Excellent Resource For Reducing "Waste", 02 Nov 2008
This is a great book for informing readers on how to reduce, reuse and recycle what most of us consider "waste". It has a concise and informative introduction to the topic and then provides an alphabetical listing of many common "waste" items and how best to be reduce, reuse or recycle them.

The book also points out quite a number of UK-specific organisations who offer recycling services which I found particularly useful. I have already found myself recycling or reusing products which I would have previous thrown in the rubbish bin.

Essential, 20 Oct 2007
This is the second edition of this nice little book is essential to those who want to minimise the impact of their consuming in the eviroment.

Hardly anything different from the first edition , colour drawings instead of black and white and a more attractive cover , if you have the first edition do not bother to buy this one as is essentialy the same book.

Very easy to read and printed ( guess ) in recycled paper with very useful guide is very informative about ways of reducing the amount of things that we send to the rubbish bin every week.

The book features an A to Z guide of all the items that can recycle from cars to jars and many different ways of reducing what can not be recycled.

Even if you live in a flat in the city and you ahve no access to a compost bin this book will illustrate how to stop generating rubbish.I found the chapter on office recycling particularly helpful.

Independently of your beliefs on global warming and politics ,there is argument that cosuming less natural resources is in everyone's interest.

5 stars

A pocket sized book packed with superb information , 27 Sep 2007
A pocket sized book packed with superb information on getting the most from what we use, where we buy it from and what we do with it. Another superb Green Books Guide.

The sheer volume of waste produced in the UK is staggering, every hour we produce enough rubbish to fill the Albert Hall, everyday Trafalgar Square could be filled to old Nelson's nostrils.

It wasn't always thus, in the 1950's our waste bins looked very different. The majority of homes were heated with coal so ash and clinker made up the majority of our waste until the Clean Air Act changed our home heating. There was very little plastic, as blister packs and processed food were a rarity. Food was predominantly bought loose and wrapped in paper, which was then used to light the fire. Most bottles were returnable with the small deposit ensuring that enterprising kids kept the streets and bins free of them in the search for pocket money, the milk man took the empties away. The rag and bone cart patrolled the streets picking up rags, old furniture and bones for bone china and bonemeal.

The advent of the supermarket, convenience food and fast living has fundamentally changed the way we consume, what we consume and how it is packaged. Plastic wrapped vegetables, packaged processed food, milk in cartons, drinks in plastic bottles and can. Every thing is packaged and presented in an eye catching way to encourage purchasing on crowded shelves. On average supermarket shoppers spend £470 a year on packaging, a sixth of their annual food spend.

Nicky Scott's Reduce Reuse Recycle is one of the most comprehensive guides available on how to both avoid packaged goods and what to do with what remains. Every possible purchase is listed from Aerosols to Yoghurt pots with ideas on how to reduce, reuse and recycle where appropriate. The Guide is full of useful hints and ideas as well as links to resources and organisations that can help reduce the waste your produce and maximise the utility of what you buy.

The three Rs of a greener home economic is not about sacrifice, nor for that matter expense, it is about concentrating on what we really need, so much of which is not actually materials but real engagement with what we do. It is about cutting down spending on what we don't use, like packing, getting maximum value both for ourselves the next user so that what we do buy is the best quality we can afford. This is book is a great little pocket guide to how we can get the most from what we do have to buy and make everything have a longer more productive life.

Nickly Scott is the author of `Composting For All' and `Composting: an easy household guide', both published by Green Books. He is on the management team of the National Community Composting Network.

Every home should have a guide like this, a superb effort once again Nicky.



Essential, 17 Aug 2007
This nice little book is essential to those who want to minimize the impact of their consuming in the environment.

Very easy to read and printed ( guess ) in recycled paper with very useful guide is very informative about ways of reducing the amount of things that we send to the rubbish bin every week.

The book features an A to Z guide of all the items that can recycle from cars to jars and many different ways of reducing what can not be recycled.

Even if you live in a flat in the city and you have no access to a compost bin this book will illustrate how to stop generating rubbish.I found the chapter about " Office " particularly helpful.

Independently of your beliefs on global warming and politics ,there is argument that consuming less natural resources is in everyone's interest.

I can not wait for the next edition due out this year.

5 stars

Great little book, 28 Jun 2007
There are so many things that you would put in your bin that you can divert away from the land fill. This book is a real eye opener in what can be done with items you think you can't use anymore. It's not about how you can recycle products away from your home but also how they may get a second life in your house or garden. For me. the section on reusing cooking oil alone probably paid for this book.

Excellent Resource For Reducing "Waste", 02 Nov 2008
This is a great book for informing readers on how to reduce, reuse and recycle what most of us consider "waste". It has a concise and informative introduction to the topic and then provides an alphabetical listing of many common "waste" items and how best to be reduce, reuse or recycle them.

The book also points out quite a number of UK-specific organisations who offer recycling services which I found particularly useful. I have already found myself recycling or reusing products which I would have previous thrown in the rubbish bin.

Essential, 20 Oct 2007
This is the second edition of this nice little book is essential to those who want to minimise the impact of their consuming in the eviroment.

Hardly anything different from the first edition , colour drawings instead of black and white and a more attractive cover , if you have the first edition do not bother to buy this one as is essentialy the same book.

Very easy to read and printed ( guess ) in recycled paper with very useful guide is very informative about ways of reducing the amount of things that we send to the rubbish bin every week.

The book features an A to Z guide of all the items that can recycle from cars to jars and many different ways of reducing what can not be recycled.

Even if you live in a flat in the city and you ahve no access to a compost bin this book will illustrate how to stop generating rubbish.I found the chapter on office recycling particularly helpful.

Independently of your beliefs on global warming and politics ,there is argument that cosuming less natural resources is in everyone's interest.

5 stars

A pocket sized book packed with superb information , 27 Sep 2007
A pocket sized book packed with superb information on getting the most from what we use, where we buy it from and what we do with it. Another superb Green Books Guide.

The sheer volume of waste produced in the UK is staggering, every hour we produce enough rubbish to fill the Albert Hall, everyday Trafalgar Square could be filled to old Nelson's nostrils.

It wasn't always thus, in the 1950's our waste bins looked very different. The majority of homes were heated with coal so ash and clinker made up the majority of our waste until the Clean Air Act changed our home heating. There was very little plastic, as blister packs and processed food were a rarity. Food was predominantly bought loose and wrapped in paper, which was then used to light the fire. Most bottles were returnable with the small deposit ensuring that enterprising kids kept the streets and bins free of them in the search for pocket money, the milk man took the empties away. The rag and bone cart patrolled the streets picking up rags, old furniture and bones for bone china and bonemeal.

