WASTE WISDOM

On a sweltering afternoon in Normanton, a split bin liner is slowly spewing an ever widening stream of white, soupy gunge across the blue brick pavement. It makes for a less than wholesome sight - and smell - and is sadly all too indicative of the environmental decay that blights this inner-city area of Derby.

Having surveyed waste and recycling facilities in more than 130 local authorities, the charity Tidy Britain Group (TBG) discovered that Normanton had severe problems. On a range of environmental indicators, it fell far short of the average urban performance - the city council failing in both its maintenance and promotion of a cleaner environment. This supported earlier findings by the University of Derby, which also pointed out that 40% of Normanton residents belonged to an ethnic minority, mostly from the Indian subcontinent.

This begged a question: why did concern for the environment appear the preserve of white middle classes and not seem even remotely to engage minority ethnic groups?

Derby council operates a kerbside scheme, collecting recyclables from 12,000 homes each week. Yet only 5% of Normanton residents contribute to this. There are also just two recycling banks in the area, which are similarly underused. Is this plain apathy, or do minority groups have different environmental requirements? Does it reflect something as basic as failure to produce literature about services in languages other than English?

"The idea behind our research was to try and understand waste issues in terms of cultural and behavioural patterns," says Gen Cannibal, head of the university's school of environmental and applied sciences. "Recycling policies tailored to the needs of a white middle-class area will never work in a place as diverse as Normanton."

This prevailing ethos explains why the government misunderstands poor recycling rates, Cannibal argues. "Standard waste, such as cardboard and boxes, are monitored in terms of their recycling. However, when we analysed the contents of people's bins, we found material that is left out of the equation."

"Ethnic communities buy a lot of cheaper, fresh food which isn't pre-packed. Consequently, the absence of packaging to be recycled does not mean that it is simply being thrown away. As for the large amounts of compostable waste we found, the means to recycle it aren't available - though it is easy to do."

Composting initiatives and other more focused measures would necessitate the city council spending money, admits Alan Woods, TBG chief executive. But he insists: "Ethnic groups are not less concerned about the environment. As a starting point, it is essential to find out what their actual needs are, and respond accordingly."

To do this, the TBG, the council, the university and the environment agency have together been piloting a project involving talking to people on the ground. The scheme is the brainchild of Ashok Kalia, chair of the council's environment committee, and is funded by cleansing company Onyx UK. The approach is already said to be bearing fruit.

Scheme co-ordinator Aziz Reyman has visited people's homes, youth clubs, schools and Indian and Pakistani centres. He reports nothing but enthusiasm - and is not surprised. "The environment has always been a key cultural issue for Hindus and Sikhs," he says. "Accordingly, getting the message across in their own language is the first step. I can then explain the services that already exist and distribute questionnaires to find out which facilities are lacking in Normanton. The feedback has been excellent."

Woods thinks the scheme's early success shows that it is the wrong approach for green groups merely to exhort people to do one thing or another. "It is too formal and intellectual," he says, "whereas the great advantage of this project is that it is informal and local. When asking people about the provision of services, you can determine their idea of community. Is it just the street in which they live, the next two or three streets, or the whole neighbourhood?"

Woods also argues that Normanton's low-income, sub-cultural groups - black and Asian or white - have until now been excluded from a role in the area's sustainable development. "Someone who does not own a car can hardly be expected to catch a bus to the bottle bank," he says. "The Normanton project will hopefully demonstrate that policies must be socially inclusive and not ignore large sections of society."

The next step will involve setting up neighbourhood environmental action teams to tackle problems in Normanton and generally raise awareness of green issues. It is also hoped that local businesses will contribute and help engender the kind of community spirit necessary to underpin environmental awareness.

The 5% recycling rate in Normanton is expected to rise to 22% within two years. To meet government targets, it should reach 33% by 2005. "Showing the ethnic groups what can be done in relation to recycling and waste will, in time, pay dividends," insists councillor Kalia. "Getting them on board by discussing these issues at grassroots level is just the start. The figures don't worry me. We will achieve what needs to be achieved." (Source: The Guardian)