Bins emptied every 2 weeks

computerwoman

The only thing I can think of is that they don't wash there bin's out as I wash my green bin for household waste out every fortnight then tip it up side down to let it drain and dry out then put a wheelie bin liner in it and no maggot's the blue bin which is for recycle stuff everything get's washed before it goes in anyway and the brown bin for garden waste get's cleaned fortnightly so that is doesn't smell...don't know what all the fuss is about really...:D
I also double bag eveything so no smell's no maggot's no mess

Poppycat

Dont think this recycling is more to do with targets than recycling?

If we are encouraged to recycle then why is there a need to double bag everything, surely that is defeating the whole object of cutting down waste not encouraging yet another bag which will take a thousand years to degrade

If we want to take recycling seriously then the buck stops with the manufacturer, rather than only recycle what is after all a limited choice.

Make people pay for plastic bags, or make them biodegradable

geordie_joe

computerwoman wrote: »

The only thing I can think of is that they don't wash there bin's out as I wash my green bin for household waste out every fortnight then tip it up side down to let it drain and dry out then put a wheelie bin liner in it and no maggot's the blue bin which is for recycle stuff everything get's washed before it goes in anyway and the brown bin for garden waste get's cleaned fortnightly so that is doesn't smell...don't know what all the fuss is about really...:D
I also double bag eveything so no smell's no maggot's no mess

You'll have to forgive me as I have never had a wheelie bin. The last bin I had was a wire mess thing that looked like a darlek. You lifed the lid and a metal ring then put a bag inside it and when the binmen came the opened a door on the side and removed the bag.

Anyway, my question is.....You say you clean your bin then put a liner in it. Then you say you double bag everything so no smells no maggots no mess.

Why do you need to clean the bin? Everything, in effect, is triple bagged. There's three layers of polythene between the rubbish and the sides of the bin, so why do the bin need cleaning?

geordie_joe

Poppycat wrote: »

Dont think this recycling is more to do with targets than recycling?

I saw a documentary, which was about why fortnightly collections didn't work. Part of the documentary showed the head of one of the biggest recycling plant in the country saying 60-70% of stuff sent for recycling can't be recycled. Because it was either not suitable for recycling or it was contaminated with other material.

he said it was because councils have been set a target to SEND X amount rubbish for recycling, not that X amount of rubbish must be recycled.

The problem is that no matter how careful you are with your recycling, if your neighbour, or someone on the same collect route is not careful the whole waggon load is contaminated.

Poppycat wrote: »

If we are encouraged to recycle then why is there a need to double bag everything, surely that is defeating the whole object of cutting down waste not encouraging yet another bag which will take a thousand years to degrade

I've been recycling for less than two weeks, so I know nothing about it really, so feel free to tell me if I am wrong as I want to learn.

Why would material that can be recycled need to be bagged, surely it's just glass and paper etc. and maggot won't be a problem.

Poppycat wrote: »

If we want to take recycling seriously then the buck stops with the manufacturer, rather than only recycle what is after all a limited choice.

Agreed, if they don't pack good in recyclable packaging we can't recycle it.

Poppycat wrote: »

Make people pay for plastic bags, or make them biodegradable

I lived in a small block of flats for ten years. We had a skip to put all our rubbish in and the council used to supply big strong black bags. They would hold about 4 swing bin liners worth of rubbish, So we only needed to take the rubbish down to the skip once per week. Then they stopped supplying the bags and everyone started putting the swing bin liners in the skip when they were full. Instad of having a blag bag in the flat until it was full with 4 swing bins worth of rubbish.

It didn't make any difference, we didn't get problems with rats or maggots just because our rubbish was dumped in the skip in a swing bin liner instead of also being in a thick black bag.

At first I was annoyed at not getting the black bags, but looking back they made no difference and not using them was better for the environment.

To me, over packing the over packing we get from the shops when we are throwing it away is just adding to the problem.

*JayBee*

I stopped using bins long ago.

After recycling anything that can be recycled and composting anything that can be composted then all that should be left is a bundle of cellophane wrappers. They are made into a ball and dumped in a public bin.

geordie_joe

*JayBee* wrote: »

I stopped using bins long ago.

After recycling anything that can be recycled and composting anything that can be composted then all that should be left is a bundle of cellophane wrappers. They are made into a ball and dumped in a public bin.

People have been fined for doing that.

Natty68

Makes me glad that I actually have a little man that comes around the disinfects, high pressure washes and then steam cleans the bin after every fortnightly empty. We also get a nice green bin liner to go in the bin

So far, fingers crossed, when ever I open the lid the bin smells clean and sweet...

Cardew

It is ironic that to stop bins smelling, with the fortnightly collections, we are encouraged to wrap all our rubbish in plastic bags.

geordie_joe

Cardew wrote: »

It is ironic that to stop bins smelling, with the fortnightly collections, we are encouraged to wrap all our rubbish in plastic bags.

And spray chemicals into it that come in plastic bottles.

Like most "green ideas" there is an up side and a down side.