The advent of the supermarket, convenience food and fast living has fundamentally changed the way we consume, what we consume and how it is packaged. Plastic wrapped vegetables, packaged processed food, milk in cartons, drinks in plastic bottles and can. Every thing is packaged and presented in an eye catching way to encourage purchasing on crowded shelves. On average supermarket shoppers spend £470 a year on packaging, a sixth of their annual food spend.

Nicky Scott's Reduce Reuse Recycle is one of the most comprehensive guides available on how to both avoid packaged goods and what to do with what remains. Every possible purchase is listed from Aerosols to Yoghurt pots with ideas on how to reduce, reuse and recycle where appropriate. The Guide is full of useful hints and ideas as well as links to resources and organisations that can help reduce the waste your produce and maximise the utility of what you buy.

The three Rs of a greener home economic is not about sacrifice, nor for that matter expense, it is about concentrating on what we really need, so much of which is not actually materials but real engagement with what we do. It is about cutting down spending on what we don't use, like packing, getting maximum value both for ourselves the next user so that what we do buy is the best quality we can afford. This is book is a great little pocket guide to how we can get the most from what we do have to buy and make everything have a longer more productive life.

Nickly Scott is the author of `Composting For All' and `Composting: an easy household guide', both published by Green Books. He is on the management team of the National Community Composting Network.

Every home should have a guide like this, a superb effort once again Nicky.



Essential, 17 Aug 2007
This nice little book is essential to those who want to minimize the impact of their consuming in the environment.

Very easy to read and printed ( guess ) in recycled paper with very useful guide is very informative about ways of reducing the amount of things that we send to the rubbish bin every week.

The book features an A to Z guide of all the items that can recycle from cars to jars and many different ways of reducing what can not be recycled.

Even if you live in a flat in the city and you have no access to a compost bin this book will illustrate how to stop generating rubbish.I found the chapter about " Office " particularly helpful.

Independently of your beliefs on global warming and politics ,there is argument that consuming less natural resources is in everyone's interest.

I can not wait for the next edition due out this year.

5 stars

Great little book, 28 Jun 2007
There are so many things that you would put in your bin that you can divert away from the land fill. This book is a real eye opener in what can be done with items you think you can't use anymore. It's not about how you can recycle products away from your home but also how they may get a second life in your house or garden. For me. the section on reusing cooking oil alone probably paid for this book.

Lightweight, 25 May 2006
This book is light on anything new or useful. If you are the slightest bit aware of green or eco issues you will know more than this book will ever impart to you.

The book is colourful and easy to read which places it in the category of a child's book rather than an informed adult read.

Sorry but it is not worth the money.

Just good enough., 29 Mar 2006
This book is worth having on the shelf if you want a very simple intro. to living greener but is outdone by other books in the field that are even more competetive with regards pricing and don't waste as much paper and energy ( I would guess ) in their production. Nothing in it that I would call new but the style in which it is written is appealing and I found it a pleasant read with no distractions.

If you care enough to buy it, you probably know most of it, 01 Oct 2005
I strongly support all of the intentions of this book, so it feels a bit unkind to be rude about it, but I think I will be taking the advice on the back cover of recycling it fairly quickly. There's a great deal of padding here (pointless graphics with acres of space around them). What material there is, is quite good - which makes the lack of structure to it all the more annoying. The more detailed information you might expect to find, for example about recycling plastics, is missing - there's just a reference to a website (which turns out to be aimed at business users).

It is motivating, but so superficial that I think it's rather a wasted opportunity.

Excellent Resource For Reducing "Waste", 02 Nov 2008
This is a great book for informing readers on how to reduce, reuse and recycle what most of us consider "waste". It has a concise and informative introduction to the topic and then provides an alphabetical listing of many common "waste" items and how best to be reduce, reuse or recycle them.

The book also points out quite a number of UK-specific organisations who offer recycling services which I found particularly useful. I have already found myself recycling or reusing products which I would have previous thrown in the rubbish bin.

Essential, 20 Oct 2007
This is the second edition of this nice little book is essential to those who want to minimise the impact of their consuming in the eviroment.

Hardly anything different from the first edition , colour drawings instead of black and white and a more attractive cover , if you have the first edition do not bother to buy this one as is essentialy the same book.

Very easy to read and printed ( guess ) in recycled paper with very useful guide is very informative about ways of reducing the amount of things that we send to the rubbish bin every week.

The book features an A to Z guide of all the items that can recycle from cars to jars and many different ways of reducing what can not be recycled.

Even if you live in a flat in the city and you ahve no access to a compost bin this book will illustrate how to stop generating rubbish.I found the chapter on office recycling particularly helpful.

Independently of your beliefs on global warming and politics ,there is argument that cosuming less natural resources is in everyone's interest.

5 stars

A pocket sized book packed with superb information , 27 Sep 2007
A pocket sized book packed with superb information on getting the most from what we use, where we buy it from and what we do with it. Another superb Green Books Guide.

The sheer volume of waste produced in the UK is staggering, every hour we produce enough rubbish to fill the Albert Hall, everyday Trafalgar Square could be filled to old Nelson's nostrils.

It wasn't always thus, in the 1950's our waste bins looked very different. The majority of homes were heated with coal so ash and clinker made up the majority of our waste until the Clean Air Act changed our home heating. There was very little plastic, as blister packs and processed food were a rarity. Food was predominantly bought loose and wrapped in paper, which was then used to light the fire. Most bottles were returnable with the small deposit ensuring that enterprising kids kept the streets and bins free of them in the search for pocket money, the milk man took the empties away. The rag and bone cart patrolled the streets picking up rags, old furniture and bones for bone china and bonemeal.

The advent of the supermarket, convenience food and fast living has fundamentally changed the way we consume, what we consume and how it is packaged. Plastic wrapped vegetables, packaged processed food, milk in cartons, drinks in plastic bottles and can. Every thing is packaged and presented in an eye catching way to encourage purchasing on crowded shelves. On average supermarket shoppers spend £470 a year on packaging, a sixth of their annual food spend.

Nicky Scott's Reduce Reuse Recycle is one of the most comprehensive guides available on how to both avoid packaged goods and what to do with what remains. Every possible purchase is listed from Aerosols to Yoghurt pots with ideas on how to reduce, reuse and recycle where appropriate. The Guide is full of useful hints and ideas as well as links to resources and organisations that can help reduce the waste your produce and maximise the utility of what you buy.

The three Rs of a greener home economic is not about sacrifice, nor for that matter expense, it is about concentrating on what we really need, so much of which is not actually materials but real engagement with what we do. It is about cutting down spending on what we don't use, like packing, getting maximum value both for ourselves the next user so that what we do buy is the best quality we can afford. This is book is a great little pocket guide to how we can get the most from what we do have to buy and make everything have a longer more productive life.

Nickly Scott is the author of `Composting For All' and `Composting: an easy household guide', both published by Green Books. He is on the management team of the National Community Composting Network.

Every home should have a guide like this, a superb effort once again Nicky.



