Recycling. A good thing, but is this a step too far?

mejinks · 07-09-2007, 12:56

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6966580.stm

Where I live we pay the same amount of council tax, but to "encourage" more recycling, they have cut refuse collection to once every two weeks. During the summer this has led to plenty of complaints about rotting meat, veg etc making for very smelly bins.

The council have gone on record advising us to take excess or rotting rubbish to the local tip, they neglected to mention that they will soon start charging for bags taken to the tip.

So as per usual, we end up paying twice for half a service with a hairbrained scheme that we didn't vote for. When I lived in Cardiff, if you wanted to recycle, you had to pay £1 a bag and you couldn't put the bags out too early otherwise you would have the local council nazi fining you for dumping rubbish on the kerbside

Its all a bit too much really. I like the idea of recycling, but it should be up to the individual not enforced. Personally I like the idea of advisers, but having them come onto my property, looking through my bins is a step in the wrong direction tbh.

Discuss.

Belmit · 07-09-2007, 13:23

We've had a fortnightly collection for years now. Admittedly the bins can start to smell bad if you don't bag it all up properly but overall it's been OK. Some weeks the recycle bin is fit to burst if we've broken up some cardboard boxes or something, but sometimes I don't even bother putting it out because it only has a couple of plastic bottles and a cereal packet in.

The biggest advance has been in the last month where they've given us a black plastic tub to put glass in, which is collected on the same day as the bin. Glass in my house by far outweighs all the other recyclables in both volume and weight, and it was often a chore to take bags full of bottles to the bottle bank (although I always did).

We seem to fill the main bin only once a fortnight anyway so I'm all for it. More than that would be a waste anyway.

Treefrog · 07-09-2007, 15:29

Our local council has just this year started the brown bins for garden waste in my area. I generally get through about 1 kitchen binfull a week but I can refill the garden waste bin, which is bigger, the day after it's been collected

Solution: a neighbour has a large family and a small lawn. She uses the empty space in my household bin and I use the remainder of her brown bin.

Flibster · 07-09-2007, 15:44

We have no recycling facilities at the flat.

We phoned the council - they said they had no plans for glass or paper/cardboard recycling, but, we could have a composter.

Great....

Simon/~Flibster

Nutcase · 07-09-2007, 17:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flibster

We have no recycling facilities at the flat.

We phoned the council - they said they had no plans for glass or paper/cardboard recycling, but, we could have a composter.

Great....

Simon/~Flibster

We have wheely bins for paper, clear glass, brown and green glass, and tins.

Nothing for cardboard and plastic bottles, which houses get. Not enough room apparently. Yet there's loads of room in the bin area for more!

memphisto · 16-09-2007, 16:48

this along with many other things is just simply another form of a "moral" tax by the governemnt something which you cant really argue against as "were saving the environment" is quite hard statement to argue against.

BAsically ove rhte last 10-12 years labours tax take has gone up substantially mainly in the interests of improving public service (which hasnt happened) they have got o the point where people will not swallow that argument anymore, hence a massive change in focus towards the environment and environmental taxes.

At the end of the day I dont think it will make a slight bit of difference to the environemnt whether people will recycle or not but they way things are going it will make a massive difference to yer wallet.

Muban · 16-09-2007, 22:10

Of course if they were really interested in the environment they could cut back the problem at the source. For companies who manage to reduce the amount of packaging they produce in the first place (and whose packaging could be made of recycleable materials) they could give them tax breaks. Of course this won't ever happen as the government wouldn't make any money out of that..

Admiral Huddy · 17-09-2007, 11:14

Personally, I think that rather than targeting the household consumer, they should actually start looking the producers in the first place. As Muban says

On shopping days, we turn out two carrier bags of rubbish just from packaging alone. Why can’t the producers and stores start looking at alternative packaging and refilling stations for sauces etc.. Start re-using coke bottles and, go back to using milk bottles etc. It makes more sense really.

Some of the packaging is disgraceful and in necessary to be honest

Jonny69 · 17-09-2007, 16:19

I agree with Huddy and Muban, the huge bulk of the rubbish we get through in our household is unavoidable because everything comes with so much packaging. There are two things you can do: unpack your stuff at the supermarket or shop and leave all the extra packaging behind and the other one is unpleasant but satisfying: flytipping.

leowyatt · 18-09-2007, 08:59

Well to be honest we've actually stopped recycling our household waste collected by the council but stuff taken to the tip we do make the effort to recycle by sticking it in the correct skips.

