War on Waste takes root with DIY giant.

Customers visiting the Basingstoke B&Q store have been learning how to cut down on the amount of garden rubbish they produce.

The DIY giant B&Q helped out with Hampshire's War on Waste campaign by hosting an in-store exhibition showing the value of reusing and recycling garden materials instead of simply throwing them in the rubbish bin. Also on display were timber products bearing the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) trademark, which gives the customer the choice of buying products which are sourced from independently certified well managed forests.

"Garden waste can account for up to a third of all waste produced by households, so we're showing people how to compost it and re-use it in their gardens," explained Angela Bethell, a spokesperson for Project Integra, the waste management initiative comprising all the local authorities in Hampshire, together with private disposal contractor Hampshire Waste Services.

Angela added: "Partnerships with companies such as B&Q are an excellent way of helping us put over the reuse and recycling message to people who may not realise that waste is a difficult and costly issue."

The in-store exhibition was hosted by Angela together with Basingstoke and Deane's recycling officer Oliver Burt, who explained: "Peat-free compost, or B&Q's 'ZooPoo', are environmentally sound alternatives to peat and can be used in addition to home-made compost. Water butts are becoming increasingly popular to save water and ensure your garden stays green!"

Informative leaflets produced by Project Integra, which contained handy tips on how to make the garden 'greener' were handed out to customers.

"The day was a great success," says B&Q representative Jemma Bolt. "We as a company are fully aware of the environmental responsibilities we have and this has been an excellent way to introduce new 'greener' ideas to our customers."

B&Q has already taken the initiative of informing customers about environmental alternatives for the garden. Customers should look out for the environmental choice tick around the store which identifies products that cause less harm to the local and global environment. Look out for the tick on B&Q own brand products.

For further information: Chris Wotton, Lee Peck Communications 01703 740222

Our Ref: J704/03/01/CW

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