Essential, 17 Aug 2007
This nice little book is essential to those who want to minimize the impact of their consuming in the environment.

Very easy to read and printed ( guess ) in recycled paper with very useful guide is very informative about ways of reducing the amount of things that we send to the rubbish bin every week.

The book features an A to Z guide of all the items that can recycle from cars to jars and many different ways of reducing what can not be recycled.

Even if you live in a flat in the city and you have no access to a compost bin this book will illustrate how to stop generating rubbish.I found the chapter about " Office " particularly helpful.

Independently of your beliefs on global warming and politics ,there is argument that consuming less natural resources is in everyone's interest.

I can not wait for the next edition due out this year.

5 stars

Great little book, 28 Jun 2007
There are so many things that you would put in your bin that you can divert away from the land fill. This book is a real eye opener in what can be done with items you think you can't use anymore. It's not about how you can recycle products away from your home but also how they may get a second life in your house or garden. For me. the section on reusing cooking oil alone probably paid for this book.

Lightweight, 25 May 2006
This book is light on anything new or useful. If you are the slightest bit aware of green or eco issues you will know more than this book will ever impart to you.

The book is colourful and easy to read which places it in the category of a child's book rather than an informed adult read.

Sorry but it is not worth the money.

Just good enough., 29 Mar 2006
This book is worth having on the shelf if you want a very simple intro. to living greener but is outdone by other books in the field that are even more competetive with regards pricing and don't waste as much paper and energy ( I would guess ) in their production. Nothing in it that I would call new but the style in which it is written is appealing and I found it a pleasant read with no distractions.

If you care enough to buy it, you probably know most of it, 01 Oct 2005
I strongly support all of the intentions of this book, so it feels a bit unkind to be rude about it, but I think I will be taking the advice on the back cover of recycling it fairly quickly. There's a great deal of padding here (pointless graphics with acres of space around them). What material there is, is quite good - which makes the lack of structure to it all the more annoying. The more detailed information you might expect to find, for example about recycling plastics, is missing - there's just a reference to a website (which turns out to be aimed at business users).

It is motivating, but so superficial that I think it's rather a wasted opportunity.

The Recycle Bible!, 19 Sep 2006
In the beginning there was Recycle: the Essential Guide. Well, if only.

The subject of recycling can sometimes be perceived as dull and old fashioned. This book manages to provide all the essential elements you would need to be clued up on waste while presented in a modern and cool fashion.

An introduction by Lucy Siegle sets the tone. An overview of the history of waste and recycling is followed by a clear statement that we should learn and be inspired by the forces of nature where zero waste is a way of life.

Each recyclable material has its own section where you can find out what the item is composed of, why you should recycle it, any problems encountered, the recycling process itself and useful contacts.

A delicate balance between information and pictures is achieved here to make Recycling as interesting as possible. The text is accurate and concise and the fantastic array of pictures only serves to compliment the information that is present.

It not only provides relevant national information such as the Recycle Now campaign but also highlights projects throughout the world that are both thought provoking and inspiring.

Many books will inspire you to be more eco conscious but then will not supply you with the means of actually achieving this. Yet here, there is a directory of governmental organisations to point you in the right direction and a fantastic Sustainable design directory that shows it is possible to buy recycled goods for every day living. From recycled jewellery made out of metal and rubber to eco friendly flooring made from recycled aluminium, cork, glass and bamboo!

Essential reading??? You bet!

Excellent Resource For Reducing "Waste", 02 Nov 2008
This is a great book for informing readers on how to reduce, reuse and recycle what most of us consider "waste". It has a concise and informative introduction to the topic and then provides an alphabetical listing of many common "waste" items and how best to be reduce, reuse or recycle them.

The book also points out quite a number of UK-specific organisations who offer recycling services which I found particularly useful. I have already found myself recycling or reusing products which I would have previous thrown in the rubbish bin.

Essential, 20 Oct 2007
This is the second edition of this nice little book is essential to those who want to minimise the impact of their consuming in the eviroment.

Hardly anything different from the first edition , colour drawings instead of black and white and a more attractive cover , if you have the first edition do not bother to buy this one as is essentialy the same book.

Very easy to read and printed ( guess ) in recycled paper with very useful guide is very informative about ways of reducing the amount of things that we send to the rubbish bin every week.

The book features an A to Z guide of all the items that can recycle from cars to jars and many different ways of reducing what can not be recycled.

Even if you live in a flat in the city and you ahve no access to a compost bin this book will illustrate how to stop generating rubbish.I found the chapter on office recycling particularly helpful.

Independently of your beliefs on global warming and politics ,there is argument that cosuming less natural resources is in everyone's interest.

5 stars

A pocket sized book packed with superb information , 27 Sep 2007
A pocket sized book packed with superb information on getting the most from what we use, where we buy it from and what we do with it. Another superb Green Books Guide.

The sheer volume of waste produced in the UK is staggering, every hour we produce enough rubbish to fill the Albert Hall, everyday Trafalgar Square could be filled to old Nelson's nostrils.

It wasn't always thus, in the 1950's our waste bins looked very different. The majority of homes were heated with coal so ash and clinker made up the majority of our waste until the Clean Air Act changed our home heating. There was very little plastic, as blister packs and processed food were a rarity. Food was predominantly bought loose and wrapped in paper, which was then used to light the fire. Most bottles were returnable with the small deposit ensuring that enterprising kids kept the streets and bins free of them in the search for pocket money, the milk man took the empties away. The rag and bone cart patrolled the streets picking up rags, old furniture and bones for bone china and bonemeal.

The advent of the supermarket, convenience food and fast living has fundamentally changed the way we consume, what we consume and how it is packaged. Plastic wrapped vegetables, packaged processed food, milk in cartons, drinks in plastic bottles and can. Every thing is packaged and presented in an eye catching way to encourage purchasing on crowded shelves. On average supermarket shoppers spend £470 a year on packaging, a sixth of their annual food spend.

Nicky Scott's Reduce Reuse Recycle is one of the most comprehensive guides available on how to both avoid packaged goods and what to do with what remains. Every possible purchase is listed from Aerosols to Yoghurt pots with ideas on how to reduce, reuse and recycle where appropriate. The Guide is full of useful hints and ideas as well as links to resources and organisations that can help reduce the waste your produce and maximise the utility of what you buy.

The three Rs of a greener home economic is not about sacrifice, nor for that matter expense, it is about concentrating on what we really need, so much of which is not actually materials but real engagement with what we do. It is about cutting down spending on what we don't use, like packing, getting maximum value both for ourselves the next user so that what we do buy is the best quality we can afford. This is book is a great little pocket guide to how we can get the most from what we do have to buy and make everything have a longer more productive life.

Nickly Scott is the author of `Composting For All' and `Composting: an easy household guide', both published by Green Books. He is on the management team of the National Community Composting Network.

Every home should have a guide like this, a superb effort once again Nicky.



