Did you hear that I went to THE OLYMPICS? You have now!

There are very few moments when this blogger is speechless, but as I'm sat here watching the Olympics on TV, all I want to do is cry with happiness and  pride over the achievements of our athletes.  Since the opening ceremony last Friday, there has been so much to celebrate.

And yesterday evening I was there, in the Olympic Stadium on 'Super Saturday', where I witnessed one of the greatest sporting events in history, the night that Jessica Ennis, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah all achieved gold medals for Great Britain, helping to celebrate the most successful day in British athletics for over 100 years.

My husband and I were guests of London 2012 sponsors Coca-Cola, a thank-you gift for launching and judging the recent Sustainable Games blogging competition, the results of which I was pleased to announce on the company's website a couple of weeks ago.

Along with our corporate hosts, we were accompanied by competition winner Lucy along with winner-in-reserve, Laura, who received the news of her ticket as a last-minute surprise, when one of the other finalists had to pull out at short notice. Here we are, in high-spirits with our men-folk, in the stadium taking in the excitement of the athletics!

As well as the once-in-a-lifetime chance to watch some amazing sport, it presented a great opportunity to finally witness the background recycling infrastructure that Coca-Cola has helped to create, including the fabulous bins about which I've waxed lyrical for what now feels like months!  As we waited to go into the stadium, I couldn't resist the chance to familiarise myself properly with these colourful beauties, which are there to help visitors easily pre-sort paper, plastic packaging, food waste - and even ponchos - from non-recyclable materials.

And to make it even easier for Olympic supporters to work out which receptacle to use, and to minimise contamination levels, the packaging was colour-coded to show its intended destination.

But as I think back to the atmosphere in the Olympic Stadium last night, I don't want to just talk about rubbish!

Goodness no! And I know many of you will now fall off your chairs to such news, but surely you won't be that surprised!  This was the Olympics and no way was I going to hang around the bins all evening!

All I really want to do now, is what I have been doing all day, and that's to relive the astounding evening that resulted in athletes' dreams being turned into a reality.

An amazing evening that distinctly made British sports history!

And the evening when I realised that I was most definitely one of the luckiest women alive.

I have had many exhilarating moments since I started The Rubbish Diet, and last night's Thank You present was most definitely the highlight of my time as a blogger.  Frankly, it's going to be a tough one to beat!

The atmosphere in the stadium was electric and highly charged wth emotion.

And sat in the thirteenth row, just behind the discus net, I could no longer hold back the tears of overwhelm and national pride as I watched Jessica Ennis complete the 800m stage of her gold medal Heptathlon.

With every stride she took, she was met by the tremendous cheer from thousands of spectators who knew the gold medal was already hers, a cheer that simply grew louder and louder as she closed in on the finishing line.

It was one of the greatest moments in sporting history, which left me feeling very humble at such amazing talent, yet proud to be amongst the 80,000 spectators that witnessed such an achievement, a victorious feeling for the athletes and country.

And the night just got better, with the news that Greg Rutherford had achieved another gold for Team GB in the Long Jump. The music and cheer just kept the beat of Olympic success pulsing throughout the stadium.

That pulse then became faster and faster as we watched Mo Farah put his strength and stamina to the test in the 10,000 metres!

With only three laps to go the commentator urged us to build the cheer and shout for Mo, but we didn't need encouraging at all.

We were already on our feet, waving the flags to the sound of  tremendous roars of support, straining our necks to watch the progress on the large screens when the leading athletes were out of our range of sight and applauding with all our might as Mo Farah sped towards the finishing line!

And forgive me as the tears roll down my cheeks again at that all encompassing memory of being in the right place at the right time to celebrate yet another proud moment for one of Great Britain's athletes, achieving his dream and making another moment of Olympic history!

When I first entered the Olympic Park yesterday, I could not even have guessed at the excitement that would come and the feelings of pride, hope and cheer of simply being there!

