Last Updated 12 June 1996

Island Recycling

Recycling on a group of islands whose main trade route is over 200 miles isn't as clear cut as on the UK mainland.

After you have put all your bottles in the bottle bank somebody has to pay for them to be shipped out and then sent to be reused or crushed. The cost of this extra transport is believed to out weigh the cost of recycling them in the first place.

If you have any good ideas for recycling then do contact us.

Of course one method is to use your local charity shop. This one on the right is SCORD on the island of Whalsay

One thing that Shetland Friends of the Earth decided to do was build a bottle wall. Windbreaks are essential in Shetland if any thing is to grow well. So we decided to see if we could use the bottles to build shelter for plants?
Val Turner came up with the idea and volunteered a small patch of her land to try it on. Mary Lisk at the SIC's environmental services gave us the bottles collected from the first bottle bank.
A good wall needs a good foundation. Then the bottles were cemented into place, two thick, with their big ends facing out. After the wall had settled it was 'pointed'. There was discussion about how closely packed the bottles should be. Close packed was the final decision.
This wall was put up in 1995 and survived the winter well. Val plans to extend the wall as soon as she can find the free time and willing workers.