Essential, 17 Aug 2007
This nice little book is essential to those who want to minimize the impact of their consuming in the environment.

Very easy to read and printed ( guess ) in recycled paper with very useful guide is very informative about ways of reducing the amount of things that we send to the rubbish bin every week.

The book features an A to Z guide of all the items that can recycle from cars to jars and many different ways of reducing what can not be recycled.

Even if you live in a flat in the city and you have no access to a compost bin this book will illustrate how to stop generating rubbish.I found the chapter about " Office " particularly helpful.

Independently of your beliefs on global warming and politics ,there is argument that consuming less natural resources is in everyone's interest.

I can not wait for the next edition due out this year.

5 stars

Great little book, 28 Jun 2007
There are so many things that you would put in your bin that you can divert away from the land fill. This book is a real eye opener in what can be done with items you think you can't use anymore. It's not about how you can recycle products away from your home but also how they may get a second life in your house or garden. For me. the section on reusing cooking oil alone probably paid for this book.

Lightweight, 25 May 2006
This book is light on anything new or useful. If you are the slightest bit aware of green or eco issues you will know more than this book will ever impart to you.

The book is colourful and easy to read which places it in the category of a child's book rather than an informed adult read.

Sorry but it is not worth the money.

Just good enough., 29 Mar 2006
This book is worth having on the shelf if you want a very simple intro. to living greener but is outdone by other books in the field that are even more competetive with regards pricing and don't waste as much paper and energy ( I would guess ) in their production. Nothing in it that I would call new but the style in which it is written is appealing and I found it a pleasant read with no distractions.

If you care enough to buy it, you probably know most of it, 01 Oct 2005
I strongly support all of the intentions of this book, so it feels a bit unkind to be rude about it, but I think I will be taking the advice on the back cover of recycling it fairly quickly. There's a great deal of padding here (pointless graphics with acres of space around them). What material there is, is quite good - which makes the lack of structure to it all the more annoying. The more detailed information you might expect to find, for example about recycling plastics, is missing - there's just a reference to a website (which turns out to be aimed at business users).

It is motivating, but so superficial that I think it's rather a wasted opportunity.

The Recycle Bible!, 19 Sep 2006
In the beginning there was Recycle: the Essential Guide. Well, if only.

The subject of recycling can sometimes be perceived as dull and old fashioned. This book manages to provide all the essential elements you would need to be clued up on waste while presented in a modern and cool fashion.

An introduction by Lucy Siegle sets the tone. An overview of the history of waste and recycling is followed by a clear statement that we should learn and be inspired by the forces of nature where zero waste is a way of life.

Each recyclable material has its own section where you can find out what the item is composed of, why you should recycle it, any problems encountered, the recycling process itself and useful contacts.

A delicate balance between information and pictures is achieved here to make Recycling as interesting as possible. The text is accurate and concise and the fantastic array of pictures only serves to compliment the information that is present.

It not only provides relevant national information such as the Recycle Now campaign but also highlights projects throughout the world that are both thought provoking and inspiring.

Many books will inspire you to be more eco conscious but then will not supply you with the means of actually achieving this. Yet here, there is a directory of governmental organisations to point you in the right direction and a fantastic Sustainable design directory that shows it is possible to buy recycled goods for every day living. From recycled jewellery made out of metal and rubber to eco friendly flooring made from recycled aluminium, cork, glass and bamboo!

Essential reading??? You bet!


recycle this, 25 Nov 2007
I was thinking about buying a copy of this but I resolved to remain true to the spirit of the book and decided that I should wait until I found one in a skip instead.

Excellent Resource For Reducing "Waste", 02 Nov 2008
This is a great book for informing readers on how to reduce, reuse and recycle what most of us consider "waste". It has a concise and informative introduction to the topic and then provides an alphabetical listing of many common "waste" items and how best to be reduce, reuse or recycle them.

The book also points out quite a number of UK-specific organisations who offer recycling services which I found particularly useful. I have already found myself recycling or reusing products which I would have previous thrown in the rubbish bin.

Essential, 20 Oct 2007
This is the second edition of this nice little book is essential to those who want to minimise the impact of their consuming in the eviroment.

Hardly anything different from the first edition , colour drawings instead of black and white and a more attractive cover , if you have the first edition do not bother to buy this one as is essentialy the same book.

Very easy to read and printed ( guess ) in recycled paper with very useful guide is very informative about ways of reducing the amount of things that we send to the rubbish bin every week.

The book features an A to Z guide of all the items that can recycle from cars to jars and many different ways of reducing what can not be recycled.

Even if you live in a flat in the city and you ahve no access to a compost bin this book will illustrate how to stop generating rubbish.I found the chapter on office recycling particularly helpful.

Independently of your beliefs on global warming and politics ,there is argument that cosuming less natural resources is in everyone's interest.

5 stars

A pocket sized book packed with superb information , 27 Sep 2007
A pocket sized book packed with superb information on getting the most from what we use, where we buy it from and what we do with it. Another superb Green Books Guide.

The sheer volume of waste produced in the UK is staggering, every hour we produce enough rubbish to fill the Albert Hall, everyday Trafalgar Square could be filled to old Nelson's nostrils.

It wasn't always thus, in the 1950's our waste bins looked very different. The majority of homes were heated with coal so ash and clinker made up the majority of our waste until the Clean Air Act changed our home heating. There was very little plastic, as blister packs and processed food were a rarity. Food was predominantly bought loose and wrapped in paper, which was then used to light the fire. Most bottles were returnable with the small deposit ensuring that enterprising kids kept the streets and bins free of them in the search for pocket money, the milk man took the empties away. The rag and bone cart patrolled the streets picking up rags, old furniture and bones for bone china and bonemeal.

The advent of the supermarket, convenience food and fast living has fundamentally changed the way we consume, what we consume and how it is packaged. Plastic wrapped vegetables, packaged processed food, milk in cartons, drinks in plastic bottles and can. Every thing is packaged and presented in an eye catching way to encourage purchasing on crowded shelves. On average supermarket shoppers spend £470 a year on packaging, a sixth of their annual food spend.

Nicky Scott's Reduce Reuse Recycle is one of the most comprehensive guides available on how to both avoid packaged goods and what to do with what remains. Every possible purchase is listed from Aerosols to Yoghurt pots with ideas on how to reduce, reuse and recycle where appropriate. The Guide is full of useful hints and ideas as well as links to resources and organisations that can help reduce the waste your produce and maximise the utility of what you buy.

The three Rs of a greener home economic is not about sacrifice, nor for that matter expense, it is about concentrating on what we really need, so much of which is not actually materials but real engagement with what we do. It is about cutting down spending on what we don't use, like packing, getting maximum value both for ourselves the next user so that what we do buy is the best quality we can afford. This is book is a great little pocket guide to how we can get the most from what we do have to buy and make everything have a longer more productive life.