London 2012, Team GB and sponsors Coca-Cola have created an amazing experience that is really out of this world.  Every element of yesterday's sporting extravaganza went like clockwork, from the efforts of the athletes, the helpfulness and humour of the Gamesmaker volunteers and the organisation of London's transport facilities.

And the international spirit was alive and kicking too, as illustrated by this group of Belgian supporters who distracted me to record a message of support for one of their own athletes, a hockey player... delivered in French, to tell him he was king of his sport! 

 

Well, I hope that's what the message said and that they didn't take advantage of my good humour....!  Despite their wigs, they look innocent enough...er... don't they?  Then again, those cheeky smiles may prove otherwise and somewhere on YouTube there could now be a bizarre video of me repeating a potential Belgian double-entendre in my very best Anglo-French accent!

The photo of these strangers typified the atmosphere yesterday, with smiling faces everywhere I turned.

But the photograph that I love the best, is this one, which demonstrates that  it’s not just my geeky interest that prevails when it comes to recycling, it’s rather the olympic spirit of other visitors that were putting the facilities to good use. And this chap was such a good sport for letting me take this picture!

I hope LOCOG achieves its aims of processing at least 70% of its waste through recycling, composting and reuse. Through streamlining its packaging, material choices and provision of the relevant recycling processes Coca-Cola has set some solid foundations that can be replicated elsewhere. As soon as the waste data streams are available, I can’t wait to find out the relevant statistics.

But most of all, at this moment in time, I’m looking forward to more fabulous outcomes from the wonderful athletes and enjoying such great memories for many decades to come.

To witness Jessica Ennis receive her gold medal last night was a tremendous experience that I will never ever forget, and it can only be matched by watching the victory ceremonies for Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah on TV tonight and reliving the events of last night as I typed up this blogpost.

If there is one thing that I took from the experience, it is the appreciation that nurturing a passion, talent and an individual's determination with the right amount of support, coaching and direction, it really is possible to achieve something incredible.

As a mother whose real passion is to create a foundation that helps her children to achieve their own dreams, whatever they may be, it is already evident that the London 2012 Olympics will inspire them in many ways.

And as a 'rubbish blogger', I am now more determined than ever to aim as high as my own abilities will stretch, to encourage more goal-enthused innovators to push towards that ultimate goal of zero waste.

The tears of emotion have stopped now, temporarily.

And as for being speechless, I think I'm now over that!

Clearly!

Good luck Team GB for the rest of the Games!

I know I will remember London 2012 for many decades to come!

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A rubbish hack to help sort out your waste

Amongst many things, the Dispatches documentary on Monday demonstrated how confused people still are over which packaging can be recycled in their local bins.

Packaging information, especially in relation to plastics, is still inconsistent and even though the on-pack labelling is getting better, for many the uncertainty of what can be recycled locally still pervades like a bad smell.

So if you're one of the hundreds of thousands who are still confused, here are my top tips.


1. Get the latest information from your council

Before you do ANYTHING ELSE, yes,  even embarking on reading the rest of this post, get on the blower to your local council, and ask the recycling officers EXACTLY what you should put in your bins. I know it sounds obvious, but if you've been pondering how complicated it all is, this really is the best place to start.


Council information generally describes recyclables by product type and you'll find local authorities mainly fall into two categories; those where you can recycle most types of plastic packaging (and will include yoghurt pots, margarine tubs and fruit punnets) or those that can't, thus limiting your plastics collection to simply bottles (including drinks bottles, detergent bottles, milk containers & toileteries).

If the information isn't clear.  Then ask questions so that you are clear on what can\can't be put in your local bins.

Another excellent source at your disposal (please excuse the pun), is the Recycle Now website.  You just pop in your postcode and Bob's your uncle, as the system will return the results of what can be recycled at your kerbside, as well as Bring Banks and Household Waste Recycling Centres.

