Discussion
Firstly, let me say that I have no issues with recycling. I think it is admirable and, indeed, eminently sensible to reduce our waste output as much as possible.
I have recycled paper, cardboard, bottles, plastics, &c for as long as I can remember.
However, thanks to our local council's new recycling edicts, I have to wash up all the plastic bits and bobs that I recyle - so I have just spent 10 minutes and used a fair bit of hot water washing up some microwave meal containers, sandwich spread containers, and yoghurt pots. How can this possibly be a good use of resources? All that hot water? My time?
Is this just another case of salving people's consciences? "I wash up my yoghurt pots and recycle so I can sleep soundly in the knowledge that I am saving the planet" - the same as the people who scrap their 10 year old car so that they can buy something new with a hybrid engine in the name of saving the environment.
Why can't we be realistic about what helps and what doesn't?
And now of course we have 2 new food scraps bin that we have to find somewhere for, one in the kitchen, and another that has to be moved when I want to use the garage...
And this from the same council who still don't do a green waste collection without me paying a quid per bag. I have a shed full of rotting grass cuttings waiting until I have time to take them to the tip myself.
I have recycled paper, cardboard, bottles, plastics, &c for as long as I can remember.
However, thanks to our local council's new recycling edicts, I have to wash up all the plastic bits and bobs that I recyle - so I have just spent 10 minutes and used a fair bit of hot water washing up some microwave meal containers, sandwich spread containers, and yoghurt pots. How can this possibly be a good use of resources? All that hot water? My time?
Is this just another case of salving people's consciences? "I wash up my yoghurt pots and recycle so I can sleep soundly in the knowledge that I am saving the planet" - the same as the people who scrap their 10 year old car so that they can buy something new with a hybrid engine in the name of saving the environment.
Why can't we be realistic about what helps and what doesn't?
And now of course we have 2 new food scraps bin that we have to find somewhere for, one in the kitchen, and another that has to be moved when I want to use the garage...
And this from the same council who still don't do a green waste collection without me paying a quid per bag. I have a shed full of rotting grass cuttings waiting until I have time to take them to the tip myself.
10 mins? Lazy. 
If you were washing up then the water was there anyway? So no additional waste.
Do the council have a garden bin that they will collect weekly instead of the bags for regular disposal? Ours does for something like £30 a year. Means I don't ever go to the tip, massive result.
Problem is either you pay per use (fair), or the Council just adds the overall bill to the council tax (not fair). Someone somwhere pays.
Look at what you buy; a microwave meal will have lots of messy recyclable waste.
We cannot win.
If you were washing up then the water was there anyway? So no additional waste.Do the council have a garden bin that they will collect weekly instead of the bags for regular disposal? Ours does for something like £30 a year. Means I don't ever go to the tip, massive result.
Problem is either you pay per use (fair), or the Council just adds the overall bill to the council tax (not fair). Someone somwhere pays.
Look at what you buy; a microwave meal will have lots of messy recyclable waste.
We cannot win.
NiceCupOfTea said:
However, thanks to our local council's new recycling edicts, I have to wash up all the plastic bits and bobs that I recyle - so I have just spent 10 minutes and used a fair bit of hot water washing up some microwave meal containers, sandwich spread containers, and yoghurt pots. How can this possibly be a good use of resources? All that hot water? My time?
Contaminated recyclate is valueless and will render all the good recyclate around it valueless too.Just save the trays/jars etc to the end of your usual washing up and clean them in the washing-up water last.
V8mate said:
NiceCupOfTea said:
However, thanks to our local council's new recycling edicts, I have to wash up all the plastic bits and bobs that I recyle - so I have just spent 10 minutes and used a fair bit of hot water washing up some microwave meal containers, sandwich spread containers, and yoghurt pots. How can this possibly be a good use of resources? All that hot water? My time?
Contaminated recyclate is valueless and will render all the good recyclate around it valueless too.Just save the trays/jars etc to the end of your usual washing up and clean them in the washing-up water last.
Personally I don't agree with recycling in all forms, especially paper. I don't recycle paper as a matter of course. Paper production from wood encourages the planting of trees, composting paper prevents the inks from being concentrated and having to be disposed of.
