I know it's not a popular thing to say, but I really like our new system for collecting recyclables. We're on the much-cricised every other week system, but we have boxes for glass, paper, card and cans, another for plastic bottles and a wheelie for garden waste. It's extraordinary how much stuff we would have thrown away that now gets recycled. Even better for green nerds like me, Tetra-pak juice cartons can be recycled locally (Greaves Park hotel car park for Lancastrians).
There's just something satisfying about not chucking something in general waste.
There's just something satisfying about not chucking something in general waste.
I agree! There's loads that we don't throw away now that it's easily recycled. And so it doesn't matter that the rubbish only gets collected every other week because there's a lot less of it to go in the bin.
ReplyDeleteYes, I must confess to thinking that it would just be a pain in the **** but actually I think it is working quite well.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame that there are such big differences in recycling facilities depending on where you live. I wish my new flat had a wheelie bin. All the houses around have like 3 each (in different colours) but I have bin bags and I'll just have to make do with carrying the recycling down to Tesco...rant over :-)
ReplyDeleteWe have a good kerbside scheme here for green waste, bottles, cans and paper but must take plastic and cardboard to the tip ourselves. The four mile round trip seems a bit of a waste in itself but it is part of the pressure on the Council to extend the kerbside facility.
ReplyDeleteUntil our new system came in, that was the problem here, Steve. I just stored stuff in the garage until I was passing the dump anyway.
ReplyDeleteI like the Lancaster system now they collect plastics. It's a shame that the government can't roll out a benchmark level of service to be followed by all local councils. it seems absurd that one council will collect plastic and another will not.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I got frustrated with all the fuss over fortnightly collections of grey bins. If people are sorting their waste for recycling, composting their veg scraps and not cooking more food than they need, there shouldn't be that much in the grey bin!
In Gibraltar rubbisah is collected every night as no-one has anywhere to store it. It's nice but it kills any motivation and time for sorting out the recycling. Added to a complete lack of recycling facilites, it leads to a hell of a lot of waste which is burnt and so emitting tons of co2.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a business opportunity there in exporting steel, aluminium and and glass for recycling somewhere else! Are there any small-scale ways people could change that scenario?
ReplyDeleteI was pleased when we moved down to cleveleys and discovered we can recycle plastic bottles in the bin - but I have a slight issue with Blackpool council because you have to put glass things in a tall wheelie bin and they break before they get to the bottom - but you're not meant to put broken glass out for recycling??!! I am a recycling geek and I have discovered that we can survive with only putting the bins out once a month so why can't other people survive??
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