So I was sat with friends drinking a cold and refreshing beer, and the events which are set before me seemed so much clearer, yeah I have 3 deadlines due next week, and one of those is related to this blog, and the other 2 require a web site or 2 throwing together, I still had clarity in the fact that I was completely delusional if I had any hope of sleeping in the next week or so, or ever wanting to leave my house for any non curricular activity, but I was OK with it.

My friends left for the bar leaving me to secure our table in a heaving beer garden,we decided that as I was the “hardest” member of the group I would have more of a chance in keeping our table from the slavering masses that were already eying it up in anticipation.

So I was prepared for any unwelcome beast to take me on, when a lady approached  me to ask if the seat was free, me thinking that she wanted to leave with the seat, I told her that I wasn’t a billy sat on my lonesome, that I had in fact had a number of friends that would be returning with pain numbing beverages any moment now.

To which the lady nodded and started to smoke a cigarette right next to my table, I realised she didn’t want the seat forever, just to borrow it for a cheeky smoke, so I said that she could sit there while my posse were at the bar but that once they returned she would have to give it back, that this was a loan no more no less.

Once the rules had been underlined and capitalised she was delighted at this and sat down, after a few minutes of awkward silence, the type where we don’t know each other so there is no real need to have a chat but we are sat at the same table and you keep catching my eye.

I offered a few smiles but then Sarah, that’s her name by the way, started to tell me how she was the only smoker in her group and her friends hated smoke so she was casted off in limbo if she wanted to partake in that kind of activity.

I nodded a knowing nod, and said that was not very friendly of her friends, this then moved her onto asking me what I did, I replied with a pang of shame, like I normally do when someone who has obviously come from the office asks me that question “a student.” This sparked a common ground, as Sarah had studied at Birmingham years ago, loved it and stayed.

I asked her a token; “So what do you do?” to which Sarah informed me she was a manager for a building company, but she dealt with supply ordering or something and apologised for it being boring, which I added for some unknown reason, like I’m qualified to judge anyone; “Well we all have to grow up at some point.”   Thankfully Sarah didn’t point out that she was about 15 years older than me so what would I know about growing up as I’m sat in a beer garden trying to bury my deadlines into the bottom of a pint, she laughed and agreed. phew.

She told me that she wasn’t all that boring, her friends thought she was mad! Now the cynic in me though he we go the typical statement you get from a person of a “certain” age, “Oh I’m crazy I am, everyone thinks so, they all think I’m mad.”

Well I was severely dealt a dose of don’t judge a book by its cover here, when Sarah told me her new hobby was couch surfing.  I was intrigued to say the least by all the ins and outs, its probably the journalist in me you know we are trained for this kind of situation.

Anyway to give you the low down in brief, Sarah lives in the Jewelery Quarter, where her lovely company paid her council tax, and  rent in return for her soul, and she paid the bills. A few years before she had been traveling and met a New Zealander who she instantly fell in love with, apparently the timing was all wrong, but they still keep in touch.

So much so that she plans to head back out to the US and meet up with him, and she was doing this by…… yes you’ve guessed it couch surfing. Well as Sarah was doing this in America she felt she had to be a surfee before becoming a surfer, (I don’t know if these are the correct technical terms but you get the idea) so Sarah opened her plush apartment to any tom, dick, or harry off the couchsurfing site to pitch up sticks!

By this time my friends had all arrived back from the bar, drinks in hand, wearing a look of “she’s only bloody made a new friend, again, and given our seats away, again” So Sarah had to go, she did though before she left give me her number, email, and the rest of the details of the story not to mention harping on about the eco friendly nature of the idea!

Why is this relevant I hear you cry, well only that it can be included in my next Birmingham Recycled article, so I think my miss spent time in the beer garden turned out to be a good judgement call after all. Win all around.

Anyway I received this reply from a not so angry Keith this time. Maybe we both just needed a cooling down period.

“Dear Rahael

Thanks for your email – I do understand that your article was looking to be a positive vieww of Birmingham and Smurfit Kappa working together. However it was open to misinterpretation.

The world of google alerts also means that Smurfit Kappa and Birmingham City Council press teams get to see any web articles with those names in them, as well as other journalists who sometimes like to promote a negative view of environmental issues.
Smurfit Kappa has offered to arrange for you to shown around the plant so you can see how all the paper provided by Birmingham residents is turned into card – this might provide the opportunity for you to get more coverage on this good news story.

