Recycling

[nelsy]

We are happily recycling in our designated boxes and think it is brilliant that we are trying to make an effort with all our rubbish, but the mess today (our collection day) is unbelievable.

We have to have the bins and boxes at the front of the property before 7am, so most people put the rubbish ou the night before. Well, it was very windy last night and the road is full of paper and other bits and pieces, that have blown out of peoples boxes. We always try to put the bottle box on top of the paper box, to stop the papers blowing - but not everyone does so and the mess along the road is terrible.

Another problem is shredded paper. We tried months ago putting out a black bag full of shredded paper with our paper box. It isn't a problem with them taking it away, but they empty the black bag into the paper section and all shredded bits fly up and down and a trail is left. Since then we have to keep our shredded paper in the ordinary dust bin due to the mess it makes trying to recycle it.

It must cost a fortune - state of the art dust carts with 4, 5, 6 men. We need the road sweepers following the cart on windy days. I wouldn't mind if people picked up the odd bits flying about, but you see some who are oblivious to the sheet of newspaper in their hedge etc..

Where do you store your recycling boxes during the week - inside or outside?

 

[JohnD]

I have a recycling wheely bin. Paper, card, cans, plastic bottles (no glass) not sorted. the lid stays shut until it is emptied. the bin stays outside but I have 2 pedal bins in the kitchen.

they must have a sorting mechanism the depot.

 

[joe-90]

The neighbours bin blew over the other night and all his paper went right down the road.

Another thing that gets on my goat is paper recycling trucks that don't sheet down properly and they distribute their load all over the suburbs. (I know a couple of plumbers that do that)

 

[JamesA]

Put your shredded paper in an empty cereal box, that stops it blowing around.
Or even better, compost it to reduce the carbon emission of collecting and recycling.

I can't believe some councils still use those stupid boxes rather than wheelie bins...

 

[Steve]

I can't believe some councils still use those stupid boxes rather than wheelie bins...

Would you like to sort through a wheelie bin at the road side? Thought not. The boxes are used where roadside sorting takes place. They sort it by the roadside here, but they have given everyone a tough clear bag to put plastics in now. The boxes have lids but most people overfill the boxes (good on them, i say). We put our paper and shreddings into plastic carrier bags tied at the tops. The collection men have no problems emptying the bags. We also try to separate our metal and glass into bags in the box.

 

[megawatt]

Life's far too short for recycling, that's what I pay my community charge for.

Have it sorted by staff at the dump and let the rest of us get on with living our lives.

MW

 

[Bodgeit and scarper ltd]

The whole thing is a joke, its going to take a lot more than a bit of recycling to save the planet. To save the planet it must be all or nothing.

 

[JamesA]

I can't believe some councils still use those stupid boxes rather than wheelie bins...

Would you like to sort through a wheelie bin at the road side? Thought not. The boxes are used where roadside sorting takes place. They sort it by the roadside here, but they have given everyone a tough clear bag to put plastics in now. The boxes have lids but most people overfill the boxes (good on them, i say). We put our paper and shreddings into plastic carrier bags tied at the tops. The collection men have no problems emptying the bags. We also try to separate our metal and glass into bags in the box.

We just have to chuck all types of recycling in a wheelie bin and it gets taken away to a recycling plant to be sorted. (Glass collections haven't started here yet though).
Roadside sorting sounds a lot of work.

Our 3rd wheelie bin (for compost) sits in my garden as a compost bin as I don't see the sense in giving all my compost to the council just to buy more back.

 

[Yarn]

New forrest council do not collect shreded paper for recycling. apparently its too dificult to sort. This is stated on their recycling leaflet.
I thought this was the case everywhere.

I think you are supposed to leave yourself open to ID theft if you really care about the planet?

 

[megawatt]

In areas where these daft councils rule everyone should fly tip all over the community areas.

The councils would face such huge cleanup bills they'd soon get the message ... Power of collective action.

 

[slick50]

Where we live in Germany, we have five bins. Bio, packaging and non-recylable bins are collected every fortnight except in summer months when bio is collected every week. The paper bin is picked up every three weeks and glass once a month. Rubbish is a part time job here, but it's worth it.

Kev....

 

[imamartian]

What annoys me (and was in a sunday rag a few months ago) is we go to all this trouble separating our rubbish and then they go and chuck it all in a landfill anyway.

And as for saving the planet, we need to do something about the huge developing countries who are opening one coal powered power station every week. My cereal and egg boxes wont address that kind of polution.

 

[JohnD]

I just love your positive attitude, imamartian

 

[imamartian]

but i do recycle, passionately.... i certainly do my bit.... i just think that sometimes we forget that the air above us is the same air above America and India and China, and moreso that the big companies and governments can do a billion times more to solve this problem than i can..

but what do they do? "i know, let's tax them! That'll stop them creating as much CO2"....

 

[megawatt]

I just think that sometimes we forget that the air above us is the same air above America and India and China, and moreso that the big companies and governments can do a billion times more to solve this problem than i can..

Spot on ... Which is why I won't waste any of my precious life on such trivial nonsense.

Burn a hole in the ozone layer and let some more sunshine through ... We may get a summer this year then

MW