Once you are confident about your council's rules, you will become less reliant on packaging labelling and hopefully less frustrated.

After all, if you can't recycle a plastic fruit punnet through your local collection, you just can't recycle it regardless what  message the packaging information might tell you, so don't fall into the trap of getting hot and bothered.  Instead try and buy the product loose instead.




2. Find out what the recycling labels really mean.

Even though your local recycling officer is the best source to use, the new on-pack recycling labels can offer some extra help, and that's mainly to raise awareness of the materials used and the likelihood that they can be recycled.

Again, the best place to find out about the labelling guidelines is at the Recycle Now website.  Remember, the labelling advice should be followed as a call to action, prompting you to check with your local authority (coming back to point 1) as opposed to a definitive guide in itself.

Once you are familiar with your local rules, even if the packaging doesn't have the correct up-to-date information printed on it you'll be more confident about what you should do.  For example, whilst shopping in a supermarket the other day, the own-brand bread packaging showed that it couldn't be recycled, despite the fact that a new in-store collection had been introduced only a month or so earlier, which actually collects packaging film such as bread bags and toilet-roll wrappers.



3. Avoiding packaging that can't be recycled.

With all the controversy surrounding recycling, with its complications, targets and whether it is sorted properly in the first place, it is very easy to lose sight of what we as consumers actually can do to reduce our waste contribution. 

We might not feel as though we have much power, but actually we do...lots!   There are many small changes that we can make, which can have a huge impact if they are applied across the nation.  I'd hoped to include some of these this week on Woman's Hour, but we simply ran out of time.  This list is not exhaustive by any means, and should really be considered as a starter for ten....

• Avoid packaging: Buy loose wherever possible, and support independent stores such as Unpackaged, which actively promotes that you use your own containers.

• Switch packaging: If there isn't an unpackaged option, switch products you can't recycle for those that you can. For example one particular major toothpaste brand comes in small thin plastic bottles, made from the same plastic as fizzy drinks bottles and can be recycled widely.

• Choose reusable: You can also reduce your packaging by switching from disposable products to reusable ones and prevent other waste too.  Jackie, who was featured in the Dispatches programme, took my advice about ditching floor wipes and bought a reusable mop.  This will save her loads of cash as well as reducing the amount of rubbish thrown away.  If you're an avid baby wipe user, try using soft washable cloths instead.

• Upcycle: If you can't recycle the packaging or avoid it completely, try upcycling it instead and raise some cash for your favourite charity.  Terracycle offers an upcycling service for packaging from brands that include Johnson's baby wipes, Ella's smoothies, Kenco coffee refills and Aquafresh toothpaste tubes and toothbrushes.  It's a great scheme for schools and local community groups.  The products are turned into new things that are sold on the Terracycle website.

• Split It: If you live in one of the areas that doesn't recycle plastic yoghurt pots, check your supermarket shelves for products that use less plastic.  There are pots on the market that now have a thinner plastic liner and a tear-off cardboard outer (just like the one in the photo).  These can be separated, with the cardboard being recycled and less plastic actually going to waste.   More packaging will move in this direction, especially thanks to innovations such as Split-it, so keep an eye out on the shelves for products that can help you reduce waste.

• DIY: That's right, do it yourself! If you're hacked off with not being able to recycle your ready-meal trays, see if you can save money and waste by making it yourself.  Or if you've got a great friend who can really cook, and I mean really cook, invite yourself around and have a great night out instead of worrying about what you're going to do with the dirty plastic tray and ikky film. Then invite them over next week for some beans on toast!

These few ideas are just touching the surface, but I hope it at leasts provides some food for thought.  I am sure you'll have loads more suggestions to add to this, which suit your lifestyle better.  And if you want more inspiration, then check out The Rubbish Diet Challenge, which you can read online for free.

Of course, all I've covered here is just packaging waste.  Food waste is much more of a significant issue.  If you're interested in tackling that, watch this space as I'll be back soon with more tips on what you can do at home.

