People do seem at last to have become a bit more aware of the mountain of packaging we throw away and the vast number of goods we consume. Possibly – sadly – there’s even a certain fatigue about these issues; people no longer seem to refuse plastic bags at the checkout like they did a couple of years ago.

But both in Lincolnshire where I lived till recently and here in Brighton (Hove actually), freecycle/greencycle are flourishing – alongside the skips filled with usable and serviceable materials that are chucked out in order to allow for the next fashionable revamp. Viewed in this light a recession can have advantages…..