Recycle glass, metal and plastic, if it can be proven cost effective and doesn't involve the accumulation of large quantities of toxic waste.
Ours isnt too bad. The green box gets emptied weekly, which includes plastic bottles,newspapers,cardboard and glass. Mrs slopes got an alluminium recycling bin from a company, who i suspect are pikeys, and they come and empty that about once a month. Green waste and food waste is weekly on a rotation basis, so we dont have to take much to the tip
rlw said:
You in Bromley by any chance?
You got your new boxes too?Agreed with adding to the end of the washing up, but I use the dishwasher so it means I have to do a separate lot of stuff.
Bromley don't do any kind of green collection.
I would start a compost heap but I gather they encourage rats
oIt's really not that hard to rinse things out under a cold running tap before putting them in the recycling bin.
We have a blue wheelie bin that is filled with all the usual recyclables. Having 2 large dogs means a lot of tins go in there and every two weeks it's full. In the summer it would be rather smelly if nothing was rinsed out so thats what we do.
It's not difficult or time consuming.
We have a blue wheelie bin that is filled with all the usual recyclables. Having 2 large dogs means a lot of tins go in there and every two weeks it's full. In the summer it would be rather smelly if nothing was rinsed out so thats what we do.
It's not difficult or time consuming.
NiceCupOfTea said:
However, thanks to our local council's new recycling edicts, I have to wash up all the plastic bits and bobs that I recyle - so I have just spent 10 minutes and used a fair bit of hot water washing up some microwave meal containers, sandwich spread containers, and yoghurt pots. How can this possibly be a good use of resources? All that hot water? My time?
I find it absolutely disgusting.I mean, who in their right mind eats microwave meals?
most stuff needs more than a cursory rinse, especially if it's going to sit outside for up to 2 weeks. the foxes are bad enough as it is and we don't want rats sniffing round as well.
as for micro. meals, not that I should have to defend my eating habits, but having a few minutes between getting in from teaching and going out to do a show in the evening doesn't leave you with much choice if you want a hot meal. thanks for your concern for my dietary requirements, though.
as for micro. meals, not that I should have to defend my eating habits, but having a few minutes between getting in from teaching and going out to do a show in the evening doesn't leave you with much choice if you want a hot meal. thanks for your concern for my dietary requirements, though.
In MK we just sling all our plastics and paper and metal in a pink sack and let them do the sorting and in my case the cleaning. Glass goes in a blue box, garden waste goes in the green wheelie bin along with the food waste when you tip it out of your kitchen caddy (read grey plastic box that fills up with mould and stinks so was put at the back of the cupboard never to be used again).
NiceCupOfTea said:
most stuff needs more than a cursory rinse, especially if it's going to sit outside for up to 2 weeks. the foxes are bad enough as it is and we don't want rats sniffing round as well.
as for micro. meals, not that I should have to defend my eating habits, but having a few minutes between getting in from teaching and going out to do a show in the evening doesn't leave you with much choice if you want a hot meal. thanks for your concern for my dietary requirements, though.
I really don't want to derail your thread, but microwave meals aren't very nutritious for a busy active soul. Have you thought of a crock pot? You could throw some meat and veg in there in the morning and have a nice nutritious stew waiting for you before you go out again! There's other things you can cook with it but I'm new to domestic chores!as for micro. meals, not that I should have to defend my eating habits, but having a few minutes between getting in from teaching and going out to do a show in the evening doesn't leave you with much choice if you want a hot meal. thanks for your concern for my dietary requirements, though.
If they want clean rubbish they can wash it themselves. They should think themselves lucky I bother sorting the s
t into categories, never mind cleaning it for them.
How long before a lorry just pulls up outside and everyone has to load up their own bin?
Oh no, silly me - H&S brigade wouldn't like that.
t into categories, never mind cleaning it for them.How long before a lorry just pulls up outside and everyone has to load up their own bin?
Oh no, silly me - H&S brigade wouldn't like that.
NiceCupOfTea said:
as for micro. meals, not that I should have to defend my eating habits, but having a few minutes between getting in from teaching and going out to do a show in the evening doesn't leave you with much choice if you want a hot meal. thanks for your concern for my dietary requirements, though.
Corr, you're a bit touchy.Maybe I should have put a wink on the end of my post to make it clearer.
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