October’s monthly competition – The Book Of Rubbish ideas by Tracey Smith

Filed in Blog by on October 4, 2008 26 Comments
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book of rubbish ideasThis months competition is a brilliant one. We’re really excited to be working with Alastair Sawday publishers and Tracey Smith to be offering you the change of winning a signed copy of Tracey’s new book “The book of rubbish ideas”.

We’ve already reviewed the book on our site and I’m thrilled to announce that Tracey’s book SOLD OUT within a week of launch date! How about that?

This book offers a down to earth, room by room guide through your home, offering solutions to reducing waste, turning your ‘rubbish into a resource’ and generally making your home a more sustainable place to live.

You’ll find all sorts of low cost solutions, ways to MAKE money, ways to clean your home without chemicals and templates for writing letters to supermarkets to get your voice heard.

To get your mitts on a copy, Little Miss Green wants to know what tip would you give to a complete novice who wants to reduce their rubbish?
Put your answer on a Contact Us form and we’ll announce the winner at the end of October.

About the Author ()

I am a long time supporter of the Green and Sustainable lifestyle. After being caught in the Boscastle floods in 2004, our family begun a journey to respect and promote the importance of Earth's fragile ecosystem, that focussed on reducing waste. Inspired by the beauty and resourcefulness of this wonderful planet, I have published numerous magazine articles on green issues and the author of four books.

Comments (26)

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  1. maisie says:

    This book is brilliant!!

    I bought the last copy our branch of Waterstones had on the day after it came out.

    I keep reading it in snippets; funny thing was last nights was about getting the school to change newsletters etc to email, I initiated this in our Primary school where DS2 goes about a year ago, as we are an Eco-school.

  2. Poppy says:

    Oh dear! I bought 8 copies to dispatch as Christmas presents (insert embarrassed smiley!), so much as I love the idea of a competition, I’m probably not up for this one. Sorry LMG 🙁

  3. esther says:

    I just’d love to read that! I just filled in the form, you never know….

  4. Tracey Smith says:

    Hiya Missus,

    I’m chuffed to bits to be chosen as your competition give away this month and if the lucky winner wants me to scribble a personalised message in it, I’ll be more than happy to oblige!

    Good luck selecting a winner,
    Trace x

  5. Tracey Smith says:

    Also wanted to say thanks for the lovely comments above too – lololol – I went into our library today to see if they had it in yet (pathetic I know, but I just love my library and it’ll be a surreal moment when I see it in there – lolol)…

    Anyway, they’ve got 3 on order and a queue for them too! BRILLIANT! Libraries are amazing and you can read it all for freeeeeeeee….

    Maisie – well done on the school newsletter thing – let me know how you get on and NAG them gently into submission! By the way, I’m doing a few Waterstones signings in the coming weeks – (look me up on the author list at http://www.Waterstones.com, bring in your copy and I’ll squiggle in it too if you like!)

    Poppy – I am just chuffed to bits you love it and would like to send you a little something to say thanks for making TBORI your Crimble special – how cool is that! Drop me an email.

    Esther – good luck missus!

    and Mrs Green – you’re a smasher! I don’t know how you find the time to keep this brilliant blog so vibrant and full of excellent content. I love getting my daily fix of your eco-news.

    Best to all,
    TSx

  6. Karen says:

    I picked up this book at the Organic Food Weekend at Bristol last month – didn’t realise I’d got myself such a sort after item!!! Picked up so many tips I’ve had to highlight everything so I don’t forget. Great book!

  7. Mrs Green says:

    Hi Karen, Welcome to the site! You do indeed have yourself a rare and sought after item. Look after it well; it might be worth a fortune one day as a first edition!

    Good luck to everyone who enters the comp

  8. The very first tip I would give a novice would be to start a compostting system. This was such a great help to me as it directed my actions in the kitchen. It made me aware of what I was using and where kitchen waste would go. This, along side using my own bages for shopping went along way to making our household greener. And it is so damm easy!

  9. maisie says:

    Tracey,
    I did it this time time last year (oct 2007)and we have had an uptake of approx 40 kids from the 60 odd in the school.

    Thanks on the book I’ll have a look see if you are coming to Grimsby.

  10. Karen says:

    Hi Mrs Green
    I’m not sure the book will be worth much with all the yellow highlighter through it!!!! Anyway, no one’s getting it – way too useful!!
    Margaret, I agree with your point about composting. I have been lurking on this and other sites to get going on reducing my waste – but didn’t really feel I could get going properly until my Bokashi composting bins arrived this week. Now, it’s full steam ahead!

  11. Jo Jones says:

    Register on line with the Mail Preference Service and stop the masses of junk mail being delivered is my tip.

  12. Kris says:

    My first step would be:
    Have a look at all the places locally that have recycling bins and find out how many types of waste you will be able to divert from the bin, either for collection or dropping off periodically at the banks.

  13. Cathy Porteus says:

    Contact your local council to find out about recycling schemes in your area, there will probably be a door stop collection that will take away various items, e.g. paper, tins and sometimes plastic or cardboard.

  14. gemma baynes says:

    What a fantastic idea for a book. As i am a bit of a greeny and tight i am loving the concept of the book.

  15. Alan Barker says:

    My advise to a novice is simply to understand your compost heap. Not only to you put in garden wasste, and vegatable peelings, but loo roll tubes, egg shells, tea bags, coffee grounds and instead of killing slugs and snails, put them in there too.

  16. Mrs Green says:

    Great ideas folks thanks, but if you read the way to enter the competition, please send your entry in on a Contact Us Form!

    We’re getting heaps of entries already; this is a really popular competition.

  17. Tracey Smith says:

    Hiya Maisie – sorry I misread your earlier one….lolol…well done for getting it in place and a 40 take up is admirable. Top work chick!

    TSx

  18. Jo says:

    Try to gather all the packages that you normally throw for a week long and look at their amount. Its a first step to see our part in the probleam and a good first time lesson Try to think about some creative ways to reuse or recycle them. Envelopes reuse, containers for other storage etc.

  19. Kris says:

    I thought I’d already put myself into the queue for the book at the library but it’s not showing so I’ll have to go and make some Tracey-promoting noise I think 🙂

    Looks like they think one copy will suffice in Gloucestershire – ha!

  20. Karen says:

    If anyone who wants the book is local to Gloucester – Waterstones had two copies on their shelf when I was in there today.

  21. Tracey Smith says:

    Thank you Karen chick! Oooor, if you go to the website for the book, they’re flogging it for £4.54 (RRP £6.99)!

    Result…cheaper still!

    And I know they’ve taken delivery of a big box today so we’re back in business….lol…TSx

  22. Karen says:

    My pleasure, Tracey. It’s a fabulous book, with so many good ideas – I wouldn’t want anyone to miss out!!

  23. Poppy says:

    Thank You Tracey that was very kind of you. It arrived this morning, it’s gorgeous and is already hung in my living-room window. I have a new little kitty arriving in a few weeks time – it’ll keep him busy!! 😀

  24. Tracey Smith says:

    Hi Poppy – wonderful, glad you like it xxx

  25. Sarah T says:

    My first step would be to tell them to save all there organic rubbish ie peelings, old and uneaten vegetables etc in a separate bin and make compost with it.

  26. Ruth Tesdale says:

    The first thing to do is take full advantage of all the recycling facilities provided by your local authority.

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