Garden waste wheelie bin woes

Hi

What's the trick with these bins?!

I layer first with branches or twiggy item, then some grass cuttings, repeat - literally every week they come, they lift it and give it a couple of shakes, and when I go out to get it, it's 3/4 full still!

Is there some knack to how I should be loading it? I am moving to fortnightly (if I could actually successfully sign up for it with my local council) but for now I'm once again stuck with a nearly full bin - that's probably settled way more than it was before - there's no way I can dig down to loosen it, I haven't got the strength!

All tips welcome .

 

I'd speak with your council's green bin collection dept.
Presumably it's their bin that you're using.
If it's just garden waste and if you're paying for it to be emptied, it should be emptied.
You've done nothing wrong.

 

It's happened here perhaps once or twice in 3 years (only fortnightly here), probably first empty after the winter break. We guess we packed too much in it and now if packed the spade goes carefully down the sides before they empty. We don't pre-pack any twigs etc on the bottom.

 

I agree with @Pete8 , it's nothing that you're doing wrong. Ours gets collected every 2 weeks and is usually full to the brim, put in any old how.
I get the impression that our green waste guys judge it by the weight, ours gets at least 2 if not 3 "shakes".
There maybe some grass left in the bottom now and again, but nothing major.

They should check to see that it's empty before taking it back to your property. I would definitely give the council a call .

 

It has probably got too compacted and heavy. I would tip it over, and put half back for the next collection. Don't pack it down to fit more in. Just leave it very loose and airy. That way it will fall into the collection lorry easily. Any spare can be stored in old compost bags or refuse sacks till the following collection.

Also, dry stuff is lighter, so if the weather is good where you are, you could leave the contents laid out in the sun for a day.

 

Never had a problem, but mine rarely has much in the way of wet stuff in it.
I compost grass cuttings and anything soft, the bin just gets brambles and woody stuff along with perennial weeds.

 

They are pretty picky about what they will accept here - no branches with a diameter of more than about 3 cms, absolutely no soil or compost, roots must be washed, bin must not be too heavy, etc. And we pay for the privilege.

 

WoW I thought ours were a bit picky - wash the roots!

 

I’d be rather miffed if that happened as I rely on my bin being emptied and I certainly cram it full. Like @pete - the council bin gets the brambles, thick/glossy prunings and woody stuff and there’s always plenty.

I expect the council would blame us if it doesn’t empty - too tightly packed etc. I doubt they would put a hand in or give it an extra tap.

 

It's up to them to empty it properly, and they should be emptying it however full AFAIC!

 

It's the same here.
Last year a friend at the end of the road dug out the stump and roots of an old cherry.
Between us we dropped it into the bottom of the green bin and was then covered with twigs/weeds etc
It vanished into the back of the cart with a few shakes
I do much the same - it all gets taken.

I haven't subscribed for collection this year so I'm putting perennial and seedy weeds into a separate compost bin and I plan never to use the contents.
I have quite a few roses, so it's the prickly stems I'm not sure what to do with.
I'll see how it goes this year.

 

I've never had that happen. I do cut brambles and twigs into short lengths, so that I can fit more in and there isn't anything that can jam across the width and stop it coming out again. I have a colleague at work though who says she gets into her bin (with the help of her partner) and tramples it down so she can get more in. I suspect that might cause some difficulty in emptying it.

If you read the terms and conditions for mine, it also says no injurious weeds including ragwort, docks and creeping thistle.

 

I've been know to ram it in with a length of 4x2 during the winter months, if its bit stuck they just give it another couple if shakes upside down on the truck.
Not sure it does the bin much good but it gets the stuff out of it.

 

@Pete8, what will you do with the contents if you’re not planning to use them?

 

I'm not decided on that yet