ICAATS

During the World War II, resources were hard to come by and Governments ran big recycling campaigns to ensure nothing was wasted. Waste was segregated for the following uses:

- Tins and metal were collected for use weapons, tanks and aircraft.

- Kitchen waste provided feed for pigs, chickens and goats and people would bring their scraps to communal bins.

- Rubber was recycled to make new tires.

People were also encouraged to mend belongings, such as clothes, as opposed to just buying new ones. Campaigns like ‘Make Do And Mend’ and ‘Sew And Save’ gave advice on how to recycle textiles and make clothes last longer. Knitting also became very popular around this time.

Families had to plan meals carefully so as to minimize wastage. Perishable food had to be bought in small quantities and substitutes had to be found for foods that were no longer available. Meat fat was commonly saved to make pastry, and the cream from milk was stored in a jar and shaken to make butter and buttermilk.

It is a shame that it took people so long to acknowledge the importance of recycling, and also that it required such unfortunate circumstances to bring it to our attention. These days, we realize the importance of recycling to preserve the Earth’s resources and to reduce pollution.

However, we are still falling well below targets for diverting waste from landfill sites. Though we know what we should be doing, and though it has been made easier for us to do it, there is still a very much laid back attitude to recycling. Too many people simply cannot be bothered to recycle, and that is undoing the good work being done by those who do take the little time and effort required to recycle.

If they could recycle, then why can’t we recycle too? We should all be taking action now, and not be waiting around for a major catastrophe to kick-start us into action again.