We do want to work with you as I know we both share the same agenda – I am sure that working with Kris and Chandra in our press and coms teams we can make sure that you get copies of all new stories and access to key facts and figures.

Thanks again and I look forward to meeting up with you again soon.  Also if you would like us to double check any stories prior to publication then please feel free to contact me.

Best wishes and thanks again for your work promoting the green agenda in Birmingham.“

First of all thanks Keith for explaining Google alerts to me, as a media student, currently studying online journalism I was completely unsure what this concept was, it was just words on a page to me before you came along.

And secondly I have left the typing errors, including the miss-spelling of my own name as I didn’t want any back lash, nor of any allegations of “miss truths” coming out from this blog, I know Keith is a stickler on that front

And Perhaps Rahael is a pet name Keith has given me, the old softy.

To some extent I can see the mans plight here, yeah you probably let your mouth run off on one because you are a little fed up of having to constantly argue that your telling the truth.

However I am the journalist here, and surely its up to me and my editor how I angle the article, can you imagine Christian Bale ringing up the paper when he was recorded having a melt down, and said “Erm I don’t really like the fact you’ve penned me out to be a right tool, I know it’s what I’ve said but could you perhaps make the tone a little more helpful for me please”……no I don’t think so.

So I am a little unsure what my response to Keith might be here, on the one hand its his words, that came from his mouth, so if he finds them a little unhelpful in tone maybe he should have thought about that one before he gave me a meeting.

Maybe I should put the article back up with an email back to him saying “Pie off Keith your the liar here not me, if you wanna dance, well then lets dance.”

But then on the other hand he is offering me the olive branch of going to see the Smurfit Kappa plant for myself, and I have heard (mainly of Keith) it’s practically like Narnia, well the maybe paper recycling version of Willy Wonker’s chocolate factory perhaps.

I suppose I should possibly not want to rock the boat? I should be trying to make friends, as my mother always says you never know who’ll you’ll run into later on in life, and I’m sure  that I can write a decent article out of this school trip to Kappa Smurfit plant? Or maybe I should sit on the article a little longer and investigate what the offer actual entails, either way I’ll keep you posted.

I think what hurts the most, as I am currently talking my feelings through hope you don’t mind, was after my meeting with the council I genuinely thought that we were friends.

You know not like an “I’ll add you on Facebook, but if I see you in the street I might have a awkward moment of thinking about saying hello, but I’m not sure if you remember me so I don’t” kind of friendship.

More like the; “I can’t wait to see you this weekend, we’re having a BBQ and it just wouldn’t be the same with out you and Susan, course you can bring a friend, your kind of friends are my kind of friends” type of  friendship. (There may be an hint of exaggeration here but you get the idea.)

Although Keith’s email would tell a very different story altogether there was no “how are you? What you been up to? Hows the family” not even a “x” or two at the end.

To be honest I still am holding out for the chance that it was a rogue council employee that highjacked Keith’s email, because in our meeting there was magic, like pure chemistry, and I am still unsure as to how, or why this misunderstanding has happened.

Basically through the meeting I had way back when with the council, Keith spoke about the Smurfit Kappa plant and all the wonderful and amazing things that are possible there, mainly the hordes of recycling that they do for Birmingham, but Keith felt quite strongly about this, and I was hanging on every word he said.

When I asked him how it made him feel ( you know because I thought we were friends and of course I care about his feelings) when allegations came from other parties claiming the plant didn’t recycle as much as claimed, he told me that they were in the steps of putting a web cam in the plant so everyone can see for themselves what happens there he said, and I quote because that’s what I do as a journalist:

“It’s a great place, it enormous they employ 114 people, recycle all of Birmingham’s paper waste, they really do some great work. We are going to put some web-cams in the plant so you know people can see once and for all what happens there, if you don’t believe us here you can take a look for yourself, you know if you don’t believe me, if you don’t believe Kevin, take a look for yourself.”

Well I felt like saying; “Keith, we’re friends course I believe you!” Thankfully and in hindsight I’m glad I held that back in. Anyways I wrote this article which I can’t show you because it was requested that it was removed about how the council can once and for all squash the rumours with plans to put in a web cam, I wrote about how many jobs they had created, how much they recycle, and it was getting tedious that rumours were still coming out about the plant, and hooray for the council, they have thought of this really good idea to set the record straight type of thing.