Nickly Scott is the author of `Composting For All' and `Composting: an easy household guide', both published by Green Books. He is on the management team of the National Community Composting Network.

Every home should have a guide like this, a superb effort once again Nicky.



Essential, 17 Aug 2007
This nice little book is essential to those who want to minimize the impact of their consuming in the environment.

Very easy to read and printed ( guess ) in recycled paper with very useful guide is very informative about ways of reducing the amount of things that we send to the rubbish bin every week.

The book features an A to Z guide of all the items that can recycle from cars to jars and many different ways of reducing what can not be recycled.

Even if you live in a flat in the city and you have no access to a compost bin this book will illustrate how to stop generating rubbish.I found the chapter about " Office " particularly helpful.

Independently of your beliefs on global warming and politics ,there is argument that consuming less natural resources is in everyone's interest.

I can not wait for the next edition due out this year.

5 stars

Great little book, 28 Jun 2007
There are so many things that you would put in your bin that you can divert away from the land fill. This book is a real eye opener in what can be done with items you think you can't use anymore. It's not about how you can recycle products away from your home but also how they may get a second life in your house or garden. For me. the section on reusing cooking oil alone probably paid for this book.

Lightweight, 25 May 2006
This book is light on anything new or useful. If you are the slightest bit aware of green or eco issues you will know more than this book will ever impart to you.

The book is colourful and easy to read which places it in the category of a child's book rather than an informed adult read.

Sorry but it is not worth the money.

Just good enough., 29 Mar 2006
This book is worth having on the shelf if you want a very simple intro. to living greener but is outdone by other books in the field that are even more competetive with regards pricing and don't waste as much paper and energy ( I would guess ) in their production. Nothing in it that I would call new but the style in which it is written is appealing and I found it a pleasant read with no distractions.

If you care enough to buy it, you probably know most of it, 01 Oct 2005
I strongly support all of the intentions of this book, so it feels a bit unkind to be rude about it, but I think I will be taking the advice on the back cover of recycling it fairly quickly. There's a great deal of padding here (pointless graphics with acres of space around them). What material there is, is quite good - which makes the lack of structure to it all the more annoying. The more detailed information you might expect to find, for example about recycling plastics, is missing - there's just a reference to a website (which turns out to be aimed at business users).

It is motivating, but so superficial that I think it's rather a wasted opportunity.

The Recycle Bible!, 19 Sep 2006
In the beginning there was Recycle: the Essential Guide. Well, if only.

The subject of recycling can sometimes be perceived as dull and old fashioned. This book manages to provide all the essential elements you would need to be clued up on waste while presented in a modern and cool fashion.

An introduction by Lucy Siegle sets the tone. An overview of the history of waste and recycling is followed by a clear statement that we should learn and be inspired by the forces of nature where zero waste is a way of life.

Each recyclable material has its own section where you can find out what the item is composed of, why you should recycle it, any problems encountered, the recycling process itself and useful contacts.

A delicate balance between information and pictures is achieved here to make Recycling as interesting as possible. The text is accurate and concise and the fantastic array of pictures only serves to compliment the information that is present.

It not only provides relevant national information such as the Recycle Now campaign but also highlights projects throughout the world that are both thought provoking and inspiring.

Many books will inspire you to be more eco conscious but then will not supply you with the means of actually achieving this. Yet here, there is a directory of governmental organisations to point you in the right direction and a fantastic Sustainable design directory that shows it is possible to buy recycled goods for every day living. From recycled jewellery made out of metal and rubber to eco friendly flooring made from recycled aluminium, cork, glass and bamboo!

Essential reading??? You bet!


recycle this, 25 Nov 2007
I was thinking about buying a copy of this but I resolved to remain true to the spirit of the book and decided that I should wait until I found one in a skip instead.

Nuclear Decommissioning, 13 Oct 2004
The book, as is the University of Birmingham Postgraduate course on which it is based, is unique in bringing together material over the whole range of waste management, decommissioning and site remediation. It is essential reading for postgraduate students in this area, regulators, environmentalists and government agencies. It provides a basic understanding of the key principles, methodologies and current best practice. This well presented book contains 25 chapters under 5 broad headings: Fundamentals, Decommissioning, Project and program management, Waste management, and Site environmental remediation. There are numerous tables, figures and illustrations. Highly recommended. I have 2 copies for home and work!

Nuclear decommissioning.... Bayliss & Langley, 13 Oct 2004
The book, as is the University of Birmingham Postgraduate course on which it is based, is unique in bringing together material over the whole range of waste management, decommissioning and site remediation. It is essential reading for postgraduate students in this area, regulators, environmentalists and government agencies. It provides a basic understanding of the key principles, methodologies and current best practice. This well presented book contains 25 chapters under 5 broad headings: Fundamentals, Decommissioning, Project and program management, Waste management, and Site environmental remediation. There are numerous tables, figures and illustrations. Highly recommended. I have 2 copies for home and work!

Excellent Resource For Reducing "Waste", 02 Nov 2008
This is a great book for informing readers on how to reduce, reuse and recycle what most of us consider "waste". It has a concise and informative introduction to the topic and then provides an alphabetical listing of many common "waste" items and how best to be reduce, reuse or recycle them.

The book also points out quite a number of UK-specific organisations who offer recycling services which I found particularly useful. I have already found myself recycling or reusing products which I would have previous thrown in the rubbish bin.

Essential, 20 Oct 2007
This is the second edition of this nice little book is essential to those who want to minimise the impact of their consuming in the eviroment.

Hardly anything different from the first edition , colour drawings instead of black and white and a more attractive cover , if you have the first edition do not bother to buy this one as is essentialy the same book.

Very easy to read and printed ( guess ) in recycled paper with very useful guide is very informative about ways of reducing the amount of things that we send to the rubbish bin every week.

The book features an A to Z guide of all the items that can recycle from cars to jars and many different ways of reducing what can not be recycled.

Even if you live in a flat in the city and you ahve no access to a compost bin this book will illustrate how to stop generating rubbish.I found the chapter on office recycling particularly helpful.

Independently of your beliefs on global warming and politics ,there is argument that cosuming less natural resources is in everyone's interest.

5 stars

A pocket sized book packed with superb information , 27 Sep 2007
A pocket sized book packed with superb information on getting the most from what we use, where we buy it from and what we do with it. Another superb Green Books Guide.

The sheer volume of waste produced in the UK is staggering, every hour we produce enough rubbish to fill the Albert Hall, everyday Trafalgar Square could be filled to old Nelson's nostrils.

It wasn't always thus, in the 1950's our waste bins looked very different. The majority of homes were heated with coal so ash and clinker made up the majority of our waste until the Clean Air Act changed our home heating. There was very little plastic, as blister packs and processed food were a rarity. Food was predominantly bought loose and wrapped in paper, which was then used to light the fire. Most bottles were returnable with the small deposit ensuring that enterprising kids kept the streets and bins free of them in the search for pocket money, the milk man took the empties away. The rag and bone cart patrolled the streets picking up rags, old furniture and bones for bone china and bonemeal.

