One can equals four hours.....

Anyone in need of five metres of metal flue should have been at the annual Friends of Barnes Common Litter Pick. There was some there for the taking. Other finds included a household fire extinguisher, a dozen wheel trims, a motor cycle helmet, a roof rack box, a bicycle pannier and two mattresses. Needless to say these articles were not in perfect working order having spent some time exposed to the ravages of nature.

Definitely in perfect working order, however, were those who joined in the litter-picking, from our most venerable volunteer who has picked up enough rubbish over the years to fill an Olympic sized swimming pool to a tot in a back pack who has yet to wield her first litter picker but who will doubtless, in years to come, join her cub scout brothers on the front line.

There were many cubs from the St Mary Barnes Scout Group and their parents amongst the forty or so volunteers who turned out for a sunny Sunday morning’s work. Special thanks again to Mike Dixon and the valuable use of the Scout van.

The results of everybody’s labours were gathered together in a huge pile and after sorting out the recyclables from the rest of the rubbish, the cans, along with the plastic and glass bottles, filled nearly two large builders’ ’hippo’ bags. Recent research concludes that the energy saved by recycling one aluminium can equals the amount of energy it takes to run a TV set for four hours. This is the energy equivalent of 1.9 litres of petrol. So Barnes Common got a clean up and the planet got a leg up. Incidentally, it is estimated the cans collected would be equivalent to over 1,000 hours of Antiques Roadshow. Well done, everyone!

Miranda Cnattingius