I welcome the news that Aberdeenshire Council are adopting an innovative approach to increasing recycling efforts through reverse vending machines at bus stations. Passengers gain points for every can and bottle they recycle. As the Park and Ride location they are using attracts 100,000+ users a year this could help reduce a significant number of bottles and cans from landfill. It is much easier to take your can and bottle on a trip you are making anyway than having to go out of your way to the recycling centre.

For every 50 green points (1 item = 1 point) that a passenger accumulates they receive a 20p bus travel voucher, and 100 points earns them a 50p travel discount. It maybe does not sound a lot but to be honest the amount you receive is not the determining factor, it is still a small incentive.  It is more about increasing accessibility.

Hopefully it will prove successful with “new recyclers” appearing and consequently the system is rolled out in other areas.

Tidal power… the way forward?

I read with interest the headline news story in today’s edition of the Scotsman - the prospect of a new 500 turbine project - not on land but on the seabed in the Pentland Firth, which is widely acknowledged as the UK’s premier resource for tidal energy.

Scotsman article

Despite Mr Trapp’s concerns (perhaps he has his own motives??) about the ability of a project such as this to deliver I can certainly see the great potential of this project from a purely renewable energy generation perspective.  I think it would be very wrong not to encourage R&D in this area.  Although obviously a full EIA must be part of this development.

Although I would still maintain that we as individuals, businesses and societies should be doing all we can to reduce our reliance on electricity.

Harnessing wind power to charge your batteries.  I came across this very interesting concept on Treehugger website.

Febot Wind Powered Battery charger

Seems an idea with potential but would it work here in Shetland?  I quote  “stick it to a surface like a window where the wind whips by”  But what happens if a ‘Shetland wind’ whips by???  I think my batteries may start to disappear along with their charger!!