Prepping: the new world...

ArbitraryRandom

I've got a mutifuel stove in the lounge (which given the cost of fuel isn't exactly MSE) but I like the look/style of it, plus when they were saying there was going to be power cuts I bought a couple of cast iron pans - so it gives of some light, and heat (worst case I can sleep in the lounge) and I can use it to cook/boil water. 

I also have one of the small kelly kettles that can do a pint of water/heat cans etc in a pinch. Bought it from eBay maybe 15/20 years ago now when I had a very unreliable income and live somewhere with pre-pay meters as I could use it on the patio to make a hot drink/fill the hot water bottle if for some reason I couldn't top up the electric. But it's still part of my preps now for if there's a power cut in summer and I don't want to light the stove. 

I know people think it's extreme, but I like the look of having the stove aside from it's practical use (It wasn't exactly MSE to have it installed, but it's a lovely feature and not expensive to get it swept), and the kelly kettle takes practically no space in the back of a kitchen cupboard.  

Rosetta92

I’ve been following the discussions here with interest. Currently thinking about preparations for another situation- bin strikes! It occurred to me that in a wider emergency waste disposal could quickly become an issue so if the threatened strikes happen it’s a chance to practice. Also good for the planet as it really focuses the mind on minimising waste in the first place. 🤔

ArbitraryRandom

Other than avoiding making waste (which I agree is a good plan in general) what's the strategy for managing strikes? 

We had one for about 6 weeks a while back (which at the time was three bin collections worth when I lived with my ex in an inner city flat) and it was a nightmare as the local tip was also shut (plus wouldn't take un-recyclable* stuff anyway) and all of the bins on the street were filled up fairly quickly. 

Biggest issue at the time was cat litter as the cats didn't have easy outdoor access and were used to having it inside and food waste.

Where I live now, I've got compost heaps which do for clippings, the cats 'go' outside, and worst case I could set up a wormery for cooked waste. I also have more space to store sorted rubbish and the bin collection is only once a month anyway so I might not even notice!  


* mostly stuff that can technically be recycled but isn't recycled in the area like thin plastics. 

Rosetta92

ArbitraryRandom said:

* mostly stuff that can technically be recycled but isn't recycled in the area like thin plastics. 

My thin plastics go to a local supermarket which has collection hoppers for them - I think all large supermarkets are meant to do this in the UK now. And apparently they have their own waste arrangements that don’t involve the council so that’s actually the only waste I don’t have to plan for this time. I have a garden so if the strikes get extended I can compost and if necessary burn stuff like excess paper and card. I suppose I could hand back excess packaging in shops, but very politely as it’s not the assistants fault. Your flat situation in the past must have been horrible 🙁 I have several close family members in flats - if it’s prolonged I will see if I can help with storage. I’ve tried and failed with compost in the past - better pop over to the Green fingered board and do some research. Anyone else got practical experience with waste management in a strike?

MrsCD

Very interesting, reading others' thoughts on waste management. I've always thought that if we had to dig a hole at the bottom of the garden, assuming we had one, there would be more incentive to throw out less!

Cherryfudge

I used to chuck waste paper in the wood burner until I had the carbon monoxide detector go off: I forget exactly how the two were connected but it involved calling out the sweep, so it was quite an expensive bit of waste disposal. Our compostable waste goes in the compost (@Rosetta92, do you water and turn your compost?), tins, glass, quite a lot of plastics and paper go in the recycling bin and soft plastics got to the supermarket - so if there were a strike, our recycling bin would be spiling over quite soon and the general waste bin would be a couple of weeks later.

I honestly don't have plans for a bin strike, other than washing and reusing plastic bags and some containers, which I often do anyway. Oh, and I'd have to make a lot of jam to use up DH's jam jars and save buying more.

The hygiene side of it would bother me, particularly in warmer weather. The smell and flies... bleah! And then the danger to cats or dogs rooting through bins and finding chicken carcasses, and a completely different danger - personal details hanging about for longer if they've not been shredded.

Incidentally, the recycling bins at work have all sorts of things put in that actually don't recycle - paper towels, contaminated food containers, plastic film on containers of salad. I don't know whether people aren't bothered or just don't read the notices, but every 'contaminated' bag will be incinerated not recycled. That means the whole bag goes, even if most of it is high quality recyclable stuff.  

suzeesu2000

Never thought about the waste issue. That’s going to take some thinking about as I have a very very small totally slabbed yard. No room for a compost heap. No fireplace or wood burner. Might have to get an old metal incinerator just in case. For organic I guess the best option is to get food waste to an absolute minimum. Cat litter would be a problem as Frankie is an indoor lad, never been outside. Double bagged anyway. Hmmm, shall have to have a good think on this issue, never even considered it.

fionaandphil

We thought about the waste during Covid and decided if they weren't collecting it we would us the chiminea in the garden which only gets used a few times a year. It meant we didn't need to think about incinerator as we could use something we already had

YoungBlueEyes

I've never even thought about waste in that way. My stocks ensure we'll be fed and clean and warm in a variety of situations but I've honestly never considered what to do with any waste...

suzeesu2000

I was thinking of metal dustbin incinerator type doings, maybe even with a metal grill over top to stand a pan on thus killing two birds with one stone, depending on what’s being burnt. Obviously would not cook food if burning yucky stuff but could also be used with branches and wood for jacket potatoes well wrapped in foil and a pan on the top. 

Tins could be rinsed out and very well crushed and retained in a box until collections resumed or utilised for holding candles. Plastics would be the problem as burning would release toxic fumes…

Guess who is going to be removing as much plastic from her home as possible!