Rant, but maybe it'll amuse some of you.

meer53

duchy wrote: »

So your bin had recyclable packing in it which you put in there rather than tie it neatly next to the bin and now some poor sod at the council has to read all your ranting letters ...because you couldn't be bothered correctly bundling recycleables and putting them BY the bin ?

Okaaaaay

I don't think they'll have read the letters do you ? Too long and dramatic. Fair enough the OP has a point but it could have been put across in a different, less dramatic way.

We have fortnightly collections too, we also have people with toddlers and babies, not heard any complaints. Maybe if the OP had left out the previous tenants left overs they would have got more in the bin. If you know you're going to struggle for space, you have to prioritise what to put in your bin.

I'm lucky that i can get to the tip with anything extra i have, i realise it's difficult for some people though.

VT82

duchy wrote: »

Okaaaaay -Here's a novel idea-instead of spending time writing not especially good complaining letters ....you could spend the time bundling your cardboard etc correctly and place it where it should go so there is room in your bin ..... or spend the time potty training so you have a normal amount of refuse so your bin isn't always overflowing even if you don't recycle correctly.

I read it that the OP's council don't offer to recycle certain things which are widely recycled, hence the OP having to put them in general waste. I don't think it's a case of them not bothering to bag them up neatly and recycle, which they sound like they would gladly do.

PinkLipgloss

Some authorities can arrange for you to have an extra allowance if you have a baby (to take account of nappy waste).

A quick goggle search revealed Exetor Council to be one of them:

Some households find the standard rubbish allowances are not adequate for their household needs, either because they have children in disposable nappies, or because they have larger than average households. To find out whether you are eligible apply for additional rubbish allowances please call 01392 665010.

Sorry OP there was no information along these lines on the York Council website that I could find (just stuff about reusable nappies). Perhaps this is an issue that you could raise with appropriate personnel?

RadoJo

As often happens with complaints, your enthusiasm for venting has almost guaranteed that your letters won't be read - the council has a policy, and the parts of the letter that you call 'scathing' don't actually contribute to your argument. The simple fact is that you need to either create less waste, recycle your waste elsewhere, or explore the potential for paying more to have your waste collected (I know our council will sell you an extra bin for a sum which includes the extra collections). I appreciate that it's annoying, but presumably if the council were finding that the size of bin you have genuinely isn't suitable for the majority of families then they would probably change it, whereas you need to accept the possibility that you actually are producing a higher than average amount of refuse which needs to be addressed.

Beetlemama

ok, phone them up, tell them someone nicked your bin, get a new one delivered and sneak two out every fortnight for them to pick up, no one cares how many bins are on the street, write a random number on it.

When they gave out bins here, they counted how many flats there were at the end and left about 30 spare bins in the carpark because they had no idea how to give a giant wheelybin to an upstairs flat. When I came home from work it looked like the Dalek invasion had started.

The thing is, the flats have a giant roll-top waste skip thing out back that they all use, they didn't need bins. The men came back two months later and collected some of them back up, the four that had been moved to the flats front gardens are still there, unused, just sitting.

PinkLipgloss

RadoJo wrote: »

I appreciate that it's annoying, but presumably if the council were finding that the size of bin you have genuinely isn't suitable for the majority of families then they would probably change it, whereas you need to accept the possibility that you actually are producing a higher than average amount of refuse which needs to be addressed.

I don't think it's fair of the council to expect a family with a baby or possibly even babies to produce the same amount of waste as other families with the same number of people. Nappies and baby wipes account for a huge amount of daily waste.

I think it's unreasonable of the council to expect those families to make trips to the dump because their waste does not fit in with their conceived ideas of what waste "the average family" generates. It's not as if the OP is being reckless - nappies and wipes are not exactly non-essential items. Plus having a baby inevitably involves sleep deprivation (at least in my experience - particularly during teething) not to mention a never ending cycle of cleaning (especially floors!), feeding, changing nappies and playing whilst trying to juggle housework and possibly a job. Hardly the kind of people that have spare time on their hands to being making regular trips to the dump (that is presuming they have the transport to do so!).

Several councils have been sensible enough to recognise this and thus give extra allowance to those families (by prior arrangement). I know my sister (in Scotland) is allowed to have more waste collected as she has a baby.

I think the OP has a genuine point in that York Council obviously does not do this and I for one believe they should. However, I agree that the wording of the letter does not express the OPs point well.

duchy

But this wasn't a normal week -the OP has already told us the bin was overflowing because she not only had her normal waste which usually fills the bin but also packaging that was recyclable (her words) but she didn't bother tying it and stacking it even though she tells us the bin men will happily collect it that way ....AND she'd also checked out a shedful of junk too (which presumably she doesn't do every week).

I agree that letter was too long and odds are it wasn't even read which is why she got the canned reply....sometimes life is just too short !

Naf

duchy wrote: »

So your bin had recyclable packing in it which you put in there rather than tie it neatly next to the bin and now some poor sod at the council has to read all your ranting letters ...because you couldn't be bothered correctly bundling recycleables and putting them BY the bin ?

Okaaaaay -Here's a novel idea-instead of spending time writing not especially good complaining letters ....you could spend the time bundling your cardboard etc correctly and place it where it should go so there is room in your bin ..... or spend the time potty training so you have a normal amount of refuse so your bin isn't always overflowing even if you don't recycle correctly.

