BOTH world wars saw people cutting down on waste in the national interest and modern attempts to promote recycling in South Cumbria stretch back to at least 30 years.

On September 12 in 1989 The Mail reported on Ulverston’s first recycling day which was organised by Friends of the Earth.

Among those giving a helping hand was youngest member Suzanne Turner, aged seven, from Greenodd.

It noted: “Volunteers on a town centre car park watched as car loads of bottles, aluminium foil and paper were brought.

“Within two hours there was a pile of old newspapers and magazines three feet high and six feet across.”

All the material was to go to a Penrith merchant and the proceeds split between Friends of the Earth and Oxfam.

Millom got its first bottle bank, outside the Safeway supermarket, in March 1990.

Pupils from St James School had written to Copeland Borough Council to request the recycling facility for the town.

In  November 1994pupils from Barrow’s Ramsden Infant School got involved in a project to collect newspapers and magazines to take to the recycling centre at Tesco in Barrow.

The new paper bank was officially opened by Cllr John Smith,chairman of the Barrow Borough Council planning committee.

Walney took part in a September 1995 trial which saw recycling boxes delivered to 5,000 homes.

The next step was to issue another 20,000 boxes to streets in Barrow. Children were to benefit in 1995 from a scheme to collect aluminium drinks cans by metal merchant Mullens, at Ramsden Street, Barrow.

The firm was taking part in a new initiative called Alu Cans for Kids’ Causes.

Proprietor Robert Mullen said: “There are six billion drinks cans purchased every year and if all these were recycled up to £55mcould be raised for worthy causes.

“We’re calling on people of all ages, local schools and businesses to get behind the scheme and adopt a child-related cause."