I guess we are getting a bit off topic, but I did start it.
We had one recycling centre at St. Johns, which had too employees. Older ex-farmers. Helpful. Easy to work with. One day there was a Rayburn OF22 oil fired cooker/CH boiler already in a skip. I asked one of the guys if I could have some bits, so together we climbed in the skip. I retrieved the two burner assys, the dual oil control valve, main hotplate and all doors and top cover. These have enabled me to modify the burner system and I have reduced my oil consumption by around 30% (winter) and 60% (summer). At 66p per litre, one hell of a saving today.
About 4 years ago, the centre changed from the ownership of the local commissioners to the national government. Closed for a month or so whilst yard re-concreted, new sheds, high level drive-in to allow direct tipping into skips. 6 employees now (they got rid of the earlier pair) who now drive around in their mini-four wheeler, 25 yards across to their MASSIVE JCB grab, which they use to pick up scraps of fallen paper and lift into the big skips. Most stuff just goes into skips (one way system) before you reach the sheds where you can leave "good stuff". It was well known that there was a fiddle going on, with really good stuff never staying on the shelves long enough for Joe Public to see. They were finally caught out one year ago, suspended for 24 hours, then back to normal. It is probably the biggest recycling centre on the island, but whenever I go, there is nothing there. I wonder why? There is now a locked shed, which is opened just to receive your TV and debit card payment and then closed again. I will wager if there is a known good LCD, it will be substituted by another known bad one which was illegally paid by cash, rather than "debit card only". Since I don't have a debit card, I obviously can not take one there (as if I would).
If I do have one to scrap, they won't recognise the various bits going into skips!
They have big signs saying "X tons recycled last month". Stuff and nonsense. It means X tons sent off island as scrap!
A few years ago, people were asked to save glass bottles. It was later found they were simply crushed and buried. Typical.
I don't throw anything away unless it is USELESS. I remember when we did not have anything to throw away. As I drive around in autumn, I collect various types of mushrooms out of the hedgerows. If I see a road kill pheasant, rabbit or hare, it goes in the pot if not destroyed beyond reclamation.
Waste not want not my mother often repeated.
Les.
