Green bin, to pay or not to pay?

We rarely put out our general waste bin maybe once every 3-4weeks ( no it doesn’t smell). We produce little waste which we can’t recycle so even after three weeks it’s only about 20% full. At the moment, due to strikes, all the recycling is going in with the general waste. OH is taking ours directly to the tip so it’s still going into the recycling system.

Luckily, @john558, we have got room for a new bin. I just don’t want it where I have to look at it. The current two are sort of tucked in so partly visible but tidy and unobtrusive, unfortunately no way to make that space big enough for three. I will have to rethink. Frustratingly the current nook isn't very usable for anything else if I want to keep the bins together.

@cactus_girl do we know how big the food waste bin will be? We haven’t got a garage and our shed is quite full. I’m assuming we’ll get one whether we want it or not. I’m also assuming nothing will happen in April given the strike, so at least gives us time to think where we will put the new bin and food caddy/bin.

 

Our stickers were a different colour each year so it would be obvious at a glance whether or not payment for the service had been made.

 

Any spare bins come in handy for composting or water butts on wheels, don't try tipping them up to move them when full of water though, it's amazing how heavy they are and soon go past the point of no return, you can get wet.

Maybe a wormery for the smaller ones.

I'm not really sure how all these billions of plastic bins being produced is actually helping the environment.

 

If you are still heading for local elections this May, ask canvassing councillors to explain what they do with the profits from recycling activities.
Also ask why damaged wheelybins cannot be recycled, because they are not.

 

Our old bin would be useful but it seems we can't be trusted not to try and continue to use it without paying. We have already been informed that if we want to restart the scheme in the future, we have to buy a new bin.

Our local allotments are littered with old bins, being used in numerous ways but I'm guessing our council has changed their policy since.

 

When seperate food waste bins were introduced here we had to use paper liners for the bin, and no other wrappings were allowed. That has since changed and pretty much any food wrapper, including the plastic wrap some cold meats come in can be used. I'm guessing the change came about when they had a massive incinerator built and non-recyclable waste now goes there.
At least our garden waste (green bin) and non-recyclable (black/dark grey) make some sort of visual sense. Friends have just move in close to us but under a different local council. Their green waste bin is purple and non-recyclable is green!

 

Why do you have a separated bin for food waste if it goes into the incinerator?
Might as well all go in the one bin of nonrecyclabe stuff.

Our food waste is composted so we have to use those compostable plastic bin liners.

 

@pete I don't know for sure that food waste is incinerated. I'm just suspicious because the rules around what packaging could be included with food waste changes around the time the incinerator came into use.

 

@Butterfly6 my mum who lives in Devon has a food waste bin. It's not that big and sits under her kitchen sink. She buys biodegradable liners for it.

I like to wrap stinky onion skins in cling film, but that's not going to be allowed. And I don't want stinky onions in the garage either. All bones go out on the lawn and soon get taken by the fox. He's very efficient. But do they want bones in the food waste?

 

I hope it is that small @cactus_girl as I’m not sure we will really use it. The only food waste we have that doesn’t go on the compost is occasional chicken bones.

Sometimes we’ve not had our general waste bin emptied (talking pre strike) and wondered why. Then OH happened to be going out just as they were collecting one week. They were giving the bins a quick shake and then ignoring those that were (or felt) empty, which is sensible but ours was obviously falling into that category. Now we just delay putting it out until there is enough in it (circa 20% seems to be enough to pass the jiggle test). I don’t fancy hanging onto a food caddy for ages until it has enough in it to pass a jiggle test

 

I must admit that I’m not looking forward to having a food waste bin either in the kitchen or outside. I think our inside bin is going to be 5L and the outside one 25L. I feel it may well encourage vermin and possibly smell during the summer months.

 

Coming in on this a year late but you never know, someone might read it. I have a green bin at about £60 a year and it's good value for me. But I need three! Either that or put 3 large sacks of cuttings in my car and travel to the waste site, three or more times a week depending on the season. That's a lot of petrol and wear on the car. Add potholes and a my loaded vehicle to the mix, then paying £180 a year is worth it if I can afford it. That or keep a huge compost heap with bindweed contaminated cuttings. Plus it makes the ground go boggy.

 

I've had one for years, stopped using the service but still use the bins to collect my kitchen waste for the compost. I use the big one indoors, I would fill the small one in no time. Don't have much of a smell problem as all my food waste is vegan. Have to be careful to keep the lid shut in summer due to fruit flies. The thing that stinks most for me is when a lemon is left to go mouldy - you can smell that all over the house.

Is it really any different to having food waste in a normal bin in your kitchen?

I'll never forget being a guest at Christmas dinner with a family with a small baby, we ate in the kitchen right next to the bin filled with the baby's poopy nappies.

 

With regard to needing more than one garden waste bin I find one is ok for me when I’ve stood in it to compress the contents a few times !