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If you missed the Dispatches "Britain's Rubbish" documentary on Monday, it is still available for the next 27 days at 4OD. It's packed with footage about fly-tipping, plastics, recycling systems and politicians arguing their case as well as the story of how Jackie, a mum from Manchester reduced her family's rubbish from 13kg a week to 5kg.  I know I'm biased, but for me, that's the best bit.  (Just in case you're looking out for it, my appearance is at 15 minutes and 28 minutes into the programme).

If you want to catch up on the Woman's Hour broadcast this week featuring Bob Gordon, Head of Environment for the British Retail Consortium and Liz Goodwin, Chief Executive of WRAP, you can 'listen again' via the BBC Woman's Hour webpage.  Just look for the chapter on Zero Waste.

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Me being serious on TV: Dispatches, Britain's Rubbish, C4 8pm

Morland Sanders, investigates Britain's rubbish for C4 Dispatches

I recently did some filming for the Dispatches documentary that's being broadcast tonight. It's called "Britain's Rubbish" and will be aired at 8pm on Channel 4.

When I was asked to contribute, a huge part of me wanted to batten down the hatches, draw the curtains and say "Thanks but no thanks". I normally stay away from the heavy stuff and regular readers will know I don't normally campaign against issues, but instead promote ideas that help empower householders to reduce waste, even if it's just by a small amount.

But as I was about to say "No thank you" to the documentary makers, my thoughts turned back to why I keep raising awareness of recycling and waste reduction. It's because it really is such a serious issue, despite my own natural tendency towards lightening the mood. And I am still as passionate about getting people to talk about their rubbish as I've ever been. Furthermore I'm a constant troubleshooter, who loves sharing positive information that I've gathered, even if it has turned this average householder into a bit of a waste geek. So, as I gave my reply I found myself changing my mind and saying "yes".

I knew the documentary could offer another avenue to raise awareness of all the advances that have taken place in recent years, including the fantastic On-Pack Recycling Labelling standard that helps shoppers better understand whether an item can be recycled. There's also the news how popular brands have made steady inroads into "lightweighting" packaging, designing out wasteful components as well introducing a greater percentage of recycled materials into their products. Such developments should make it far easier for shoppers to dramatically reduce their waste.

However, it soon became clear during filming that whilst being able to demonstrate some of the aforementioned positive points, the experience actually revealed that we are still a long way off from the ideal of a totally transparent system that consumers can easily rely on.

Participating in the documentary gave me the first opportunity in ages to examine a wide range of packaging and I was shocked at that no matter what strides have been made in the last couple of years, labelling across products is still highly inconsistent, with many lines not giving any clear instructions. There were plenty of examples where the text was too small to read easily or simply had outdated advice. Where some products would state that the packaging was recyclable (where facilities exist), other products packaged in the same material stated that it could not yet be recycled. 

Despite well thought-out labelling standards, design guidelines developed by the British Retail Consortium and WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) and strong engagement campaigns to get these adopted by retailers and brands, it has become clear that much of the grocery sector is still lagging behind the need to hurry change. Coupled with this are many examples of overpackaged products that have are still being introduced as new lines.

As a shopper, consumer, householder and waste geek, this is far more than just frustrating. It is a major concern that clear consumer advice is not coming at the speed that is needed and that if the government is serious about its Zero Waste goals and waste prevention strategy, change in the manufacturing sector needs to be implemented faster than is currently tolerated, whether by government or by industry itself.

And the same could be said for the processing of mixed plastics packaging. It's seems very much a futile exercise to invest in labelling if recycling facilities aren't widespread.  It is very encouraging to see commercial plants for mixed plastics being implemented by Biffa and new developments in sorting technologies that are starting to be rolled out by Veolia, but the UK needs deeper investment to make more plants available at a faster speed with flexible contracts that enable disposal authorities to use them.

