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25/02/2010

Talking rubbish (literally)

Entry from 'Thoughts from the Kerbside' - The Big Wheelie Bin Blog

A thoughtful and sometimes humourous look at the world of waste, brought to you by industry observers. We'd like to create a vibrant blogger community going forward, so if you'd like to become a regular blogger for LAWR, please get in touch - we'd love to hear from you!

I haven't blogged for a while, apologies for that. But I have been out and about, meeting the movers and shakers in our industry, experts who know far more about the intricacies of waste and resource management than me.

The world of waste is one I inhabit as an editor - it is vast, spans galaxies; almost never-ending. But it is my job to try and cover as much of it as I can, to the best of my knowledge. I know a little about a lot, but then so do most journalists.

The difference is that we know what questions to ask, so we talk to people who know a lot about a little. Whether that be a composting specialist, a gasification engineer, or a MRF operator. They are the ones that know their respective niches inside out; they have been doing their job for years.

Even when I think I'm pretty clued up on a particular topic, well, there's always more to learn. Like developments to hook autoclaving up with anaerobic digestion for greater flexibility so that residual waste can be treated - not just the biowaste fraction. Like the long, drawn out processes involved in council tenders for waste disposal contracts. Like the ongoing trend for task and finish - even though it's known to compromise on safety.

I've been writing about waste matters for nearly five years and it still gets me excited. The other day I saw a bin man in a hoodie (it was a cold day) and asked him if his hood blocked off his side vision as it might be a problem when the truck was reversing. He laughed and said: "Yeah it does - but don't tell the boss."

Waste has made some great strides in recent years, but some of the basics still have a long way to go.

Maxine Perella, editor of LAWR

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Is waste still a dirty word when it comes to public perception?

Yes, they don't see the potential value of it
Maybe, but attitudes are slowly changing
No, it has almost become sexy!

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