Rubbish - fortnightly collections

[Tinkerbell]

Thought I'd start a new thread on the question of rubbish collections.

Where I live fortnightly collections of wheelie bins was introduced at least two years ago - household rubbish one week and garden rubbish the next. Despite hot weather on occasions I cannot say that we have experienced any excessive smells, flies etc. when the contents sit around for this amount of time, and if you are away occasionally the rubbish may remain there for a month - again no noticeable problems (although some residents feel differently). Wrapping smelly fish or meat waste well, before dumping in the bin, helps.

However, the garden waste bins are emptied fortnighly throughout the year too, whilst there is probably no need for such a frequent service in the winter - less of these bins are put out during this period. The large wagons still travel the streets pumping out their emissions, perhaps needlessly. On this collection day a green box with tins and bottles is collected as is a blue bag with papers in it (possibly by different collectors). I wonder why the councils don't cut back on the collection of garden waste in the winter at least for a few weeks and just ask the public to leave the box and bag on household rubbish collection day too. Surely it would make both environmental and economic sense.

Tinkerbell

[Kymba]

Our household waste gets collected weekly which is fine.. But garden waste and recyclable is collected on alternate weeks...Which isnt so good because along my street alone there is hardly ever any garden waste, maybe a small amount in spring when people start to tidy their garden.. This could easily be done monthly.. But recylcable items is a different matter we only have a Small Blue box (they wont take any that is put in bags).. This box is filled up with in a week when recycling is done properly ( and only 2 adults in our house ) so a family would fill it even quicker....But it is only colllected once a fortnight,, This doesn't encourage people to recycle as they are small terrace houses with limited space to store recyclable items..Also all Household and Recyclable waste has to be brought right through the house to put it out of the front of the houses...which is a chore in its self!!

[badgerwatcher]

Same system here, Kym. But we are lucky to be able to have a compost heap, which means all we have in the rubbish is selophane from around plastic fruit trays or whatever, and waxed cartons from smoothies (Mmmmm!) and fruit juices. The rest is recycleable, although some we have to take to the tip ourselves. I wish they would just put recycling bins around in more places, and for everything recycleable.
And we only have one small box for a fortnight's papers, tins and bottles, and a plastic bag for garden stuff.
Once we've found a way of preventing the foxes and Badgers from hurling the compost heap jubilantly round the garden, we've cracked it!

[Tormentil]

Originally Posted by Tinkerbell

Despite hot weather on occasions I cannot say that we have experienced any excessive smells, flies etc. when the contents sit around for this amount of time,

I was of the same opinion until last summer. On two occasions when, lifting the lid, a veritable swarm of flies errupted forth.

[colincurry]

We have an alternating fortnightly collection for refuse and garden waste+paper, tins and bottles. We always have garden waste that is not suitable for our two compost bins. We do not have a problem with flies at all and smell to a lesser degree because we wrap our household refuse in polythene bags and tie them up tightly.

We also have a central point for plastics in the village which is always overfull and very well used.

We live in a rural area where horticulture is still carried on both commercially and semi commercially by those with large gardens and small holdings. Our neighbours come from this background and still grow their own veg even though over 90. They think that the garden refuse bin is a great idea for non-compostable items.

There was a very hostile reaction initially to the proposals - I was Parish Clerk at the time - but everyone seems to have taken them in their stride.

Colin

[honeybee]

The council are only just testing out garden waste collections on a few streets here at the moment. They have green bags rather than bins. At our old house our recycling was collected every 2 weeks which wasn't enough. The local councils vary around here in what they'll take, in Stroud I believe you can put more plastics in your bin, here we can only put plastic milk bottles. My grandmother lives near Tewkesbury, she's given different coloured bags for different items to recycle. We have to take a lot of recycleables to the local supermarket. As for collecting household waste every two weeks, the streets here would be filthy (like after xmas) unless people cut down on waste and recycled more.

[Garden Carpet]

QUOTE=badgerwatcher;87060]Same system here, Kym. But we are lucky to be able to have a compost heap, which means all we have in the rubbish is selophane from around plastic fruit trays or whatever, and waxed cartons from smoothies (Mmmmm!) and fruit juices. The rest is recycleable, although some we have to take to the tip ourselves. I wish they would just put recycling bins around in more places, and for everything recycleable.
And we only have one small box for a fortnight's papers, tins and bottles, and a plastic bag for garden stuff.
Once we've found a way of preventing the foxes and Badgers from hurling the compost heap jubilantly round the garden, we've cracked it![/quote]

BW, The bottom half of waxed drink containers make good little pots to start off your plants.


ColinC quote We do not have a problem with flies at all and smell to a lesser degree because we wrap our household refuse in polythene bags and tie them up tightly.endquote

Plastic bags?? Are these not going to cause a problem in the tip... or have you got a co-op whose bags are now degradable?

Another way to prevent smells and wildlife distribution of your rubbish is to freeze food scraps up till the night before collection.

jaki

[Raffman]

Here we have the alternating fortnightly system, household one week then garden the next. Our recycle box and bag (for paper) is collected a seperate day and weekly.