As things stand, it is increasingly difficult for busy households to shrink their packaging waste when so many local authorities are still unable to recycle common items such as yoghurt pots, margarine tubs, meat trays, ready meal trays, fruit punnets and the cake tubs, the latter of which are becoming an increasingly ubiquitous item in the confectionary aisle. I often argue that it's the consumer's choice to buy these products and I agree that many could chose to vote with their wallets and make alternative choices. However, not everyone has the impetus, the awareness, the time, motivation, access to choice or even the money to tackle their household waste in such way, and we shouldn't be expect it to ultimately be our responsibility either.

So whose responsibility is it to tackle the UK's waste problem?  Naturally we need to start with the brands and the manufacturers. After all, that's where our rubbish actually starts, during the design and manufacturing process. However it only then becomes rubbish if waste operators and local authorities can't collect it because the facilities aren't in place or they don't have markets onto which it can be sold on. However demand is changing and I've spoken to a variety of manufacturers, ranging from bottling plants to recycled plastic tile-makers who want to buy more recycled plastic from the UK.   So it's their responsibility too, to find sustainable solutions and a steady bank of customers. But then there's government, which has the power to legislate, to set much tougher targets, show greater leadership and make better investment to kickstart zero waste economies.

But it's all too easy to fall into the blame culture, which we often witness when one sector has a foodfight with the other.  It's time to move forward from that and whilst the big boys battle it out, I believe that consumers can have a key role to play too in reducing our residual packaging waste and food waste where possible. Whether that means taking a small amount of time to clear up any ambiguities over local recycling advice, switching from disposable to reusable products, boycotting overpackaged products, composting,  following great campaigns such as Love Food Hate Waste, Recycle Week or Zero Waste Week, or even asking for better recycling facilities in local neighbourhoods, it means we can take more control over our bins. And if you're unclear on the packaging guidelines tell your supermarket that you'll leave it all with them, asking that they get back to you.

The waste problem won't go away until we all start working together.  Waste reduction won't be sorted without the help of us, the consumer, even if we are mostly beholden to what's for sale in the shops. Against the background need to preserve our material resources and save energy, as a society, it starts by individuals taking more interest and being more aware of some small changes that could make a big difference and the wider consequences of what happens to the stuff that we chuck in our bins.

The documentary will be aired tonight and I'll be happy to follow up on any issues raised, as soon as I can.   However, I'm away for much of this week, including joining a discussion panel in London for tomorrow's Woman's Hour (BBC Radio 4, 10-11am)

So in the meantime, if you're a householder who is interested in how you can battle the elements of your rubbish bin and reduce the waste that goes in there, www.recyclenow.com and www.lovefoodhateswaste.com are great places to start, as is the fantastic website www.myzerowaste.com.  Of course you can also ring your local council for advice and if you're the chatty type, talk to friends and neighbours about how they reduce their rubbish.  You'll never know what local tips you'll find out.

But remember, don't feel guilty about what you can't do, just feel relieved about what you can!

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Many thanks go to the production team at Blakeway for inviting me to add my small contribution and also to Jackie and her family who were brave enough to let us go through their rubbish on camera.  I don't know which of my contributions will be featured but I'm looking forward to watching what else was unearthed during the wider filming.  More information about tonight's programe is shown below:

Dispatches: Britain's Rubbish, Channel 4 10 October 2011, 8pm

Dispatches lifts the lid on Britain's bins and asks what the plan is to tackle the country's growing rubbish problem.

Reporter Morland Sanders travels the UK in the wake of the government's Waste Policy Review to find out about bin collections, litter, excessive packaging and Britons' secret bin habits.  He finds householders angry about their bins not being collected every week and fly-tipping setting resident against resident.

He asks whether we can do more to help reduce the rubbish problem ourselves and sets a family the challenge of living without a bin for a fortnight. Can they really recycle everything?

