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Culture
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Written by Herefordshire Council
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Tuesday, 13 November 2007 00:00 |
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When refuse lorries start the day
Their breakfast’s what we’ve thrown away
When refuse lorries want some fun
They go recycling in the sun
When refuse lorries feel like lunch
Bin bags are always what they munch
When refuse lorries go to sleep
They count tin cans instead of sheep. It’s a case of poetry in motion for local writer Brenda Read-Brown, who has had one of her poems published…on the side of a refuse collection lorry.
Her poem about rubbish is set to bring smiles to onlookers when the lorry is used across the county.
Brenda’s poem, along with five others, have been put on the sides of six spare refuse lorries as part of “Throwaway Lines,” an Arts Council-funded project organised jointly between Herefordshire libraries, Poetry on Loan - a joined up promotion by West Midland Library authorities - and contractors Focsa, which collect refuse on behalf of the council.
“Nothing escapes the pen of a poet so there’s no reason they shouldn’t write one about recycling and waste disposal,” said Anne-Marie Dossett, the council’s reader
development librarian
“As well as being amusing and entertaining, these poems also reinforce the important message that recycling is something we can all do locally to make a difference globally,” added Anne-Marie
Brenda’s lighthearted poem sheds some light on a day in the life of a refuse lorry:
When refuse lorries start the day
Their breakfast’s what we’ve thrown away
When refuse lorries want some fun
They go recycling in the sun
When refuse lorries feel like lunch
Bin bags are always what they munch
When refuse lorries go to sleep
They count tin cans instead of sheep.
The project invited poets in the West Midlands region to submit poems of up to eight lines in length – any longer and they wouldn’t fit on the side of a refuse collection lorry.
Representatives from Focsa and the waste management committee have chosen six poems which are to go on the side of a handful of spare lorries.
These are used when lorries in the fleet are off the road for servicing – so there will always be a refuse collection lorry with poetry on its side out and about in the county.
Paul Morris, contract manager at Focsa Services (UK) Ltd, the contractor to Herefordshire Council for the refuse collection, took on the idea when it was presented to him about 12 months ago.
“It’s a good idea to raise awareness for recycling in Herefordshire and this is something different that will hopefully get members of the public talking to each other about the particular poems they have seen on our various vehicles with an important message relayed in a light hearted way,” added Paul.
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Last Updated on Thursday, 03 January 2008 13:12 |
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