Should I Wash My Rubbish ?

Justie

I rinse plastic milk bottles and things like fish or chicken trays and all cans but most of the other plastic bits don't get washed just anything that will be smelly if it sits around for a week before it gets put out in the outside bin. More for the sake of my own kitchen than for the council...

johnjp

Please do wash your recyclables. Alot of stuff takes several weeks to be processed and you will NOT believe the stench that comes from it, let alone the problems with attractin vermin. Just leve them to soak in the sink for 30 mins or so. I don`t find it a problem at all. If you`re serious about recycling you must wash it.

winnie81

I definately prefer to wash ifnothing else it doesn't smell and doesn't attract wildlife/cats then that will eithre make a mess or hurt themselves

cathie_3

I always wash mine out, even thought my husband says I am silly for doing it. The rubish sits outside for up to two weeks and would get really stinky if it wasn't washed.

tigerlily

Always wash all of mine. As others have said....its no big deal at all to use the washing up water after doing the dishes. Personally, if I am taking the time to recycle I might as well do it properly!!

newleaf

I always rinse mine out. They only collect it fortnightly, we'd be overrun with rats & flies if I didn't!

teapot2

Our collection is fortnightly too so it would be very very smelly if I didn't rinse it. I do like others said and put it in to soak at the end of washing up. Some cat food tins don't come up completely clean and I've noticed we get slugs in the recycling box if there are bits left in the tins... don't want to attract anything more gruesome as we had a rat in the attic for a while.

Someone mentioned envelopes - we can't recycle them at all up here and the plastic has to be transported to England apparently to be dealt with so not sure how green that is?

Also can't recycle cardboard which is a shame.....

aurora_borealis_2

I do.

A pet food tin starts my day _pale_

larmy16

Yes I rinse out bottles and have even put tins through the dishwasher! (labels soaked off).

I rang the council to establish that any cardboard that has come into contact with food (eg pizza boxes) must be put in the general rubbish. I think Quorn sausages are loose in the box.

I was outraged the other day to have a sticker on my bin saying please do not put glass in the recycling. How very dare they? I was a recycler long before the council jumped on their high horse about it. My glass always goes to bottle bank. Can only assume someone dumped something in it while bin was waiting for collection.

Anyway I am rambling.......:)

Sarahsaver

DOn't bother, it is all washed at the other end anyway. Therefore washing it twice is a waste of water surely