Now I know what your thinking this doesn’t seem a hideous article and there isn’t really any reason for Keith, who a couple of weeks ago I was thumb warring with to be angry at is there? To get so annoyed with this article he wants it taking down, and a response from the council publishing, surely? I mean tell me if I’m wrong here.

The other thing that hurt was the fact I had been in communication with the councils office, hell I even offered them an idea to promote their recycling for students campaign, which Kevin was super excited about, so the office surely had my email address.

However I received the email from my editor Natalie Adcock, who forwarded what  Keith had sent her regarding my article (he probably felt awkward sending it straight to me you know as we were friends) but I sort of felt maybe Keith took the cowards way out.

Anyway this is what he had sent my editor:

“Please find below response to Rachel’s article on our work with Smurfit Kappa – we have never doubted that the Smurfit Kappa paper mill in Birmingham does anything other than provide an excellent service in recycling all the paper and card supplied to them via Birmingham City Council.   The tone of the article is unhelpful and untrue………”

Now, now, now Keith, unhelpful? Untruthful? Where is all this coming from, all I want to do is work with you, and big Kev, and you know spread the word about a little green issue or two, what is all this Keith? What’s the real issue here, ey?

That wasn’t my actual response to the article to be honest I sort of wrote a very P.C email asking Keith what he found to be unhelpful, or untruthful:

“Dear Keith

I was a little confused about the response you issued to the article I wrote regarding the Smurfit Kappa paper recycling plant.

I do apologise if I have offended any party in the process of my article, although I can’t understand why.

My aims for the article was not to point any fingers at the Smurfit Kappa plant, nor make any allegations that the plant did not do what they claimed.

I wanted to champion the efforts despite the claims that had been thrown about by many parties about what the plant does, so I am a little confused as to the response the article has received.

I am also confused that you said the article contained untruths, as all the quotes and information I supplied came from the meeting I had with yourself and Kevin Mitchell, and on that meeting I did not miss-quote, nor change what you had said in anyway…..”

So I think you’ll agree that I was very grown up about the whole sticky situation, in fact I was more than proud about how I handled myself, I mean emotions were high, and I felt a little betrayed by Keith on the whole issue,  but I hope Keith see’s that its only ever good things I want to say about him, and the council.

Keep you posted on the response I get, fingers crossed there’s a future for me and Keith, that we can work through this and get back what we once had.

I am trying to address this issue I truly am. Anyway recent happenings in my mundane life are that I am trying to hand in mammoth amounts of work, whilst putting together a new multimedia element to articles for Birmingham recycled.

I am working with the merged group of; Recycling, Lifestyle, and Conservation, and having been entrusted with the new title of Editor I am attempting to turn my life around and be an organised member of society. I am hopeful as it’s still in the early stages.

We have had the great idea of looking at the new initiative “Out and About” which is trying to get the people of Birmingham out, and about funnily enough. More importantly making you aware that although Birmingham is a great big city of fast paced life, it also has a vast array of scenic and very luscious parks for you to enjoy. So I’m told, I have only ever visited Sutton park, which on that occasion was full of caravans, I think it may have had something to do with the many fair ground type rides that were also erected in the park.

So basically I spent about 2 hours hiking around the park trying to find a spot to sit where I wasn’t surrounded by fair ground rides, or provoke a confrontation with said caravan owner because I was sat in their “back garden”, whilst avoiding being sat on by a cow. So my future experiences with getting out and about in parks were somewhat halted by this.

We are hoping/in the process of putting together a new Dipity site, brand new information supplied by the online guru Paul Bradshaw in my most recent Online Journalism class. Basically some clever cloggs decided there just weren’t enough options out there on the internet and put together a site where you can do literally anything.

I don’t know why I still get surprised by the wonders of the internet but I am an old lame dog compared to my fellow students and take some time to get my head around these new fangled offerings that our lecturer often introduces us to.

Ok so Dipity amazement aside, we are putting together a time line of all the events so you don’t miss any of the events, which are also on a map so you know where all these events are, which you can also add as many pictures and reviews to as you see fit. Like I said can do almost anything. Kind of.

We are also (because we love our course shed loads) putting together some video post about the events/rangers that work in the parks etc

So that’s what we are in the middle of at the moment, but as you appreciate we are only human/mere students and these things take time, as soon as I have something constructive to show you I will have a link posted up asap.