On the high street, he questions whether we are simply sold too much packaging with the things we buy, making us throw far too much away, and sifts through litter to see who should be doing more to keep Britain tidy.

He also talks to the people who collect, sort and recycle our waste and discovers what happens to our paper and plastics once they are collected. Does profit win out over green considerations?

And he investigates whether the waste companies are really solving our rubbish problem.

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Nothing much to report here...except....who stole my recycling?

I'm amazed that I'm still with you today, especially after this morning's surprise, when I went to put out our recycling bin and discovered it was hardly worth bothering about.  There was so little in there, I almost fell inside with shock.  You get the image: head first, legs dangling upwards, crying for my neighbours to come and rescue me.   "Almost fell"  I said, just almost, but hold onto that vision while it lasts.

It was a very surreal moment. When I first opened the bin it was empty.  I then tipped the contents of my kitchen recycling bin into the wheelie bin and it still only came a third of the way up.

Two weeks recycling taking up so little space.

It just didn't seem right, especially as it's mostly 50% or 75% full.

And before you ask...no I haven't had a lazy half hour and just dumped it all in my black bin. You know I would NEVER do that AND it's Waste Reduction Fortnight, which means I'm keeping a closer eye on my rubbish than usual.

So a peculiar situation indeed and just shows it really is possible to slim your rubbish bin without tipping your recycling bin over the edge...well that's if you know the secret of course.

And I've been scratching my head to figure out what that secret might be.

I realise what it is now as I look out of the window towards my car.

My little Fox-mobile is still not working, having been stuck on the roadside with a flat battery for almost two whole weeks, which means I haven't done much shopping with the exception of picking up fresh produce from the market. 

But we haven't gone without.  We've still been emptying our cereal boxes.  The cats have been nibbling on their Whiskas and we've enjoyed the odd tin of beans and bottle of apple juice so perhaps that's not the secret ingredient after all.

So maybe, just maybe, someone really has stolen my recycling.  And if they have I'm watching!


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Win a fabulous recycled Christmas Tree with Recycle Now

When I heard about the recycled cardboard Christmas Tree that Recycle Now was offering in its website competition, I couldn't wait to see it especially as it is based on the inspirational work of designer David Stark.

And I have to say, I am not disappointed. The 6 ft tree sculpture certainly looks like it could feel at home in my own living room.

The Christmas Tree competition is part of Recycle Now's campaign to raise awareness of the amount of waste that is created over the Christmas period and to remind people that most of it can be recycled.

The website also includes a whole list of inspirational tips on how to reduce waste, by upcycling everyday products into jazzy decorations. There's something else of interest on there too, which I'll tell you all about tomorrow.

In the meantime, why don't you pop over to the Recycle Now site and sign up for the draw. It's free to enter, but you'll have to be quick as the closing date is 17th December. However, before you go, take a peek at the video below, which reveals how this unique piece of art was made.





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Adventures at London Zoo with big chickens, mummy bloggers and animal poo!

Oh yes, you could say that again! It has most definitely been a case of Animal Adventures. And at London Zoo no less, our destination on a wet and soggy Sunday!

Organised by the P&G site SuperSavvyMe and the British Mummy Bloggers network, a family visit to the zoo was a great opportunity to catch up with some old blogging friends and meet some new ones.

Like this big chicken for instance!



Well that's what Mr A called it when the kids asked what an emu was! And it must be said it was a bit more friendly than the pelicans, who had the body language of my grandmother when she got bored of visitors.


After several attempts at renegotiating the zoo map, we finally found our way to the meet-up, where we were welcomed by three fabulous ladies Susanna aka A Modern Mother, Jen from Alpha Mummy and Nixdminx, who's actually celebrating her first year of blogging.

However, the only photo that I've got of the lively atmosphere was the one taken by my five year old photographer, Little T. Well I suppose it's a perfect snap for any bloggers who might wish to remain anonymous!



