Shrinking Green Bins

I don't see that a smaller bin actually reduces waste, I certainly don't buy food based on how full my bin is. You'd just stamp on it more which results in no benefit after compaction. If they introduced a tax break for recycling on the other hand I'd be well up for it, I go through a lot of cans!

I have 2 blue bins and 1 green, I've never filled more than 1 of the blues but regularly struggle with the green. Mainly if I'm away on a collection day and therefore have to squeeze 4 or 6 weeks waste into it, and boy does it stink in summer!
I never had this problem when I had weekly collections as I'd never be away on 3 weeks on the trot so the most rubbish would be 3 weeks, but this bi-weekly system means I can sometimes be here for blues but miss all the greens for a month or more. There really should be a way of requesting an 'emergency' collection within the bi-weekly system

Is it not feasible for neighbours to put your bin out and vice versa?

It's what goes on around here, sometimes you'll find your bin out and in, even when you're here..

Avoids the issue completely, and without any special journeys by the bin lorry.

Talk to your neighbours, are you having a laugh?!?!?!

Gramaisc said:

Is it not feasible for neighbours to put your bin out and vice versa?

It's what goes on around here, sometimes you'll find your bin out and in, even when you're here..

Avoids the issue completely, and without any special journeys by the bin lorry.

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We do that round here too, and bring them back in! Works a treat and especially handy when we sometimes have excess garden waste as everybody is more than happy to share their free bin space, and likewise we normally don't have much to put in the green bin and are happy for the neighbours to use it. We are extremely fortunate to all get along well.

henryscat said:

Annoyingly SBC still don't collect all recyclables - polystyrene for instance. They could also do more in terms of food waste / composting to allow less to end up in green bins.

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I didn't realise that polystyrene was recyclable. I might start putting it in the blue bin if only to 'embarrass' those at the recycling plant.

I tend to adopt the attitude, with plastics especially, that when in doubt, recycle. Presumably, when all my stuff gets to the recycling plant, it'll all go through some filtering system, and whatever's left at the end shouldn't have been put for recycling and will get carted off to the nearest tip.

I believe the council ask for cans/bottles/plastics to be cleaned out before putting in the recycling bin. I usually give stuff a quick swill, but it gets me thinking that in doing so, I'm using more water than I'd normally use. Is this an issue, or doesn't it matter much in the great scheme of things?

Gramaisc said:

Is it not feasible for neighbours to put your bin out and vice versa?

It's what goes on around here, sometimes you'll find your bin out and in, even when you're here..

Avoids the issue completely, and without any special journeys by the bin lorry.

Click to expand...

I don't really know any of the neighbours yet and the bins are locked away........

Mikinton said:

. I usually give stuff a quick swill, but it gets me thinking that in doing so, I'm using more water than I'd normally use.

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I stack stuff to be recycled next to the sink and give it a swill in the dishwater after i've done the washing up - no extra water used.

I have recently discovered the benefits of recycling