RECYCLING was top of the agenda at Carew WI’s September meeting.

After the Summer break, it was almost a full house as the ladies gathered, chatted, shared greetings, holiday memories and news before settling down to listen to Sam from Ecoast in Saundersfoot.

Members were surprised and heartened to learn that Pembrokeshire is the best county in Wales - possibly in the world - for recycling successfully.

Sam has been running her shop for 11 years and outlined her aims and objectives in her retail outlet.

She is well known for leading beach cleans in Saundersfoot and spent some time explaining how the recycled items are then sent to various places in the UK for repurposing into useful everyday items which she sells in her shop.

She brought with her many examples including shopping bags and children’s back packs made from discarded dinghies, bouncy castles and lilo’s.

Depending on whether they were damaged or undamaged, buckets and spades are either recirculated within the beach community or recycled into pots, key rings, and other items.

Coffee pods were made into earrings and glass of course is repurposed too.

Sam runs a bra bank from her shop and these items are sent overseas to be used to raise the level of respect given to women and girls.

To find out more, readers are best advised to visit the shop in the High Street, Saundersfoot and talk to Sam directly. If she can’t take it she will know someone who can. A flurry of questions followed Sam’s talk as members wished to do whatever they could to recycle waste rather than bin it.

After tea and cakes and the singing of Jerusalem, the formal meeting took place. The Pembrokeshire Federation letter confirmed a successful Eisteddfod in the north of the county and brought other news and updates.

Arrangements were made for future events including a trip to Upton Castle and the Christmas Lunch were finalised and birthdays celebrated.