Ok, now go back & read the bits of my letters where I say that I do use my recycling bins as much as I possibly can. And where I point out that although a lot of my waste is technically recyclable, my council don't offer the facilities to do so.
The second letter hasn't been sent yet, I ran out of time yesterday to go and deliver it. It was my birthday, after all; complaining to the council was not exactly what I had planned to spend my day doing.

meer53 wrote: »

Maybe if the OP had left out the previous tenants left overs they would have got more in the bin. If you know you're going to struggle for space, you have to prioritise what to put in your bin.

The previous tenants stuff wasn't in the bin, it was part of the two bags left beside it. Just my waste for the fortnight accounted for more than filling the bin.

PinkLipgloss wrote: »

Some authorities can arrange for you to have an extra allowance if you have a baby (to take account of nappy waste).

A quick goggle search revealed Exetor Council to be one of them:

Sorry OP there was no information along these lines on the York Council website that I could find (just stuff about reusable nappies). Perhaps this is an issue that you could raise with appropriate personnel?

Precisely the kind of thing I want to point out that my council should look at. I agree with them that a shared house of students or workers would very likely manage with this bin; because they are not home all day every day, so waste from their lunch/dinner would not always be included in there. My wife & kids are home all day, and the bin already isn't big enough. The new baby will only exacerbate this, as will the fact that from October I'm not going to be working, I'll be at Uni - so I'll be home all day too.

RadoJo wrote: »

you need to either create less waste,

How?

RadoJo wrote: »

recycle your waste elsewhere,

How?

RadoJo wrote: »

or explore the potential for paying more to have your waste collected

Let's spend some of that housing benefit or higher rate CTC on it, yes? Instead of, say, my rent? Or my food bill?
Ok, so that's a bit flippant of me. But I wouldn't be prepared to do so anyway, I see no reason that I should when it's not like I'm being excessive with my waste. I buy things in bulk packs to split up, I reuse carrier bags, I tear the dratted windows out of envelopes. Unfortunately I can't do anything about the volume of nappies my kids go through, or about companies who pack things with polystyrene (even in this day & age!).

RadoJo wrote: »

I know our council will sell you an extra bin for a sum which includes the extra collections

I imagine (and granted this might be a stretch to make such an assumption about their intelligence) that they would have offered this already.
I did consider looking at just buying another wheelie bin myself, but I'm not over keen on the idea when I should be able to get an adequate bin. If it was anything more than general household waste (say i was running a business from home) then I wouldn't be making a fuss, because then it would be my fault for adding the extra waste: but everything in that bin (bar the one-time extra few items from the previous tenant) is just the general waste I can't help but produce; and that ought to be taken by the council.

duchy wrote: »

she ... her ...her ... she ...she ...she'd ...she ...

she

No.

duchy wrote: »

But this wasn't a normal week -the OP has already told us the bin was overflowing because she not only had her normal waste which usually fills the bin but also packaging that was recyclable (her words) but she didn't bother tying it and stacking it even though she tells us the bin men will happily collect it that way ....AND she'd also checked out a shedful of junk too (which presumably she doesn't do every week).

The bin is always overfilled on a normal week, it just fortunate that I've usually been able to stack it on top and it's been taken, even though the lid is only resting on the rubbish, not fully closed. I had stacked two bags on top, just like usual, but the bin men have just dumped these with the two beside the bin and left the lot.
The 'recyclable packaging' is stuff like polythene air cushions, bubble wrap & foam. It can be recycled ("where facilities exist"), but my council won't collect it in the recycling bin. The recycling that they will collect if neatly bagged is excess bottles, cans & cardboard alongside the recycling (here the weeks alternate - waste one week, recycling & garden bin the next).

duchy wrote: »

I agree that letter was too long and odds are it wasn't even read which is why she got the canned reply....sometimes life is just too short !

Yeah, OK, the letter probably isn't the best. I wrote while I was still seething from my phone conversation with them. As I said above, I've not actually sent the second one, so I can have another look before Monday.
I didn't think the first one was bad though?

meer53

I think both letters were far too long and too much of a rant. Companies who get letters like this tend to skim read them and there is always the possibility they may not take you seriously because of the way they are written.

coldcazzie

Wheelie bin size aside (and I do think that some councils are unreasonable with their expectations of waste reduction - it only works if they provide increased recycling facilities in tandem imo).... have you and your wife considered using cloth nappies for your youngest child, and your new baby?

There are some wonderful nappies out there - they fasten by poppers or velcro or special things calling nappy nippas. You can get fleece, bamboo, cotton, and they simply go on a 60 degree wash with some non bio detergent. They don't need soaking, and don't require those awful plastic pants that they used to. They are the same shape as disposables, so you don't have to learn folds or anything. You can also make your own baby wipes from towels, which can be washed too. The only things that could be considered negatives are that they can be expensive at first (but the cost reduces for each additional child you use them for), they're bulky (so a larger change bag is needed) and you do need to be a bit more fastidious about cleaning your washing machine regularly.

Usually the council will do a free trial pack of various nappy types which you can apply for, and see what you think. I realise not everyone is happy with using cloth, but it would help towards reducing your waste further, which you are already making such efforts towards (bulk buying, recycling etc) - it just seems it may be an option that is worth exploring. Feel free to pm me if you want

Wrt your letter - I would say to keep it concise. Make your arguments short - bullet point them if needs be. Be specific and don't repeat the arguments over and over - state them once and move on to the next one. Also tell them what you expect from them - presumably a second wheelie bin, and the rubbish on the roadside collected asap? And state that you are making efforts to reduce your waste/increase recycling but that their current recycling system is not as helpful as it could be. You need less emotional outburst and more coherent complaint good luck!