How many bags of rubbish do you put out? (MERGED)

frivolous_fay

Our recycling collections are pretty good.
When we moved in it was paper, plastic, foil and garden waste.
Now we've also got glass, cardboard + food waste (namely everything I wouldn't put in my own compost bin)

Before we got cats the two of us put out less than a bag a week... with cat litter, it's now a bag a week, and the stuff that isn't cat-related is very minimal.

lovelyjubbly

as with A fiend for life and Baileys Babe we put out about a carrier bag full a week, but we dont actually put our bin out for collection untill its full as nothing in it (Mainly plastic) would go 'off' and attract vermin, so our bin only goes out about 6 times a year. We recycle as much as possible, and compost everything we can including cardboard, which is essential for our compost heap. What do you actually put in your bin ELIZA_D to fill up 2-3 bags? our carrier bag full is practically only plastic packaging that the council recycle wont take, and not much else.

sparrer

Less than half a black sack a fortnight here - we're I person, 2 cats and I dog. Food is bought fresh from the market, butcher and so forth, taking my own re-usable carrier bags so there's no packaging waste. We have collections for paper, plastics, tin cans, aluminium, garden waste, food waste. I don't (can't afford to) waste food so only have the odd banana skin and the like to put out. Tea bags go on the hydrangeas and roses. Pets eat the veg/fruit 'waste' steamed and mixed in with their dinner. I use the recycling centre for glass, and take clothing, books etc to the charity shop.

Can't think of anything else offhand as I do it all as a matter of course but I'm sure we can all add to the list of ways to handle our waste.

jackieb

I recycle all my paper/card, cans, glass and plastic bottles. I still manage to fill 2 wheelie bins a fortnight. I have a biggish bin in the kitchen and that needs emptying every 2 days - so about 7 bags a fortnight. I put a big bag in but it isn't quite full when I empty it because the bag is bigger than the bin, if you see what I mean.

Dh works away for a month and then is home for a month - so 4 or 5 people here, depending if he's at home or away. Doesn't make much difference to the amount of rubbish we get rid of if he's at home though.

seashore321

We are two plus dog and put out about 1 bag a week, everything is recycled as we havea good local council and the local pub has all the recycling bins on their car park.
I still end up with neighbours putting stuff in my bins ( I don't really mind if their bins are full, but dirty nappies not in a bin liner was gross!!)and last week someone put a used vacuum cleaner in our bin that stank of animals and pee. Gross!!

A_fiend_for_life

seashore321 wrote: »

We are two plus dog and put out about 1 bag a week, everything is recycled as we havea good local council and the local pub has all the recycling bins on their car park.
I still end up with neighbours putting stuff in my bins ( I don't really mind if their bins are full, but dirty nappies not in a bin liner was gross!!)and last week someone put a used vacuum cleaner in our bin that stank of animals and pee. Gross!!

If it's a vacuum cleaner rather than a bag I would complain to the council as WEEE stuff is supposed to be collected or returned like for like.

Is there a terry nappy service funded or operated by the council?

I share in a block of flats so we share one or two bins and take it in turns to take the bins out that way you don't have five or six people washing their hands. There are one or two who haven't got the food waste down and funnily enough tend to be the slackers for taking the bins out.

seashore321

No it was a fully large adult vacuum cleaner plastic handle wheels etc. The bin men took it for me but I still have no idea who put it in there!!!

No terry towel service, this lady doesn't seem able to manage pampers never mind anything else!

We also take it in turns to put them out and take them in. Apart from one person who refuses!There is always one!

Raksha

WEEE is Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WEEE If a new electrical item is purchased, the retailer is supposed to arrange disposal of the old item (usually by taking it away when delivering the new one, or by collecting them instore), unless the item you are replacing is very new (purchased after 2005 I think) and then it is the manufacturer of the original equipment who has to arrange for its disposal, again, normally by collection or in store drop off.

We're a family of 2 adults, 2 kids and 3 dogs - non recyclable (general) waste - 2 bags a week (not tightly packed) and reclycable (card, paper, bottles) 2-3 sacks a week. Our council also collects glass in a seperate box, but that normally only goes out once a month. We also have a green wheelie bin for compostables, but tend to compost our own.

pmorrisjones

There was an earlier thread about supporting each other to put out less. I joined the challenge and now can't remember the name of the thread! Senior moment I think. But since I've joined that thread my hubby has had a clearout of shed and we have been putting more out! We recycle everything we can, plus Freecycle. Most of bin is plastic wrapping (I know I should buy no packing potatoes etc. but when packaged ones are cheaper then I do have to go for those due to finances. Do use market when I am not at work on market day, rare now, but as nearest is 8 miles away I think its prob. better for environment if I chuck plastic in bin). I also put dog poo in - reuse plastic bags to pick it up and dispose of, again aware of ecological argument of wrapping material up in bags that go to land fill but hate stepping in poo. Still put out one bin bag for family of 4 (plus 2 dogs, cat poos in bushes in garden - I don't enquire).

jackomdj

We manage to fill the bin every fortnight, it usually has 3 bags of household rubish as well as nappies, dog poo, rabbit litter & the like.

In addition to this we usually have 3 or 4 recycle boxes out every week & a bag of plastic every fortnight.

I keep anything useable to either e-bay, carboot, freecycle or put in charity bags.

Our daughters (3 1/2yrs & 16 months) are great & put things in the bin or on the side for recycling. We tend to use envelopes for drawing etc before they go into the recycle box too.

What always amazes me is the lack of recycle boxes out if we are out & about early ish on a recycle day.

Nicky