So if you are a keen fan, I mean who isn’t, there must be at least what a good 6 people including my Nan who might be reading my blog thinking; “yeah I’ll give this girl a chance,” thanks Mum too.

Anyway if you remember it was my meeting yesterday with the councils Kevin Mitchell, the head of fleet and waste management, and also Keith Budden the manager of Birmingham Environmental Partnership.

I’ll start from the beginning it was a blustery cold, and miserable Wednesday morning, and I had to drag myself out of the bizarre sleeping pattern I’ve falling into of late, which basically boils down to being nocturnal. I was running early which is a miracle for me, the bus was running unusually prompt, I’m guessing Kev’s people gave the bus company the heads up about our meeting.

Anyway I surprised myself with a sense of direction and manage to get the BCC offices, I sign in and I’m greeted by one of the most friendliest security guards I have ever come across, not that I’ve met loads or anything (hi jeff if your reading). Jeff walks me to the lift quizzing me about why I’m there, I tell him I am there to meet and interview Kevin Mitchell for Birmingham Recycled, on our farewell Jeff wishes me good luck with the job interview, I do not correct him it would have just been awkward.

I am sent up to the 9th floor where I state I am here to meet Bethany who’s Kevin’s PA, the receptionist tells me to take a seat then within literally two seconds tells me to go up to the 15th floor, this part of the journey confuses me as I was told to go to the 15th floor originally, but Jeff was convinced I had to go to the 9th floor. However tangent aside a head up to the 15th floor where Bethany is waiting patiently for me.

I breathe a sigh of relief at this point, being worried due to my youthful appearance Kev would wee himself when a child walks into his office wanting to play hard ball, Bethany looks around my age  so he will be used to being around minors, and maybe he will just think I’m ambitious rather than deluded.

I sit and wait for Kevin, who I’m told is just finishing off his meeting ( probably on the phone to the Queen or something important) I am 15 minutes early so I’ll let him off. I play nervously with my visitors badge, whilst Beth and her fellow PA sit and chat about a lady called Caroline, who is going to be in town later and they’re surprising her. That’s nice I thought bet Caroline will like that.

The office was not what I was expecting. I don’t know exactly what I thought it should look like but if I say Minority Report you know what I mean, this was more like the Office, holiday snaps pinned up; Sardinia I think, thousands of dodgy miss matched tea cups littered about, and walls of those strange Grey blue office dividers everywhere.

I’m going off on a tangent again aren’t I?

Well at about 9.55 Keith comes out smiling at me, at this point I don’t know its Keith, so I sit nervously shuffling about in my chair like a fish out of water, not knowing whether to jump to my feet and shake his hand, or if it’s an office orderly being a little over friendly.

Anyway turns out its Keith, I stand up shake his hand, he gives me loads of pamphlets and leads me into Kevin’s’ office, who has his back to me and is startled by our entrance, he goes to shake my hand, which is full of pamphlets, I offer him my free left hand, but he’s not keen for this, so I juggle about the pamphlets and offer my right, but he’s hand the same idea and gone for my left which I have now withdrawn, all I can hear in my head is “OH THE HORROR, THIS IS NOT THE PROFESSIONAL IMPRESSION I WANTED TO GIVE, HE’S GOING TO THINK YOUR A RIGHT TIT NOW.”

After the awkwardness I manage to shake Kevin’s hand and I give him an extra firm squeeze just to let him know I mean business, I sit down and Kevin opens with; “So are you wearing you mum’s clothes then?”

Which I’m not going to lie threw me right off, I shook my head and said in a slight mumble (whilst thinking oh shit he does think I’m a child) “No I don’t think my mum would appreciate me wearing her clothes.” I’m looking more than a little confused about this, which Kev obviously notices as he points down to reveal ALL MY BLOGS AND ARTICLES!

NOWAY, I kid you not, well the articles I don’t really mind, but my blog! Now that explains the comment about me wearing my mums clothes. Shocking start.

However I pull my socks up, and I start the interview like an old pro, with a sort of Larry the Lamb nervous shake to my voice. But as the interview goes on Kevin and Keith I really hate to say it where on the whole really nice blokes, and I have got some really great idea’s for my next stories. I am in the process of putting together my next article for Birmingham Recycled, but as usual I will keep you informed on that front.

