I decided this year I should be more environmentally friendly, which is quite easy as the newspapers and internet are full of tips on how to be more “green”. At first I was worried that my stunning good looks would be ruined by some yucky green colour, but then I realised it doesn’t mean I would actually change colour, but rather that I would be more aware of my impact on the environment and act more responsibly! I must be maturing!

I decided therefore to ask my female human to help me recycle my food cans! As well as biscuits, mixer, and treats of the canine and human food variety, I get through lots and lots of wet dog food, which comes in metal tins. I discovered these are actually mainly made from steel, (with a very very thin layer of tin on) so really they should be called steels rather than tins! Steel is very easy to recycle and doing so saves a lot of energy!

So I now remind my humans to wash out my empty cans and on a Saturday Hilary and I take them, along with the glass bottles and jars, to the recycling bank just opposite our village shop. Actually, Hilary often does this without me as she says it is easier to put the items in the right containers without me getting in the way! Today we went on the way to my walk, so I was left in the car to supervise from afar, and she told me she would be back in two shakes of a lamb’s tail, so I spent the time looking for the lamb!

Steel is very easy to recycle as steel can be used again and again, so my food tins can become lots of other things now- like paperclips, screws, bridges or bikes! I hope they still smell of dog food! I read that recycling 7 steel cans saves enough energy to power a 60 watt light bulb for 26 hours- and, as I typically use 21 cans of dog food a week, that means I personally (or rather dogonally) can help save enough for a bulb to be lit for 78 hours -every single week!!!

The other benefit was rather unexpected! My humans store the empty cans in a bag in the utility room, ready to take to the bank. This bag has WONDERFUL smells coming from it and I can go and have a lick of the cans and experience some delicious tastes of tuna, soup and baked beans, as well as my own food!