It was a great chance to catch up with the very funny Potty Mummy before she disappears off to Moscow as well as Liz from one of my favourite crafting\design blogs Violet Posy. And I finally had the pleasure of meeting Kat from Housewife Confidential, who's busy preparing for the Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund Auction to kick off tomorrow along with Natalie from Bambino Goodies, where the auction will be held.

I also had fun chatting to Clareybabble Clare, Tasha from Wahm-Bam, Sandy from Baby Baby, Emily of Maternal Tales, Zoe from Diary of a Surprise Mum, Perfectly Happy Mum aka as Peggy, Babies who Brunch, and last but not least Mothership, who can normally be found immersed in Motherhood:The Final Frontier. However the event wasn't just for "mummy bloggers", it was for dads too, and it was great to bump into Jules Watkins of the video production and blog site Kidsoup.tv.

For a blogger who's normally attached to a keyboard behind the proverbial closed doors of a suburban home, it makes a welcome change to have a chance to meet up with other bloggers who can normally be found doing the same right across the country.

And having had a good couple of hours to exercise the chin-wag action, it was time to brave the weather and take in some sights around the zoo.

The kids had already gone ahead with Mr A who had decided that having a wife for a blogger was enough to handle. I eventually caught up with them being mesmerised by the Moon Jellyfish.



Then off we went to check out some ropes...



...before entertaining some monkeys who were happily chomping on some popcorn. They stared at the children, while the children stared at them. It turned out the boys were actually eyeing up the popcorn but were also impressed that the monkeys weren't in a cage and were simply sat in a tree right next to us.



Of course it wouldn't be a proper family visit without sussing out the recycling bins, which just so happened to be strategically positioned around the zoo. This smiley bin looks very similar to the chirpy one that I spotted in London only the other week, so it must be a popular design.



Then a stop-off at the cafe revealed that food waste is also processed for separate treatment too. Quite naturally, the zoo takes recycling and other environmental issues very seriously and by promoting fair-trade, organic and local seasonal products as well as working hard to conserve water and energy, it is no surprise that it has won several Green awards in the last couple of years.

And as for animal poo, well no self-respecting zoo would miss the opportunity would they?


All I can say is that's one bin I'm glad I don't have to empty and I promise never, ever, ever ever ever, to complain about cleaning out the hen-house again! And I am also particularly grateful my chickens really aren't the size of an emu!

Big chickens eh! Obviously my husband doesn't remember Rod Hull!

Anyway, thanks again to Susanna, and everyone else who was involved in organising the event. It really was a very fun day indeed and I'm now looking forward to what happens next. If you haven't joined yet and would like to get involved, just drop over to British Mummy Bloggers and sign up.

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Chatting live about David Cameron at Alpha Mummy

Today I'm getting away from the bins and the quarrels over who's going to squash the cartons. Instead there are more exciting plans afoot.

At 1.45 I will be pinning on my British Mummy Bloggers badge and popping up at the Times Online's Alpha Mummy blog to join Lifestyle Editor Jennifer Howze and blogger Susanna aka A Modern Mother as well as Nixdminx and Potty Mummy for real-time analysis of David Cameron's live chat on Mumsnet.

The leader of the Conservative Party has been invited onto the parenting forum to discuss matters that are important to its members. The questions will be posed live but many of the issues to be discussed can already be seen here.

Although I will be unable to address questions to Mr Cameron, I hope that something will come up about the Conservatives' plans for reducing waste. I would love to know more about their "Responsibility Deal on waste", a voluntary scheme encouraging producers to cut back on the production of waste and improve disposal. They also say they would encourage councils to adopt a scheme to incentivise householders to recycle. I assume this would mean a wider roll-out of the RecycleBank scheme already in place at Windsor & Maidenhead.

The Tory leader is not the first politician to be questioned by the Mumsnet members. Only a month ago, Prime Minister Gordon Brown was in the hotseat and look how he fared. I can see it is going to be very interesting indeed.