This has helped me work through some issues never the less, will be back with my next article idea once the notes have been typed up.

I have subsequently found out through my own research and interviews with figures in this area, business owners, and  members of the public, that the outline is a little ambiguous for what exactly the council offers for businesses wanting to recycling.

The announcement of new partnership Birmingham Environmental Partnership had led to me to learn that the council are putting together new initiatives such as a work shop scheme, with help from the Urban Mines organisation to help re-educate restaurants , and a Green Restaurant Award to help stimulate restaurants in achieving a greener  conduct. However when I approached businesses in my own area they did not know about this new scheme, which is set to run March 25th.

I have also learnt that the council has an unofficial service, whereby they pick up businesses recycling (white paper only) IF it falls in their existing routes, which I can only presume are existing residential collections routes. Which is a little concerning as on the council website there are many warnings to businesses that if they mix household waste with commercial waste it will lead to fines.

The cynic in me would think that this would be a great oppourtunity for the council to boost their figures for residential recycling, and I believe a rise in these figures has recently been announced by the council.

I would like to give anyone the opportunity to voice their concerns here, and I can feed these area’s into my meeting with Kevin Mitchell and let you all know the councils official response. Thank you I look forward to hearing your response.

“Rachael
I have been asked to arrange a meeting between yourself and Kevin Mitchell to discuss your email. Could you please contact me on 0121 675 0648 to set up a meeting. “

I have since contacted Mr Mitchell’s secretary and have a meeting penned in for the march 31st, which as I am aware myself isn’t for another two and a bit weeks I am still very pleased with my progress!

I am bricking it a little, the head of the department and all, and I am contemplating wearing my mums clothes to that meeting so he doesn’t suspect I am a child really.

I am starting to put together questions as I really want to optimise this meeting, and not fall on my face and look a fool, I will keep you updated as and when. If anyone has any suggestions for possible questions, or has a gripe they want raising feel free to post them up.

In other news I am failing to secure myself a news story this week on recycling it would seem it has been a slow news day/week in recycling issues related to birmingham. Or whatever stories there have been my other diligent colleagues have already covered them. But I’m not bitter about this.

And thats all folks.

When I approached businesses in my local area of Erdington they did not have any knowledge of this new scheme, and there was no information present on the councils website, other than an outdated report for Birmingham Environmental Partnership.

So I approached leading figure in recycling for businesses based in Birmingham Lorn Langdon (Paperchasers), and are her thoughts to the aims that the council has set out.

“I agree with you, that more could and should be done as regards to helping the business sector, I think the council are restrained somewhat by funding and also, it can be a real long slog to get anything changed at a strategic level because the processes and politics involved are like wading through treacle.

I reckon there could be much more done at little cost by having more info and advice on the council website for businesses – there is virtually NOTHING as regards to recycling services and questions need to be asked about this.  They may not want to promote any service in particular, as they can’t be seen to favour any one supplier, but they should be able to sign-post and link to the WRAP website and their free searchable database of recycling contractors AND provide some free downloadable resources to help businesses.

The gaps in the council website are mirrored in other aspects of the council’s response to enquiries from businesses – why can’t there be an on-line form for queries which is mirrored in its construction for telephone enquires and these could be automatically sent on to contractors like us to respond to?

I am sure there are LOADS of other ways the council could do more, at little extra cost, but there needs to be some leadership in this matter to drive it along.  I don’t think the B’ham Environmental Partnership is an effective route for this, but I imagine that the council will say that any new projects must pass through this body.  BEP funding is ring fenced and tends to be used to ‘top-up’ council dept. budgets….(I was involved with BEP for afew years, some years ago..)”

For more information on this subject view my article here.

"Around 300 businesses have colour-separated
glass collected, and a number of locations have services for paper and
cardboard. However, these initiatives are relatively small, and much
remains to be done......

Working with the Birmingham Environmental Partnership, a project has been
funded to work with hundreds of businesses to learn what services would be
attractive and useful to them, to assist potentially with future service
design. This is in operation currently, and the results will be of
considerable interest and use in due course.......
Additionally, again with the Low Waste Partnership on behalf of the BEP, a
Green Restaurants Award is being considered and developed, it is hoped, in
a form which will make it attractive to the businesses concerned...."

With Mint Restaurant Flyer attached.

I am now putting together my second article for Birmingham Recycled Will keep you posted