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?

The Real Junk Food Project- Saving food by serving it up

You may not have heard of the ‘Real Junk Food Project’, but it is something helping save a lot of food from becoming waste in the UK. The project is an attempt to help bring about change in our food system. Run by a collaboration between activists and catering professionals, all volunteers, the project aims to stop food from being wasted. There are a number of cafes which have been set up by the project, and more are emerging regularly. The cafes use perfectly edible food intercepted from skips or stores as it is thrown away. As well as creating positive environmental impacts by not wasting so much food, the cafes operate on a ‘Pay as you feel’ (PAYF) system, creating clear social benefits as well. There is no price on the produce in store, and as well as allowing people to pay what they can afford, it helps people think about the way they use and waste food in general. For those who can’t afford to pay in money, people can also donate by offering their skills for a meal.

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.