MikeJ, the Council say only clear plastic bottles and milk bottles - most bleach bottles are a dark colour. They also won't take black plastic food trays, even washed, as I do all my plastic to be recycled. They want us to remove the plastic wrap labels that some laundry products and yoghurt drinks have - with arthritic hands, I find this very difficult. I queries this with the Council last week, but no answer!
I really envy some of you who get garden waste collections and weekly food waste collections. Our present alternate weekly collections for recycling and general waste, with glass once a month, usually works well, even for folks with families, except when the bin lorry breaks down, but this is going to be a nightmare, especially during the summer months, particularly for those people who, by nature of where their bins have to be collected from (i.e. the roadside), some distance up a track from their houses, are already getting fined because people see their bins and dump their refuse in whichever suits them.
------------- " When I die I don`t want my life to flash before me in an instant, I want it to be a 3 hour epic !"
I find some of this rather bizarre and don't understand why some councils are unable to recycle so many things.
We have no food recycling (was used as an electioneering point by the party that was elected at the last local elections but not a whisper since!), chargeable garden waste collection (I take my own to recycling centre as no room to compost) and fortnightly, alternating general waste and green bin collections. We are expected to take glass to a bottle bank which is no real hardship (accept that it's easier when you're in the city!).I bag all general waste (which includes food ... not that we waste much) before putting in the bin and have never had a problem with flies. Our council will recycle all plastic - yes, all plastic, containers, wrappers, film etc even when the labelling states 'not recyclable' - and frequently take to Twitter to remind us of that fact. There is no requirement for us to sort or separate recycling. If one council can do that, why not all?
How much does it cost to keep everyone in various coloured bins - in both terms of finance and aesthetics to the local areas. Then collecting them all on top.
My policy, is that i pay my rates to get rid of my rubbish. Everything outside bottles and jars goes in my 'bin' - collected once a week. The glass i take to ASDA's collection bin. My garden waste, now they have asked for an extra charge, i take to the tip myself.
Its all getting out of hand littering streets with different coloured bins. I cannot believe there isnt a machine out there that cannot sift every tatie peeling, bottle top and crisp packet out of one bin.
Its time councils got a grip, as the harder it is to lose your rubbish, the more the country lanes and becks seem to fill up with it.
In Swansea we have general waste and plastic 1 week then Paper,glass,garden waste the next week, food waste is collected weekly. Reading about council savings elsewhere I'm worried this will change in line with others but this is surely a health issue. I'm also supprised with what is and isn't collected in different areas.
We have general waste wheelie bin every other week. Plastic and tins in one box, glass in another and a box for paper. We also have a smaller food waste bin.
On top of that we have a large brown wheelie for garden waste we pay for.
So many bins but able to get rid of everything easily enough.
No dramas on the colour of the plastic etc.
Our local tip is easy to get to and everything there is seperate bins.
I am still on weekly collection of bin bags.
I refuse to use a food waste bin - I have seen too many crawling with maggots. Even in those belonging to people who are spotlessly clean.
The recycling has just change to all in one. But we have now been told not to squash cans or bottles - which means that my bags are overflowing. Especially as they have now taken away all the local recycling points. The council says take it to the tip. Fine - except that you have to join the main queue as in their wisdom they have blocked off direct access to the recycle skips.
OK I did have some other bits to get rid of last time I went - but it took 20 minutes in the queue to get to the various skips - now had I just wanted the recycling I would have been fuming..
Here in East Dunbarton we have 5 different bins, one for paper and card, one for glass, plastic and tins, one for garden, one general and a small food one.
There are quite a few things they do not take in the recycling like yoghurt tubs, margarine tubs, and the trays that veg and meat are often sold on, but different coloured bottles are OK.
Food waste is weekly, then general + garden alternate with glass/plastic/tins and paper.
With just the 2 of us, we find it takes 4 weeks to fill a bin, unless we are having a big clear out, so we only put them out when full.
We have a waste disposal thing in the sink that grinds up all peelings, bones, tea bags etc, so we never have food waste.
Most of our general waste is packaging that our council will not recycle. Our son lives in East Ayrshire, their council take all sorts of plastic packaging in their recycling, so they have hardly any "general rubbish".
Here in the Scottish Borders we only have 2 bins, general waste and recycling, collected on alternate weeks.
I put the recycling bin out to be emptied once or twice a month depending upon how much is in it.
The general waste bin is emptied every fortnight during the winter as it contains ashes from the central heating boiler, not bulky but heavy. During the summer this bin is only emptied about every 6 weeks as I have no ashes and very little food waste, I eat virtually everything that I cook and only have tea bags etc. for the bin.
Just goes to show how crazy it is that different Councils do different things! Bernie - we're not allowed to put ashes in the bin - not sure what people do with them, though!
Now, here's another thought! Uplift of deceased white goods, sofas, etc. that aren't suitable for a charity shop - does your Council provide an uplift service and how much does it cost? Ours is £59 for 10 minutes with 2 operatives; if you have more stuff to clear out, the charge goes up and up. I have a fair amount of furniture that is not suitable for recycling following my Mum's passing and it could go to the tip where some of it could be wood pulped but I can't get it in my car and have no trailer. Friend with trailer who took some major garden waste was going to be hit with a commercial charge. After large row, it wasn't paid because he was genuinely doing me a favour.
------------- " When I die I don`t want my life to flash before me in an instant, I want it to be a 3 hour epic !"
Three bins in our part of Ayrshire - brown goes every week (garden plus food waste, never seen a maggot); blue for all recycling every 2 weeks (cling film, tinfoil, old pots & pans, glass, all plastic & paper including Yellow Pages or cardboard); then the landfill bin on the other 2 weeks (pretty much just dog poo bags & cat litter, gets whiffy in summer). We have stoves and burn safe stuff too.
As for uplifts, yes it costs now so yes, people dump more. You need a liscence to take a trailer to the coup / dump, and it's limited to small trailers. Furniture goes to a community enterprise recycling set-up, for folk on a limited budget setting up home.
What makes me cross is folk taking perfectly good items to the crusher that could go to a charity shop - toys, bikes, small electrical items, almost-new bedding in last year's colours. Makes money for the charity, folk save money over buying new.
Fiona W, totally agree with your last para. My problem is that I need to get rid of stuff that just needs incinerating or doesn't meet modern safety standards or, like white goods, have plain died. It is approaching the stage of paying for skip hire from mainland to island equating with a combination of Council uplift and loading my car with stuff for the tip. Seriously - our council's estimate for collecting the goods in a couple of ££ short of hiring a tip for 2 days, including delivery, uplift and disposal.
------------- " When I die I don`t want my life to flash before me in an instant, I want it to be a 3 hour epic !"
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: 3 weekly bin collections