The advent of the supermarket, convenience food and fast living has fundamentally changed the way we consume, what we consume and how it is packaged. Plastic wrapped vegetables, packaged processed food, milk in cartons, drinks in plastic bottles and can. Every thing is packaged and presented in an eye catching way to encourage purchasing on crowded shelves. On average supermarket shoppers spend £470 a year on packaging, a sixth of their annual food spend.

Nicky Scott's Reduce Reuse Recycle is one of the most comprehensive guides available on how to both avoid packaged goods and what to do with what remains. Every possible purchase is listed from Aerosols to Yoghurt pots with ideas on how to reduce, reuse and recycle where appropriate. The Guide is full of useful hints and ideas as well as links to resources and organisations that can help reduce the waste your produce and maximise the utility of what you buy.

The three Rs of a greener home economic is not about sacrifice, nor for that matter expense, it is about concentrating on what we really need, so much of which is not actually materials but real engagement with what we do. It is about cutting down spending on what we don't use, like packing, getting maximum value both for ourselves the next user so that what we do buy is the best quality we can afford. This is book is a great little pocket guide to how we can get the most from what we do have to buy and make everything have a longer more productive life.

Nickly Scott is the author of `Composting For All' and `Composting: an easy household guide', both published by Green Books. He is on the management team of the National Community Composting Network.

Every home should have a guide like this, a superb effort once again Nicky.



Essential, 17 Aug 2007
This nice little book is essential to those who want to minimize the impact of their consuming in the environment.

Very easy to read and printed ( guess ) in recycled paper with very useful guide is very informative about ways of reducing the amount of things that we send to the rubbish bin every week.

The book features an A to Z guide of all the items that can recycle from cars to jars and many different ways of reducing what can not be recycled.

Even if you live in a flat in the city and you have no access to a compost bin this book will illustrate how to stop generating rubbish.I found the chapter about " Office " particularly helpful.

Independently of your beliefs on global warming and politics ,there is argument that consuming less natural resources is in everyone's interest.

I can not wait for the next edition due out this year.

5 stars

Great little book, 28 Jun 2007
There are so many things that you would put in your bin that you can divert away from the land fill. This book is a real eye opener in what can be done with items you think you can't use anymore. It's not about how you can recycle products away from your home but also how they may get a second life in your house or garden. For me. the section on reusing cooking oil alone probably paid for this book.

Lightweight, 25 May 2006
This book is light on anything new or useful. If you are the slightest bit aware of green or eco issues you will know more than this book will ever impart to you.

The book is colourful and easy to read which places it in the category of a child's book rather than an informed adult read.

Sorry but it is not worth the money.

Just good enough., 29 Mar 2006
This book is worth having on the shelf if you want a very simple intro. to living greener but is outdone by other books in the field that are even more competetive with regards pricing and don't waste as much paper and energy ( I would guess ) in their production. Nothing in it that I would call new but the style in which it is written is appealing and I found it a pleasant read with no distractions.

If you care enough to buy it, you probably know most of it, 01 Oct 2005
I strongly support all of the intentions of this book, so it feels a bit unkind to be rude about it, but I think I will be taking the advice on the back cover of recycling it fairly quickly. There's a great deal of padding here (pointless graphics with acres of space around them). What material there is, is quite good - which makes the lack of structure to it all the more annoying. The more detailed information you might expect to find, for example about recycling plastics, is missing - there's just a reference to a website (which turns out to be aimed at business users).

It is motivating, but so superficial that I think it's rather a wasted opportunity.

The Recycle Bible!, 19 Sep 2006
In the beginning there was Recycle: the Essential Guide. Well, if only.

The subject of recycling can sometimes be perceived as dull and old fashioned. This book manages to provide all the essential elements you would need to be clued up on waste while presented in a modern and cool fashion.

An introduction by Lucy Siegle sets the tone. An overview of the history of waste and recycling is followed by a clear statement that we should learn and be inspired by the forces of nature where zero waste is a way of life.

Each recyclable material has its own section where you can find out what the item is composed of, why you should recycle it, any problems encountered, the recycling process itself and useful contacts.

A delicate balance between information and pictures is achieved here to make Recycling as interesting as possible. The text is accurate and concise and the fantastic array of pictures only serves to compliment the information that is present.

It not only provides relevant national information such as the Recycle Now campaign but also highlights projects throughout the world that are both thought provoking and inspiring.

Many books will inspire you to be more eco conscious but then will not supply you with the means of actually achieving this. Yet here, there is a directory of governmental organisations to point you in the right direction and a fantastic Sustainable design directory that shows it is possible to buy recycled goods for every day living. From recycled jewellery made out of metal and rubber to eco friendly flooring made from recycled aluminium, cork, glass and bamboo!

Essential reading??? You bet!


recycle this, 25 Nov 2007
I was thinking about buying a copy of this but I resolved to remain true to the spirit of the book and decided that I should wait until I found one in a skip instead.

Nuclear Decommissioning, 13 Oct 2004
The book, as is the University of Birmingham Postgraduate course on which it is based, is unique in bringing together material over the whole range of waste management, decommissioning and site remediation. It is essential reading for postgraduate students in this area, regulators, environmentalists and government agencies. It provides a basic understanding of the key principles, methodologies and current best practice. This well presented book contains 25 chapters under 5 broad headings: Fundamentals, Decommissioning, Project and program management, Waste management, and Site environmental remediation. There are numerous tables, figures and illustrations. Highly recommended. I have 2 copies for home and work!

Nuclear decommissioning.... Bayliss & Langley, 13 Oct 2004
The book, as is the University of Birmingham Postgraduate course on which it is based, is unique in bringing together material over the whole range of waste management, decommissioning and site remediation. It is essential reading for postgraduate students in this area, regulators, environmentalists and government agencies. It provides a basic understanding of the key principles, methodologies and current best practice. This well presented book contains 25 chapters under 5 broad headings: Fundamentals, Decommissioning, Project and program management, Waste management, and Site environmental remediation. There are numerous tables, figures and illustrations. Highly recommended. I have 2 copies for home and work!

A long hard look at our disposable culture, 25 Jun 2007
From the write-up you might think this is a book about rubbish, that is, landfill and waste management. And it is, in part, but it's much more than that. Richard Girling looks at waste in the broadest possible terms, from packaging to nuclear energy to bad architecture, television and even red tape. It's passionately argued, highly informative, and even when dealing with the infuriating, surprisingly entertaining. Highly recommended.

A sound book that slightly let itself down in places, 24 Aug 2005
I would have given this book 3 and a half stars if I could. On the one hand it was well-researched and very informative, on a range of subjects from the history of public health in England, to waste disposal technology. However, what could have been an excellent book became only good because of a few faults.

