"550 plastic bags are thrown away every single second in Britain.

A new display at Ceredigion Museum, Aberystwyth focuses on the throwaway society.

All the staff at the museum, have been investigating the reuse and recycling of historic items in the museum collection.

We wanted to focus on the way in which many items were repaired again and again or just made into something else for reuse. We also wanted to look at what is happening today with our rubbish.

The exhibition is divided up into various themes and here are some of the fascinating facts we have found out.

For perhaps just one generation, from the 1960s to about 2000, vast quantities of packing material has been used for a very brief time - often for not more than a few hours - then thrown away. Much was suitable for recycling, but most were thrown away and have polluted the environment and filled rubbish dumps.

Some statistics:-
Every year 17½ billion plastic bags are given away by supermarkets in Britain. This is equivalent to over 290 bags for every person: 550 bags are thrown away every single second in Britain.

There are now vast quantities of plastic rubbish in the sea which is killing off sea life, even when it is thousands of miles from land.

A line of double-decker busses from London to Edinburgh could be filled by all the disposable nappies used in Britain each year.

Packing materials for consumer goods, such as electronic equipment, became excessive to make transport and storage simpler and cheaper. Many electrical and other goods have become fashion items which the manufacturers constantly improve to increase consumerism. The use of plastic wrapping materials for food has increased and more food is thrown away for health reasons.

This is the result of a society which thinks it can afford to buy and throw away, but the hidden cost of rubbish is enormous.

During the 19th century, almost everything which could be used was also reused. Many things were made to last and because they were constructed of simple materials, were easily repaired. Clothes were altered and repaired; furniture was mended; books and newspapers were shared; people made their own entertainment, and once radios and televisions became available, most homes would have only one.

Goods were packed in straw in re-useable wooden boxes. Very little which didn't rot in the ground was thrown away, so rubbish dumps were very small.

This exhibition is about how those in the past have been careful with the earth's resources and how their life style could help us think about our own.

Recycling waste materials became essential during the Second World War.

The habit of saving waste materials continued after the war and many people saved aluminium milk bottle tops for recycling: charities such as Guide Dogs for the Blind organised collections of these to raise funds for themselves.

During the 1970s, environmental groups campaigned to reduce paper consumption to save trees. People were encouraged to reuse envelopes, but this was before computer printers vastly increased the use of paper.

The first bottle banks appeared in Britain in 1977. But the first aluminium collecting points appeared in Aberystwyth in 1990. It was part of a scheme organised by Gateways, the County Council and UK2000 (Small Town Recycling Action for Wales). A private company based at the Glanyrafon Industrial Estate, Aberystwyth was established in 1992 and moved to larger premises in 1995.

During the 18th century, most towns employed scavengers who were responsible for keeping the streets clean. Some paid the Council for the right to do this and then charged the homeowners to clear their rubbish, so they could make a profit. In the 19th century, the Scavenger was also often the Overseer of the Poor who employed the poor to keep the streets clean.

Most people burnt what little rubbish they had but they had to dispose of the ashes. If the fire burnt wood or peat, the ashes could go on the garden, but if coal was burnt, the ashes had to be taken away.

Much food waste was eaten by pigs which almost everyone kept, even in towns but when these were banned in towns, it was burnt, or dumped in the streets, or was kept in bins, sometimes for weeks.

Until the 1840s, most people had toilets in their gardens which consisted of a shed over a hole in the ground. When full, the holes had to be cleared out: there was a bye-law which stated that this had to be done at night to stop the smell affecting passers by.

The first legislation governing household waste was passed in 1875 and gave local Councils the power to remove domestic rubbish without charge and remove trade waste at a reasonable cost and sell it for reuse. In 1915, Aberystwyth Councils made householders purchase dustbins for dry waste, mostly ashes. Some modern plastic rubbish bins have 'no hot ashes' marked on their lids as a hang-over from this period even though many people don't have real fires any more. These bins were emptied straight into 'dust carts': no plastic rubbish bags were used. In 1954 a new law (the Clean Air Act) stopped people from having so many coal fires, so the contents of bins changed from ashes to paper and food which they used to burn.

Dustbin men must have had a very nasty job: they breathed in the dust and the waste food must have been very smelly.

During the 19th century in Aberystwyth, some rubbish was dumped on the beach and in the Harbour, leaving the sea to take it away. There were complaints during the 1860s that much rubbish, including waste from slaughter houses was dumped in the town and not collected regularly. Much broken glass and china was dumped on Morfa Mawr - the land between the new Police Station and the site of the new Council Offices. Later, rubbish was dumped at the base of Pen Dinas.

Some people made a living out of recycling other people's rubbish. Sadly, some poor people in various parts of the world still rely on doing this as a source of income.

Many towns had men who collected old rags and bones and other waste material which could be recycled. These were made famous by the television programme Steptoe and Son who also purchased old furniture and ornaments. They paid a small amount to the householder and sold what they collected for a profit.

To tie in with our exhibition 'Rubbish!, Adrian Keenan of Ceredigion County Council's Waste Management Department will be in Ceredigion Museum every Wednesday from 7 of May to 16 July from 2pm to 4pm to answer all your queries about waste management and recycling in the county.

Museums and Galleries Month May 2008 together with Adult Learners Week present the following:

Free Fashion Show , Saturday 10 May 2pm

"Don't chuck it, Strut it!"

Amazing, original green fashion creations made and modeled by local recycling enthusiasts. Also featuring local designer labels Raggedy, Hazel Stitch and Wench with accessories from Zalingai.

Free workshops for adults

Come and recycle, learn a new skill.

Book a place by phoning 01970 633088

Saturday 17 May 2 - 4.30pm

Make a hand-bag out of old plastic bags with Becky Knight.

Monday 19 May 2 - 4.30pm

Make a hand-bag out of old aluminum tin cans with Becky Knight

Tuesday 20 May 2 - 4.30 pm

Discover your Inner Tube' recycle some rubber with Keelin Hawker

Wednesday 21 May 2 - 4.30pm

Rag Rug making with Sue Clow - make a flower badge

Thursday 22 May 2 - 4.30pm

Discover your Inner Tube' recycle some rubber with Keelin Hawker

Friday 23 May 2 - 4.30pm

Rag Rug making with Sue Clow - using recycle materials.

Article by Michael Freeman