The recycle box is allways overflowing, I've gone out and brought another simular one.

The household waste is usually about right although I did get frustrated when they went from picking up at 9am to 7.30am without word and ended up missing them over a month, I had to make an appointment to take it myself (12 bags) in my car to the yard where I was told to simply put it into the large bins outside of the entrance. Putting them out the night before isnt a problem until any of the holidays when the students are back home and as they wonder past at 2am decide to either empty them out onto the road or run of with them to another street.

The garden waste is most definately a waste in the winter..well for me and I think most of the road I live on, monthly would be fine.

Raff

[Kymba]

Our Household waste has to be put out between 7 pm and 7 am.. if you put it out any earlier then you face a £50 fine.. As for buying another box for recycling here they will only except one box full!!!!! But hey nothing worth doing is easy!

[colsworld]

Originally Posted by honeybee

The council are only just testing out garden waste collections on a few streets here at the moment. They have green bags rather than bins. At our old house our recycling was collected every 2 weeks which wasn't enough. The local councils vary around here in what they'll take, in Stroud I believe you can put more plastics in your bin, here we can only put plastic milk bottles. My grandmother lives near Tewkesbury, she's given different coloured bags for different items to recycle. We have to take a lot of recycleables to the local supermarket. As for collecting household waste every two weeks, the streets here would be filthy (like after xmas) unless people cut down on waste and recycled more.

I am in Stroud honeybee and yes they do seem to take quite a bit of plastic, bottles mostly, but not butter or margarine tubs, which is bit odd.

Still we have two recycle collections points in the next road so we have no excuse. (which is handy after parties!! )

[honeybee]

Stroud has always been a bit more ahead of others with it's 'green-thinking'. Here sometimes we have two recycling collections, the van does one side of the road then another does the other side a bit later, seems a bit daft.

[Tinkerbell]

Just to let you know, I heard from a gentleman at our local District Council today with his explanation of the continuing fortnightly collections for garden waste throughout the winter. Apparently although there are a few weeks when tonnage is less, they can still collect a considerable amount of garden waste during the winter, but try to use less manpower to achieve this. Also, apparently it is difficult getting everyone to remember the current methods and days of collection without confusing them even more, by changing the collections at this time.

I gathered that his gentleman is very interested in the environment and has personal views on how change might be achieved - one possible is to return packaging to the supermarkets etc. for them to dispose of. He did recommend the book Heat by George Monbiot - it apparently gives a much larger picture of how savings in energy and resources might be made. The use of lorries to transport goods in one direction, whilst returning to a depot empty was another point mentioned by my caller, as being particularly wasteful.

Incidentally, did you know that the big rubbish collection vehicles do 4 miles to the gallon?

Tinkerbell

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by Tinkerbell

Just to let you know, I heard from a gentleman at our local District Council today with his explanation of the continuing fortnightly collections for garden waste throughout the winter. Apparently although there are a few weeks when tonnage is less, they can still collect a considerable amount of garden waste during the winter, but try to use less manpower to achieve this. Also, apparently it is difficult getting everyone to remember the current methods and days of collection without confusing them even more, by changing the collections at this time.

I gathered that his gentleman is very interested in the environment and has personal views on how change might be achieved - one possible is to return packaging to the supermarkets etc. for them to dispose of. He did recommend the book Heat by George Monbiot - it apparently gives a much larger picture of how savings in energy and resources might be made. The use of lorries to transport goods in one direction, whilst returning to a depot empty was another point mentioned by my caller, as being particularly wasteful.

Incidentally, did you know that the big rubbish collection vehicles do 4 miles to the gallon?

Tinkerbell

Yes, it's quite tempting to take all the excess supermarket packaging and dump it in the aisles, prob is it would probably just end up in landfill. If we all did it they might get the message though!

[Garden Carpet]

Originally Posted by Tinkerbell

Just to let you know, I heard from a gentleman at our local District Council today with his explanation of the continuing fortnightly collections for garden waste throughout the winter. Apparently although there are a few weeks when tonnage is less, they can still collect a considerable amount of garden waste during the winter, but try to use less manpower to achieve this. Also, apparently it is difficult getting everyone to remember the current methods and days of collection without confusing them even more, by changing the collections at this time.

I gathered that his gentleman is very interested in the environment and has personal views on how change might be achieved - one possible is to return packaging to the supermarkets etc. for them to dispose of. He did recommend the book Heat by George Monbiot - it apparently gives a much larger picture of how savings in energy and resources might be made. The use of lorries to transport goods in one direction, whilst returning to a depot empty was another point mentioned by my caller, as being particularly wasteful.

Incidentally, did you know that the big rubbish collection vehicles do 4 miles to the gallon?

Tinkerbell

Cripes tinkerbell, no wonder they want us to take our rubbish to the end of the road.

[Kymba]

I actually do take the excess wrapping off food in the supermarkets and leave it where i got the item from...I think more people should do it to show them that we have had enough of it and they need to sort their Acts out....They all say they are going to do this! and going to do that! and never actually do anything....So if they want to use all this wrapping then fine .. let them dispose of it