At times the text was quite episodic in nature, and it could usefully have been split into more than its ten chapters. But this was only a problem in that there were times when a rational argument, having been well built up, was then undermined by what appeared to be the search for a punchy phrase or a headline. Although Girling does have a very good line in similies, sometimes the attempt to add bite destracts from credibility - for example, he argues that to reduce the compliance period for a particular piece of legislation from 18 years to 7 is 'hardly amounted to fiery breath on the dumpers' necks'. (P183) Correct, but it does cut the compliance period by more than half, so is still significant, but to say so didn't seem dramatic enough to Girling. I don't know whether the venom and passion with which he argues comes from genuine conviction (probably) or a background in feature writing which demands that a point be made very quickly compared to a full-length book. But either way, occasionally it does him few favours.

More seriously, I was concerned about some of the academic balance of the book. As a small but indicative example, methane gas is quoted at different points in the book as having an impact of twenty AND twenty-one times as high as carbon dioxide as a 'greenhouse gas'. Which is it? It's a small difference, but does make me wonder about how thoroughly the many other statistics throughout the book have been validated. I was also, especially considering the volume of facts and statistics, disappointed with the index, which is a bit thin, for example listing 'methane' only once, despite being discussed twice in different chapters.) Another doubt I have about the rigour of some of the content is that Girling appears to reply heavily on a relatively few sources. I say 'appears to' because very few of his quotations are referenced. However, some individuals are quoted so often, on so many subjects, that it almost begins to feel like they have been given free reign to use the book as a mouthpiece for themselves and their industry or trade association.

Finally, while I don't disagree with his argument (repeated on a number of different topics) that many problems have been caused or exacerbated by government inertia, Girling appears to expect government to do all the work and thinking behind problems, and believe that it's unreasonable to expect the waste management industry to take any risk without every detail being spelled out for them by government. This is a utopian expectation and unrealistic. The interpretation of even relatively simple matters of law must often be clarified by cases before courts rather than in the legislation itself, and the subjects covered in this book are far from simple!

In one case (the management of the disposal of fridges) he criticises one department for not deciding to plan to deal with both of only 2 possible interpretations of a piece of legislation. This is fair criticism, but if it's reasonable for government to be prudent then why should we not expect the same contingency planning from the waste management industry?

Overall, a very interesting and often informative book that I'm certainly glad to have read. But unfortunately it didn't make as unarguable a case as it might have done.

Rubbish? I don't think so..., 01 Aug 2005
I first picked this book up in relation to my university course but i was surprised at how wide ranging and informative it is. The title would suggest that the book focuses on rubbish but the book covers a wide range of topics from planning and housing developments to supermarket packaging through to water supply, sewage and power supply and of course rubbish and recycling.

An informative book, with a good balance of detailed facts to support his arguements and probably the greatest asset is how up to date it is in relation to the figures and statistics he uses.

A good book for those interested or involved in environmental management and planning or for those with a keen interest in the state of the UK environment.

Excellent Resource For Reducing "Waste", 02 Nov 2008
This is a great book for informing readers on how to reduce, reuse and recycle what most of us consider "waste". It has a concise and informative introduction to the topic and then provides an alphabetical listing of many common "waste" items and how best to be reduce, reuse or recycle them.

The book also points out quite a number of UK-specific organisations who offer recycling services which I found particularly useful. I have already found myself recycling or reusing products which I would have previous thrown in the rubbish bin.

Essential, 20 Oct 2007
This is the second edition of this nice little book is essential to those who want to minimise the impact of their consuming in the eviroment.

Hardly anything different from the first edition , colour drawings instead of black and white and a more attractive cover , if you have the first edition do not bother to buy this one as is essentialy the same book.

Very easy to read and printed ( guess ) in recycled paper with very useful guide is very informative about ways of reducing the amount of things that we send to the rubbish bin every week.

The book features an A to Z guide of all the items that can recycle from cars to jars and many different ways of reducing what can not be recycled.

Even if you live in a flat in the city and you ahve no access to a compost bin this book will illustrate how to stop generating rubbish.I found the chapter on office recycling particularly helpful.

Independently of your beliefs on global warming and politics ,there is argument that cosuming less natural resources is in everyone's interest.

5 stars

A pocket sized book packed with superb information , 27 Sep 2007
A pocket sized book packed with superb information on getting the most from what we use, where we buy it from and what we do with it. Another superb Green Books Guide.

The sheer volume of waste produced in the UK is staggering, every hour we produce enough rubbish to fill the Albert Hall, everyday Trafalgar Square could be filled to old Nelson's nostrils.

It wasn't always thus, in the 1950's our waste bins looked very different. The majority of homes were heated with coal so ash and clinker made up the majority of our waste until the Clean Air Act changed our home heating. There was very little plastic, as blister packs and processed food were a rarity. Food was predominantly bought loose and wrapped in paper, which was then used to light the fire. Most bottles were returnable with the small deposit ensuring that enterprising kids kept the streets and bins free of them in the search for pocket money, the milk man took the empties away. The rag and bone cart patrolled the streets picking up rags, old furniture and bones for bone china and bonemeal.

The advent of the supermarket, convenience food and fast living has fundamentally changed the way we consume, what we consume and how it is packaged. Plastic wrapped vegetables, packaged processed food, milk in cartons, drinks in plastic bottles and can. Every thing is packaged and presented in an eye catching way to encourage purchasing on crowded shelves. On average supermarket shoppers spend £470 a year on packaging, a sixth of their annual food spend.

Nicky Scott's Reduce Reuse Recycle is one of the most comprehensive guides available on how to both avoid packaged goods and what to do with what remains. Every possible purchase is listed from Aerosols to Yoghurt pots with ideas on how to reduce, reuse and recycle where appropriate. The Guide is full of useful hints and ideas as well as links to resources and organisations that can help reduce the waste your produce and maximise the utility of what you buy.

The three Rs of a greener home economic is not about sacrifice, nor for that matter expense, it is about concentrating on what we really need, so much of which is not actually materials but real engagement with what we do. It is about cutting down spending on what we don't use, like packing, getting maximum value both for ourselves the next user so that what we do buy is the best quality we can afford. This is book is a great little pocket guide to how we can get the most from what we do have to buy and make everything have a longer more productive life.

Nickly Scott is the author of `Composting For All' and `Composting: an easy household guide', both published by Green Books. He is on the management team of the National Community Composting Network.

Every home should have a guide like this, a superb effort once again Nicky.



Essential, 17 Aug 2007
This nice little book is essential to those who want to minimize the impact of their consuming in the environment.

Very easy to read and printed ( guess ) in recycled paper with very useful guide is very informative about ways of reducing the amount of things that we send to the rubbish bin every week.

