Louise Palmer from St Albans District Council Recycling team took part in a discussion with an audience of 30 residents following a screening of the award winning film, Trashed.

The film was shown by Transition St Albans (TSA), a local not for profit community group helping the city become more environmentally sustainable. 

Louise Palmer answered questions about the recycling of beverage cartons - tetra-packs - for which there are several recycling points about the city, and about plastic film, for which there is currently no facility provided by the council. 

In a recent survey carried out by Transition St Albans, the issue of waste came up as the top priority for its members.

Jack Easton, a steering group member of TSA, said: "We wanted to provide an opportunity for residents to see an informative and galvanising film and to discuss waste issues with the council.

"The real solution to the waste issue is for us to live a sustainable lifestyle that reduces the amount and harmfulness of the waste we inevitably produce.  Meanwhile this film also reminded us of the potentially devastating effects of the throwaway society and the need to clean up our act."

Following the meeting a number of people have set up a Transition St Albans working group to consider what can be done to address waste issues in a local context, and to explore the idea of a ‘Zero Waste’ strategy.  

If others want to find out more about this group they can email gail.jackson@transitionstalbans.org.

To find out more about the work of Transition St Albans visit their website at www.transitionstalbans.org.