Is there anything left in this country

[catgate]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...in_page_id=1770

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...in_page_id=1770

Somebody somewhere is condoning it.

[doug]

Don't really understand the logic of this. Surely the problem is that not enough is being recycled. I could understand it if the efforts were aimed at increasing the amount of rubbish that is recycled. So what are the bin users expected to do with their non-recyclable rubbish. It's got to go somewhere. - fly tip?

On Friday, last, we had a group of people conducting a survey of house occupiers regarding our black recycle boxes - glass bottles, paper and tins. The most ridiculously biased set of questions I've ever come across. All the questions were obviously aimed at producing a predetermined result. The chap was using a hand held gizmo presumably using some version of ticky boxes.At the end of the interview he asked if I had any points to raise, well after 10 mins his eyes were glazing over because his gizmo couldn't cope. Simple points like why can't they cope with cardboard - which is recycled paper anyway. why was there no provision for separating the colours of the glass. When the recycle van comes round you can see all the bottles being thrown in one hole and breaking inside. Yet if you visit most large superstores there are separate containers for glass containers of different colours. This obviously results in a much more usable product. What about batteries. All goods which contain batteries now have notices say do not dispose of the batteries in the general rubbish bin. So where should they go? Our nearby controlled tip does have a container for batteries. How do people without transport expected to get there - carry bags of batteries in disposable shopping bags there by bus which rarely goes down that lane or pay for a taxi? And so on.

We really need to get our Councils to get their act together!

Refers to the second link

[-pops-]

My local council (Chichester) claims to be one of the leading recyclers and they provide two large wheelie bins - one for general waste and one for plastic, paper and metal for recycling.

There are large restrictions on what can be put in the waste bin and even more restrictions as to what counts as recyclable. So, there is an awful lot that can't be put in either bin. What do we do with it? Wrap it in a plastic bag to disguise it and put it in with the rubbish.

I'm very concerned about the hygiene of this waste collection - which is done fortnightly, alternating with the recycling. Towards the end of two weeks, even without the recent hot weather, the bin gets quite smelly and there is a large increase in the numbers of flies around.

Worst of all, though, is that they won't take glass. All glass has to be taken to the council depot which is a good few miles from me. Do I charge the council for petrol to get there? Is it economically feasible for me even to take the glass.

[doug]

Totally agree with you there pops. It seems as though the Councils are only giving lip service to the problem of reducing land fill demands without thinking the consequences through. This is shown by the reports on the vast differences in the approach taken by different Councils.

[catgate]

It seems to me that it is all a money making exercise dressed up as something "worthy". It is like making money from shutting the door after the horse has bolted.

The effort should be focused on getting the manufacturers to 1)use returnable packaging where possible, even if it means having to use glass bottles and jars, and a returnable deposit 2) reducing the amount of "over packaging" for effect and advertising reasons and 3) looking seriously about removing most of the packaging from bulky domestic items. These latter are moved about the country in removal vans, with, comparatively, next to no damage, whereas anything delivered by carriers and couriers and "securely packed" is view as impregnable and is handled with gross negligence. (I have had this from the horses mouth...before it bolted).

It is yet another cost being passed on to the consumer, with the local/national government getting a big cut.

We live two miles from the nearest village and the only thing we get from our council tax payment is a wheely bin emptied one a week. Now they want to charge us extra for that.

[andsome]

The following on our council web site is self explanatory.

Service Outline:

We provide an easy-to-use recycling scheme to all our residents. Every week we collect your recyclables that you leave out in your green boxes. On alternate weeks we collect either your black bin that contains non-recyclable household waste or your brown bin that contains compostable materials such as grass clippings and leaves.

When are my bins collected?

Your bins and green boxes are always collected on the same day each week to make the service easier-to-use. To find out what day your rubbish is collected, you can use our online Bin Collection Calendar.

How do I report a problem?

If you have experienced a problem with your collection, such as damaged bins, missed collection etc, then please contact us using our Refuse Collection Problem Report Form

More information

To find out more visit our Rubbish, waste and Recycling section.

The cardboard and paper are put into one green box, and glass, tin cans, and plastic are put into the other. These are sorted into the appropriate compartments on the collection lorry by the bin men.

It's all very efficient.

[Thos]

I do think there should be a standardised national scheme for recycling waste as there is, I understand in some other European countries. These posts show a large variety of ways of collection.

Ours (the London Borough of Bromley) consists of a weekly collection of non-recyclable waste put out in plastic bags and a fortnightly collection of paper, including old directories etc and small bits of cardboard, plastic containers and glass. A lidded box is supplied for the paper and another for glass partitioned for plastics also. Like doug says, the glass is tipped altogether into the lorry. We usually take our glass along once a week to the dump where we separate the colours ourselves.

Our council charge £1 per bag for disposal of garden waste as they encourage composting, but as one gets older it becomes more difficult to make and indeed use compost. Many people pay this and the council send a lorry round once a week picking the compost bags up.

It isn't perfect but our smelly rubbish does go every week.

Thos.

[rong]

I don't know the exact set-up but my brother who lives near cologne in Germany has about four boxes and pays varying amounts for each box, I think on weight the landfill being the most expensive. They separate the plastic from card as this is two separate boxes etc.. This would be a better way of doing it but would probably be too hard for the _____ (fill in your own word) working at the councils.

[andsome]

I do think there should be a standardised national scheme for recycling waste as there is, I understand in some other European countries. These posts show a large variety of ways of collection.

Ours (the London Borough of Bromley) consists of a weekly collection of non-recyclable waste put out in plastic bags and a fortnightly collection of paper, including old directories etc and small bits of cardboard, plastic containers and glass. A lidded box is supplied for the paper and another for glass partitioned for plastics also. Like doug says, the glass is tipped altogether into the lorry. We usually take our glass along once a week to the dump where we separate the colours ourselves.

Our council charge £1 per bag for disposal of garden waste as they encourage composting, but as one gets older it becomes more difficult to make and indeed use compost. Many people pay this and the council send a lorry round once a week picking the compost bags up.

It isn't perfect but our smelly rubbish does go every week.

Thos.

THEY CHARGE TO TAKE AWAY COMPOSTIBLE MATERIAL? That is ridiculous. Lichfield District Council make a nice little earner out of selling the compost that they make from the stuff that we put into our brown bins.

[catgate]

It would be nice to know what the precise fiscal arrangements are between the local authorities and the "Waste Recycling" companies (who seem to be able to persuade the councils to do cartwheels and handstands), and in which direction the money is flowing.

It is also interesting to find that there seem to be people who think it perfectly "normal" and acceptable to pay to cure a problem caused by someone else.

[CurlyWhirly]

THEY CHARGE TO TAKE AWAY COMPOSTIBLE MATERIAL? That is ridiculous. Lichfield District Council make a nice little earner out of selling the compost that they make from the stuff that we put into our brown bins.

I agree.

Our council collects compostible rubbish every fortnight but doesn't charge for it and if they did then I would just burn it rather than pay to have it taken away.

[catgate]

I have just realised that this paying to have rubbish, that you did not want in the first place...like junk mail, excess packaging, non returnable plastic bottles etc., taken away, is a bit like the recent silly pronouncement on muggings. Which was that the fault lay more with the "mugged", for having a mobile phone/handbag/wallet/etc than it lay with the "mugger" for wanting it/them.

No, I know, at first it doesn't...but if you turn it round a bit....

[rong]

The junk mail I don't know if you can stop, but you can always return to sender, as for the rest, on the majority you have the choice of whether to buy or not.