September organised by Dundee House Clearance companies, the purpose of which was ‘to open a dialogue on the application and interpretation of the Special Waste Regulations.’ At last, you might think, some response to house clearance industry concerns!

The traditional House Clearance & recycling industry in this country is not only under threat, but facing extinction. In years to come, David Attenborough will be making documentaries about House Clearance & recycling companies; carefully preserved specimens may be allowed to exist in certain areas, but they will be few and far between (and no doubt under close observation).

Although Edinburgh may have a relatively low population compared to other cities in the UK, their commitment to recycling is easily equal to anything going on in England. The Edinburgh Recycling Advisory Group provides a cohesive forum for recycling discussion and planning in Edinburgh. It also provides a slightly different viewpoint for recycling throughout the UK.

The Environment Agency opened for business on 1st April 1996; it is one of the biggest environmental regulators in the world and incorporates the National Rivers Authority, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Pollution, the 83 local authority run Waste Regulation Authorities and some important functions from the Department of the Environment. These include the control of technical waste, contaminated land and toxic substances.

The key then, is to make less trash. Strategies for waste reduction are usually incorporated into the familiar mantra of the three “R”s – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Below are some suggestions for easy ways to use our roles as consumers to make change in our society’s patterns of waste, as well as reduce the waste we are personally responsible for.

Even though the amount of hazardous waste coming from a single household may be small, these small amounts from many homes can add up to a big problem. If not properly disposed of, this waste can pose a real risk to both people and the environment, even if the effects are not immediately obvious.

In 1603, Sir Robert Carey was the Warden of the English Middle March. He was the younger brother of George, Lord Hunsdon, Privy Counsellor and Governor of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

When you stroll through the narrow cobbled streets of the quiet old burgh of Culross, it is not difficult to imagine yourself back in the 16th or 17th century. Almost the entire village is a living museum, as all the pan-tiled houses with their crow-step gables have been carefully restored. But there’s a lot more to Culross than a group of picturesque houses. Today, it is a lively community where the burgher’s lives weave a web from past to present, keeping the buildings of Culross more alive than any museum could. It is the perfect venue for musical and artistic events.

The Mote Hill (Mount) noted off Ryle Elliot’s 1954 notes, is thought to be one of the oldest camp sites in south Berwickshire and may date back as far as the Iron Age. In Roman times it was obviously a fairly large camp although not quite so large as a similar one at Belchester.