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Pontypridd and Valleys

Visit to Nürtingen by Eddy Hunt - July 2000



Cor Meibion in Festumzug

On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the association between Côr Meibion Pontypridd and the Liederkranz singers in Nürtingen-Oberensingen the choir spent one week in Nürtingen.

Their program included one formal concert and several appearances on the stage of the "Festzelt", a large tent erected on the edge of the town, with beer, wurst and a lively program of entertainment by local bands and choirs.

Côr Meibion Pontypridd take part in a parade through the town preceded by their wives wearing traditional Welsh hats.



Eddy Hunt, membership secretary of the Taff-Ely - Nürtingen twinning association travelled to Germany with the Côr Meibion Pontypridd on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of their partnership with the Liederkranz singers.

His host, Dr. Gerhard Maag kindly arranged a full program of activities, some individual and others together with the Choir. He visited the University City of Tübingen and travelled with the choir on an excursion to the "Wine Road" - a chance to sample and bring back an excellent selection of white wines.

Of particular interest were the recycling facilities. Germans separate their rubbish into separate containers for waste, packaging and organic waste. Glass is collected in recycling bins which are located within easy walking distance of most houses. A collection charge is imposed for what is left over, depending on the size of the bin and how frequently it is emptied - hence people have an incentive to recycle as much as possible.

Although some people complain, there is a payoff in terms of a cleaner and greener environment, with nature trails, some with simple sports facilities within walking distance.

Gardeners benefit from free compost available from most recycling centres and from the industrial scale composting works in nearby Kirchheim.

During his stay Eddy Hunt stayed with Klaus Schmitz and Suzanne Martin and their three children, who throughout the weeklong visit made him feel very much part of their family.

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Visit to the Composting Works at Kirchheim



Compost Works - Control Room

The Composting Works at Kirchheim near Nürtingen produces 60000 tonnes of high quality compost from household organic waste each year.

The system requires careful regulation for moisture and temperature. This is carried out with the aid of computerised displays and video cameras.

Explanation of the computer displays. At the far right is Dr. Gerhard Maag of the Nürtingen twinning association.



Organic waste in landfill sites is a particular problem because anaerobic decomposition can result in the release of unpleasant gases.

Organic waste is collected in the kitchen with a special brown container used to receive it. These containers are emptied in a rota and brought to Kirchheim where it is turned into compost over a period of about nine weeks.

Of course, in order to work, the public need to understand and be prepared to take part in the system. Explanatory material is prepared in a number of community languages, in addition to German.

Educational material is prepared also for children and use in schools with the cartoon character "Sally Salad" explaining the importance of recycling food waste.



This page was last updated on 26 July 2000 __________ Back to:net-cymru Home Page