We did this because there would be no pattern to their collections, even though they were supposed to be bi-weekly. They left our tin & bottle bin for 6 weeks during the hot summer then complained there were maggots in there and refused to collect it, so it all went in a black bin bag and went to the tip

07-09-2007, 13:23	#2
Belmit The Mouse King of Denmark Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: The Winchester Posts: 6,476	We've had a fortnightly collection for years now. Admittedly the bins can start to smell bad if you don't bag it all up properly but overall it's been OK. Some weeks the recycle bin is fit to burst if we've broken up some cardboard boxes or something, but sometimes I don't even bother putting it out because it only has a couple of plastic bottles and a cereal packet in. The biggest advance has been in the last month where they've given us a black plastic tub to put glass in, which is collected on the same day as the bin. Glass in my house by far outweighs all the other recyclables in both volume and weight, and it was often a chore to take bags full of bottles to the bottle bank (although I always did). We seem to fill the main bin only once a fortnight anyway so I'm all for it. More than that would be a waste anyway. __________________

07-09-2007, 15:29	#3
Treefrog Survivor Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Chell Heath, Stoke-on-Trent Posts: 1,761	Our local council has just this year started the brown bins for garden waste in my area. I generally get through about 1 kitchen binfull a week but I can refill the garden waste bin, which is bigger, the day after it's been collected Solution: a neighbour has a large family and a small lawn. She uses the empty space in my household bin and I use the remainder of her brown bin. __________________ Commit random kindness and senseless acts of beauty

07-09-2007, 15:44	#4
Flibster Moonshine Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 3,388	We have no recycling facilities at the flat. We phoned the council - they said they had no plans for glass or paper/cardboard recycling, but, we could have a composter. Great.... Simon/~Flibster __________________

16-09-2007, 22:10	#7
Muban Shoes, Boobs & Corsets Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: The fastest town in Scotland Posts: 1,882	Of course if they were really interested in the environment they could cut back the problem at the source. For companies who manage to reduce the amount of packaging they produce in the first place (and whose packaging could be made of recycleable materials) they could give them tax breaks. Of course this won't ever happen as the government wouldn't make any money out of that.. __________________ well, not to put a too fine point to it, he was discovered.. in the lounge

17-09-2007, 11:14	#8
Admiral Huddy HOMO-Sapien Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Chelmsford Posts: 6,692	Personally, I think that rather than targeting the household consumer, they should actually start looking the producers in the first place. As Muban says On shopping days, we turn out two carrier bags of rubbish just from packaging alone. Why can’t the producers and stores start looking at alternative packaging and refilling stations for sauces etc.. Start re-using coke bottles and, go back to using milk bottles etc. It makes more sense really. Some of the packaging is disgraceful and in necessary to be honest __________________ I just got lost in thought.. It was very unfamiliar territory. Techie Talk \| My gaming Blog \| PC spec \| The Admirals log Last edited by Admiral Huddy; 17-09-2007 at 16:56.

16-09-2007, 16:48	#6
memphisto Nice weak cup of Earl Grey Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 8	this along with many other things is just simply another form of a "moral" tax by the governemnt something which you cant really argue against as "were saving the environment" is quite hard statement to argue against. BAsically ove rhte last 10-12 years labours tax take has gone up substantially mainly in the interests of improving public service (which hasnt happened) they have got o the point where people will not swallow that argument anymore, hence a massive change in focus towards the environment and environmental taxes. At the end of the day I dont think it will make a slight bit of difference to the environemnt whether people will recycle or not but they way things are going it will make a massive difference to yer wallet.

17-09-2007, 16:19	#9
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	I agree with Huddy and Muban, the huge bulk of the rubbish we get through in our household is unavoidable because everything comes with so much packaging. There are two things you can do: unpack your stuff at the supermarket or shop and leave all the extra packaging behind and the other one is unpleasant but satisfying: flytipping. __________________

18-09-2007, 08:59	#10
leowyatt Chef extraordinaire Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Infinite Loop Posts: 11,143	Well to be honest we've actually stopped recycling our household waste collected by the council but stuff taken to the tip we do make the effort to recycle by sticking it in the correct skips. We did this because there would be no pattern to their collections, even though they were supposed to be bi-weekly. They left our tin & bottle bin for 6 weeks during the hot summer then complained there were maggots in there and refused to collect it, so it all went in a black bin bag and went to the tip __________________ "Dr Sheldon Cooper FTW!"