A stroke survivor has embarked on an environmentally beneficial journey of recovering while picking up litter in Swinley Forest.
The tale starts in July 2022, when Gordon Allen suffered a stroke.
A few months later, in January 2023, the survivor further experienced the loss of his partner, setting course for life post-stroke alone.
On one of his routine walks for physical therapy around the beautiful Bracknell forest, the Mr Allen noticed the abundance of litter carelessly discarded, prompting a call to action.
"It was a light bulb moment," he recalled as he decided to combine the need for exercise with an existing passion for recycling.
With a mission to tackle the throw-it-away attitude he observed in society, the stroke survivor constructed a recycling strategy, repurposing a business engineering sack truck with an old recycling box and other reclaimed materials.
By attaching a recycled shopping bag to its front, the truck became useful for collecting street litter.
The recycling box, secured via a bungee strap, contained another reinforced bag for glass bottles, and a dustpan and brush for broken ones.
This pioneering setup enabled a clear separation between valuables like plastic from glass bottles, metal and general waste integration of hi-vis tubing made this homemade vehicle noticeable.
Adopting the clever title of "Recycler," Gordon now ventures out into the community two times a week, primarily on Sundays and Wednesdays, collecting and disposing of waste responsibly.
The recycling journey kickstarted on an unsuspecting day, March 26, 2023.
Gordon confessed that the initial weeks were challenging as he fought through accumulated litter at several hotspots, including the Eastern end of the Sainsbury's roundabout underpass.
He said: "During one of these walks I noticed the amount rubbish that was being chucked by careless people, Just as that thought entered my head a gust of wind blew a polythene bag across my path so I picked it up, next I found in the track a Stella Artois can, then came a Costa planet cup, I deposited them in my newly found bag picking up more discarded litter as I continued my walk.
"Ding came the light bulb moment if I'm walking to get my fitness and left side coordination back, why not combine walking with my passion for recycling, as I have always been frustrated the way we have become a throw it away society with no thought to where all this convenience packaging comes from , and even less thought to where it's going."
Recognising the benefits of this initiative, Bracknell Forest Council has since placed segregating bins in some of the worst-affected areas.
In total, the stroke survivor estimates that by a year from their start date, March 2023, they will have recycled upwards of 6,000 litres of aluminium, tin, plastic, and considerable amounts of glass taken to local bottle banks.
Gordon added: "For me, it ticks so many boxes, helping me with my stroke recovery, helping me with my physical and mental health, getting out in the fresh air while walking around my local Forest Park Ward, meeting all sorts of lovely people, chatting while recycling improving the appearance so lifting everyone's mood."
Signing off with a final plea, the recycler has one request: "if you spot me on your travels in my hi-vis or my truck, please be a little patient with me while I cross the road."
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