Well it looks like things are going to get even hotter, the nearer to the election we get, as leaders try to win the family vote.

Perhaps politics isn't so different from watching my children argue over who's going to squash the cartons after all.

So, if you want to see how David Cameron gets on this afternoon, pop over to Alpha Mummy at 1.45pm, where you're invited to join in the discussion too.


*UPDATE*

Well it was interesting to witness how David Cameron engaged with the Mumsnet forum and how his responses were received and I would like to thank Jennifer Howze over at Alpha Mummy for inviting me into the commentary box.

With topics such as childcare vouchers, flexible working opportunities, and educational reform taking priority, it was no surprise that the issue of waste wasn't introduced. The chat only lasted an hour and David Cameron was very slow in his responses.

But in responding to the questions that were asked I am not convinced that the leader of the Conservative Party fared any better than Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who himself received a thumbs-down from many members last month. It was a difficult format for focused political discussion, lacking in opportunities to probe responses further, especially as there were so many different topics to cover - not to mention the issue of technical hitches.

However, what a great opportunity for forum members to pitch their concerns and I hope that David Cameron's office reads the backlog of issues and takes note. With regard to future guests, members have already suggested that questions should be pre-arranged but presented on arrival.

Now, talking of questions. I think it might be time to drop David Cameron a line or two and see what he has to say on the subject of zero waste.

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Well I have thought about moving to Cambridge with my Tetra Paks...

Enjoying The Big Weekend in Cambridge, earlier this summer.

Okay I'm not that obsessed that I would up sticks and move over the county border just because of new recycling facilities, but it is really great to hear the news that Cambridge City Council is the latest Local Authority to introduce kerbside collection for cartons. That's something we don't have the benefit of in Bury St Edmunds. Currently all our drinks cartons have to be taken to the local reycling centres for collection.

However since April 2007, Tetra Pak and the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE UK) have made significant investments in the carton recycling infrastructure in the UK. These days, cartons can be recycled in 86% of UK Local Authority areas, with one in five Local Authorities now collecting cartons at kerbside.

Fay Dashper, Recycling Operations Manager at Tetra Pak, commented:

"By enabling cartons to be recycled though kerbside collections, councils like Cambridge City are now at the forefront of recycling efforts in the UK. They are helping their residents to recycle even more of their cartons, more easily. We and our industry partners are committed to increasing the level of carton recycling in the UK and our work with local councils across the country takes us and people living in these areas one step closer to achieving that."

Of course, whether you're lucky enough to have a kerbside facility or have to deliver your cartons to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre, don't forget to wash and squash them first.

By flattening your cartons, lorries can carry at least three times as many, which means fewer trucks on the road.

And on that note, I could really do with your help now....

Do you remember I entered Tetra Pak's "How do you squash yours" competition. Well... the exciting news is that our family video, called With Tantrums and Tears, has made it to the shortlist along with some other fabulous entries.

But it's now up to you.

We really now need your vote if we're to be in with a chance of winning one of the super-dooper prizes that are on offer. The kids are very excited about having made it to the final and as for Mr A...he's already deliberating between the benefits of despatching me off overseas on a volunteer mission or enjoying the delights of a new Eco-TV should we win.

So please, please, please drop over to the competition website by clicking on the picture below and take a look at the top ten videos that have been selected by the judges revealing some whacky ways of squashing cartons.

If you like ours, select the "With Tantrums and Tears" button and click on the "Cast your Vote Now" post-it note. And to raise awareness of the campaign, please email, Facebook or Twitter your friends too. I know they might vote for someone else, but it's all for a good cause.

So, thank you dear readers. I hope some of these lovely videos help raise a heart-warming smile, especially ours..... And of course, we won't be moving to Cambridge quite yet. We're having too much fun squashing cartons in the Suffok countryside.

Voting closes at Midnight on 29th November!

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