Economy in waste (1917)

World War I saw serious concern to conserve and recycle materials. This poster from the City of Birmingham Refuse Disposal Department in 1917, encouraged Birmingham residents in general, and ‘housewives’ in particular, to do their bit to help the war effort by recycling metal cans, waste paper, clothes and household vegetable waste.

The German U-Boat campaign had led to a massive drop in food and material supplies coming from North America and British colonised territories. Under DORA (The Defence of the Realm Act of 1914) any area of land that could grow food was converted to allotments. Back gardens were used to raise chickens and public parks were used to grow crops such as potatoes and wheat. Conservation, recycling and using waste materials as a resource still remains a major message of contemporary conservationists and sustainability advocacy today.

Transcription:
City of Birmingham Refuse Disposal Department

ECONOMY IN WASTE

WHAT THE CORPORATION ARE DOING.

BY-PRODUCTS produced from house refuse reduce the City expenditure.
TIN CANS, etc., are stripped of their coating of tin, then pressed into billets to be melted and used again. The tin also recovered is very valuable.
WASTE PAPER is sorted, bundled, and sent to paper makers to be re-made into clean new paper, saving hundreds of tons of paper to the country in a year.
MANURE for your gardens is made from the refuse of the meat and fish markets.
GREASE from waste meat is used for candle making, also for lubricating purposes.
PIG FOOD & POULTRY FOOD are made from waste meat and butchers' refuse.

The foregoing items are of National Importance at this time of crisis.

CLINKER, i.e., the remains of the refuse after cremation in the Destructor is used for making roads, garden paths, concrete, mortar, sewage filter beds, etc.
CONCRETE PAVING FLAGS are also made from clinker.

WHAT THE PUBLIC CAN DO

REDUCE the quantity of the refuse to be removed by not putting the following into the dust bin:-
GARDEN REFUSE - Bury it in your garden, or better still burn it: the ashes are a valuable manure. In either case your garden will benefit.
GRASS CUT FROM GARDEN LAWNS. Arrangements should be made with the nearest Horse or Cattle owner for a twice-weekly collection of grass cuttings from lawns.
POTATO AND FRUIT PARINGS, AND OTHER VEGETABLE WASTE, if clean can be used for soups. Are also valuable for Pig and Poultry, either your own, or your neighbours'. If not used thus should be burnt on the Kitchen fire.
RAGS, - Woollen and Cotton Waste should be put on one side for the Lady Mayoress' Scheme in aid of the Red Cross and other War Funds.
If voluntary workers do not call, a postcard to the undersigned will ensure collection.
WASTE PAPER should be tied with string and placed on the top of the dust bin, or if you have a large quantity, a post card will bring a bag to your house and ensure collection. May also be taken to our Depots (for prices see handbills).
CINDERS should be riddled from ashes and used again on the fire. - There is a shortage of Coal.
SLOPS, LIQUID REFUSE AND TEA LEAVES MUST NEVER be put in the dust bin.

HOUSEWIVES!
Here is a unique opportunity to help yourselves, your City, and your Country, by observing the above Rules.

THESE FIGURES WILL SURPRISE YOU:
The Domestic Refuse collected in the City of Birmingham exceeds 700 tons per day on 200,000 tons per year.

If EVERY HOUSEHOLD reduced the refuse thrown into their dust bin by 1 lb per day (only 7 lbs per week), the reduction throughout the City would exceed 30,000 tons per year. This would make possible a saving of over £13,000 per year.

The Council House, Eden Place, Birmingham, May 1917

JAS. JACKSON, Superintendent

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