The book features an A to Z guide of all the items that can recycle from cars to jars and many different ways of reducing what can not be recycled.

Even if you live in a flat in the city and you have no access to a compost bin this book will illustrate how to stop generating rubbish.I found the chapter about " Office " particularly helpful.

Independently of your beliefs on global warming and politics ,there is argument that consuming less natural resources is in everyone's interest.

I can not wait for the next edition due out this year.

5 stars

Great little book, 28 Jun 2007
There are so many things that you would put in your bin that you can divert away from the land fill. This book is a real eye opener in what can be done with items you think you can't use anymore. It's not about how you can recycle products away from your home but also how they may get a second life in your house or garden. For me. the section on reusing cooking oil alone probably paid for this book.

Lightweight, 25 May 2006
This book is light on anything new or useful. If you are the slightest bit aware of green or eco issues you will know more than this book will ever impart to you.

The book is colourful and easy to read which places it in the category of a child's book rather than an informed adult read.

Sorry but it is not worth the money.

Just good enough., 29 Mar 2006
This book is worth having on the shelf if you want a very simple intro. to living greener but is outdone by other books in the field that are even more competetive with regards pricing and don't waste as much paper and energy ( I would guess ) in their production. Nothing in it that I would call new but the style in which it is written is appealing and I found it a pleasant read with no distractions.

If you care enough to buy it, you probably know most of it, 01 Oct 2005
I strongly support all of the intentions of this book, so it feels a bit unkind to be rude about it, but I think I will be taking the advice on the back cover of recycling it fairly quickly. There's a great deal of padding here (pointless graphics with acres of space around them). What material there is, is quite good - which makes the lack of structure to it all the more annoying. The more detailed information you might expect to find, for example about recycling plastics, is missing - there's just a reference to a website (which turns out to be aimed at business users).

It is motivating, but so superficial that I think it's rather a wasted opportunity.

The Recycle Bible!, 19 Sep 2006
In the beginning there was Recycle: the Essential Guide. Well, if only.

The subject of recycling can sometimes be perceived as dull and old fashioned. This book manages to provide all the essential elements you would need to be clued up on waste while presented in a modern and cool fashion.

An introduction by Lucy Siegle sets the tone. An overview of the history of waste and recycling is followed by a clear statement that we should learn and be inspired by the forces of nature where zero waste is a way of life.

Each recyclable material has its own section where you can find out what the item is composed of, why you should recycle it, any problems encountered, the recycling process itself and useful contacts.

A delicate balance between information and pictures is achieved here to make Recycling as interesting as possible. The text is accurate and concise and the fantastic array of pictures only serves to compliment the information that is present.

It not only provides relevant national information such as the Recycle Now campaign but also highlights projects throughout the world that are both thought provoking and inspiring.

Many books will inspire you to be more eco conscious but then will not supply you with the means of actually achieving this. Yet here, there is a directory of governmental organisations to point you in the right direction and a fantastic Sustainable design directory that shows it is possible to buy recycled goods for every day living. From recycled jewellery made out of metal and rubber to eco friendly flooring made from recycled aluminium, cork, glass and bamboo!

Essential reading??? You bet!


recycle this, 25 Nov 2007
I was thinking about buying a copy of this but I resolved to remain true to the spirit of the book and decided that I should wait until I found one in a skip instead.

Nuclear Decommissioning, 13 Oct 2004
The book, as is the University of Birmingham Postgraduate course on which it is based, is unique in bringing together material over the whole range of waste management, decommissioning and site remediation. It is essential reading for postgraduate students in this area, regulators, environmentalists and government agencies. It provides a basic understanding of the key principles, methodologies and current best practice. This well presented book contains 25 chapters under 5 broad headings: Fundamentals, Decommissioning, Project and program management, Waste management, and Site environmental remediation. There are numerous tables, figures and illustrations. Highly recommended. I have 2 copies for home and work!

Nuclear decommissioning.... Bayliss & Langley, 13 Oct 2004
The book, as is the University of Birmingham Postgraduate course on which it is based, is unique in bringing together material over the whole range of waste management, decommissioning and site remediation. It is essential reading for postgraduate students in this area, regulators, environmentalists and government agencies. It provides a basic understanding of the key principles, methodologies and current best practice. This well presented book contains 25 chapters under 5 broad headings: Fundamentals, Decommissioning, Project and program management, Waste management, and Site environmental remediation. There are numerous tables, figures and illustrations. Highly recommended. I have 2 copies for home and work!

A long hard look at our disposable culture, 25 Jun 2007
From the write-up you might think this is a book about rubbish, that is, landfill and waste management. And it is, in part, but it's much more than that. Richard Girling looks at waste in the broadest possible terms, from packaging to nuclear energy to bad architecture, television and even red tape. It's passionately argued, highly informative, and even when dealing with the infuriating, surprisingly entertaining. Highly recommended.

A sound book that slightly let itself down in places, 24 Aug 2005
I would have given this book 3 and a half stars if I could. On the one hand it was well-researched and very informative, on a range of subjects from the history of public health in England, to waste disposal technology. However, what could have been an excellent book became only good because of a few faults.

At times the text was quite episodic in nature, and it could usefully have been split into more than its ten chapters. But this was only a problem in that there were times when a rational argument, having been well built up, was then undermined by what appeared to be the search for a punchy phrase or a headline. Although Girling does have a very good line in similies, sometimes the attempt to add bite destracts from credibility - for example, he argues that to reduce the compliance period for a particular piece of legislation from 18 years to 7 is 'hardly amounted to fiery breath on the dumpers' necks'. (P183) Correct, but it does cut the compliance period by more than half, so is still significant, but to say so didn't seem dramatic enough to Girling. I don't know whether the venom and passion with which he argues comes from genuine conviction (probably) or a background in feature writing which demands that a point be made very quickly compared to a full-length book. But either way, occasionally it does him few favours.

More seriously, I was concerned about some of the academic balance of the book. As a small but indicative example, methane gas is quoted at different points in the book as having an impact of twenty AND twenty-one times as high as carbon dioxide as a 'greenhouse gas'. Which is it? It's a small difference, but does make me wonder about how thoroughly the many other statistics throughout the book have been validated. I was also, especially considering the volume of facts and statistics, disappointed with the index, which is a bit thin, for example listing 'methane' only once, despite being discussed twice in different chapters.) Another doubt I have about the rigour of some of the content is that Girling appears to reply heavily on a relatively few sources. I say 'appears to' because very few of his quotations are referenced. However, some individuals are quoted so often, on so many subjects, that it almost begins to feel like they have been given free reign to use the book as a mouthpiece for themselves and their industry or trade association.

Finally, while I don't disagree with his argument (repeated on a number of different topics) that many problems have been caused or exacerbated by government inertia, Girling appears to expect government to do all the work and thinking behind problems, and believe that it's unreasonable to expect the wast