Should I Wash My Rubbish ?

avstar

Can someone clarify if I should wash the rubbish that I put in the recycling bin ? !
I'm on a water meter so fanatical about saving water - I haven't been washing out drinks bottles etc that go in the recycling bin, but my mum was horrified and told me she washes everything that goes in the recycling bin. I just assumed the rubbish would be cleaned at the recycling depot. I rinse out v smelly items like milk cartons but generally I don't wash everything.

What should I be doing ?

Cheers
avstar

isualive

I always wash mine, after the normal dishes, i just leave them in soak. I used to scrub them, but once badly cut my hand on a cat food tin.

Tallymanjohn

Our council says cans & jars should be rinsed out & I do tend to do the smellier ones just so they don't stink the house out. I'm certainly not fanatical about it though & things like jam jars & plastic milk bottles go in as they are - council haven't complained yet....

Betty_Bucket

mine are also washed after the dishes, I keep an old washing up brush for the purpose.
No more cut hands!

illmonkey

i dont bother, but i dont chuck things like jam etc out.

Im taking enough of my time to go through my sort my rubbish enough without having to clean it all before it goes out!

tinkerbell1978

we are not allowed to put glass in our bins they have to go to the nearest bottle bank, i rinse out our milk plastic containers and tins etc but not so they are sparkling, and recently realised i put envelopes in there with windows in which apparently you have to cut out first so now i do that too!everything else goes in as it is though.
if your saving water you could wash your dishes and then rinse the recycle stuff in the dish water as it doesnt have to be clean just get all the dirt out of the recycle rubbish you could do it that way i suppose.

Gabriel-Ernest

We soak all cans and bottles/jars to get the labels off.

thriftyjo

Yes i generally wash ghings with the used dish water - but suppose it could be any water - for instance from the washing machine or drain from bath shower water. Although I have never heard of them refusin refuse for being dirty but dont think i would like to sort it unwashed!

avstar

Thats really interesting that there doesn't seem to be a 'correct' way of doing it- although I feel like a dirty girl at the moment as most people do some sort of washing !

I hate the idea of yakky old food bits clogging up my u-bend, and I'm sure the council must have to do some sort of washing of the rubbbish anyway so maybe we are doubling up and wasting water. As people are saying the only sensible way to do it on a water meter is to use water thats already been used. Hey ho, one more chore to do of an evening. :rolleyes:

tr3mor

There's no point washing them. Plenty of people don't so the recycling places have their own systems to clean everything. You're just wasting time and water since everything will be washed again!

Ken68

With sardine or other fish cans, I just stick in a tissue to soak up any oil, then straight into the recycling bin.
Put a cardboard box first into the bin with newspapers in the bottom, so it don't get too mucky.