The 'bio-bus': Powered by sewage

Yes, you read it right, there's a new bus powered by sewage and it's taken to the streets.

Now, we're all for upcycling and recycling, but when we heard about the bus which was recycling human waste, we weren't too sure what we thought of it.

However, reading a little deeper and it's not quite as stinky as it seems, the bus is actually powered from biomethane gas, which is generated from the treatment of sewage and food waste at a processing plant. One waste plant alone can produce 17 million tonnes of the gas a year, and a single tank of the gas is enough to power the vehicle for 190 miles, and is produced from the typical annual waste of just five people.

This bus clearly shows the value of waste, and looking at alternative fuel sources, it seems this really could be onto something. Using a gas which is produced anyway through the treatment of sewage and food waste, it seems to be a bit of a no-brainer.

The first bus of its kind has made its first journey today, so we will have to wait and see what the response is and whether they decide to produce more of these vehicles on a larger scale.

What do you think, is it a good idea?

Upcycling in Olney

We've been following the recycling and upcycling themes throughout the Phonebox magazine and blog over the last few months. You'll have noticed in the last issue of the Phonebox magazine we featured a unique gift shop on Olney high street; 'Afterglow', which you can read about here or see the image below.

Upcycling is a particularly creative idea, but you don't have to necessarily be arty to upcycle. There's nothing wrong with jumping on the bandwagon a bit and 'borrowing' already existing ideas to create something. With a personal touch and different base product to work with, it's unlikely that these upcycling items will ever be the same as another. These sorts of gifts are becoming increasingly popular, particularly for those wanting to find something quirky or different to give as a gift. These items are so unique that they have a real personal feel to them and make a great gift.

Saturday 19th July is the Olney Vintage Fair in the Church Hall, Church Street, and could be the perfect place to spark an interest in vintage and upcycling. Vintage and worn-out items can be the perfect basis for upcycling, items which are otherwise worn out and needing a bit of tlc can be given a new lease of life and made to feel more contemporary. Why not head over to the vintage fair and see if you can grab a bargain and turn it into something new? If you like to be different in your home furnishings, why not paint up a plain chest of drawers into something more unique, or turn a trunk into a coffee table? The possibilities are endless! If you've got a good creative imagination then great, if not then don't panic, have a google and you'll be sure to find endless ideas online, or visit to Olney's local upcycling shop 'Afterglow' and let the creative work be done for you. Upcycling is a great idea and we want to encourage more of you to be getting creative and saving from throwing things away, get involved!

Upcycling- Bottle Boat!

We've been thinking a lot recently about recycling and upcycling, finding out what use we can get out of  items before throwing them away. We wondered if any of you have been inspired to upcycle or recycle anything around the house?

We came across this picture on Pinterest, a boat made out of bottles, and thought it could inspire some of you planning to take part in the Olney raft race?! It would be great to be able to share some pictures on the blog and on Facebook of anyone's upcycled creations, whether you're using plastic bottles for different purposes in the house and garden or creating jewellery out of recycled waste, we'd love to hear from you! Comment below or visit our Facebook page.