Garden Lights

Yes whis4ey. I am totally converted to this form of recycling. I've had stuff that I knew was not true rubbish but, just to get rid of it, put it in the wheelie bin. I learned (after my gas bottles) that someone probably wants them (it). So in future I will just leave it outside with a note on - 'Take it' and someone will want it. I actually did this years ago with a teddy bear. I knew it was fine but not valuable. I stuck a note on 'Please give me a home' and left it outside (1 hour). Never thought I'd be doing it with household things. If it doesn't go I can still 'bin' it.

Just goes to show 'Government controlled recycling doesn't actually work.' But what Government controlled, does?

 

Evening folks. This is getting interesting.

Helen, there is only one installed at the moment by the front doors (strange double things here) so perhaps I can get a decent photo later. Problem is t'other half has to buy an SDS (?) drill as our walls are 60cm thick made of rock and red clay and the others don't cut the mustard ... or the rock or clay for that matter! I can't wait to see the downlighters up ... if you know what I mean.

For those who don't know, the rubbish system here (certainly in the Algarve) is different than in the UK. Even in towns, you don't have your own bin ... there are "points" every so often, where you will find large wheelie bins and at specific locations a bottle bank, a plastic bank and a paper bank. Certainly in the country you don't have individual bins. We have a large wheelie at the end of our lane and then in the hamlet nearby, Calvos, we have three wheelies and the three other receptacles. This is where you leave your "precious" items for recycling. Rubbish is collected twice a week, household items removed every two weeks if they have not been "re-homed". It is now illegal to deposit electrical goods ... if you buy a new item, the store you buy from is obligated to take your old equipment away if you don't want to use it ... or give it to a friend.

We pay for these services on our water bill (sounds strange I know but ...) ... we just got the summer bill (two months at a time here) which includes lots of irrigation obviously and we are on a meter which involves four levels of usage and we go into the highest in the summer and it was 33 Euros (about �£23). Ask me why I live here?

 

nothing is cheap in this greedy country of ours
you are well out of it LOL.my neighbour phoned the council to enquire about getting rid of 3 piece suit.�£32.00 for first item,then �£2.00 0f second and so on.they only give you 5 Min's,and they leave whats left,then they wonder why people dump rubbish on the road side :(

 

Girls maybe that explains why someone has dumped a metress beside a beautiful stretch of the New River which i saw today it's bad enough that i almost have a direct line to the RSPCA because there always seems to be a Swan or Signets with fishing line coming out their mouths, it's enough to make me spit i get so mad! Grrr

Totally of topic i know but had to get that out of my system. It's called 'fly-tipping' around here, people dump allsorts in the countryside because to take it to the 'dump' is so expensive apparently.

My hubby took our old fridge freezer to the dump and had to pay an astronomical amount and then more on top because he was in a van and they said it was classed differently. If he had taken the Jeep he wouldn't have had to pay extra, it's totally ridiculous :eek:

Aaaaaaaand relax!

 

my friend has an ice cream shop,the recycling wont take her flattened cardboard if she is in the van, but will take it if she goes by car

 

Hi, ag, they have the equivalent of "fly tipping" here too and the annoying thing is it's the expats doing it ... makes you embarrassed. I know I'm an expat by the fact I now live here ... but I live in a Portuguese community (a total of five houses and we are the only foreigners) and I live by their standards ... except I have a nicer garden and they are proud of it because I'm the first house you pass to get to the community and it was a total tip for all the years before.

I'm glad I'm away from there. Sad to say, but not sorry. you all.

 

We must be the filthiest country in europe the kids are not taught to take their rubbish home, they wander about with plastic bottles attached to their lips and just throw them down when they have finished with them, mind you some of their parents are the same, if they were caught and fined they would be bleating in the papers about the injustice of it all, roll on zero tolerance.

 

Thanks Lady look forward to seeing a picture of your lights.

Your rubbish system sounds pretty good Lady shame about the other ex-pats not doing the right thing....Do people get fined if they get caught dumping stuff over where you are?

I always ask if someone wants any items I have before I give them away to the local charity shop, you know the old saying 'waste not want not' and I would never dream of dumping stuff illegally.
Helen.xxx.

 

Morning Helen.

I'm sure there are fines here for dumping if you got caught. The fines are very heavy here for other things like talking on a mobile whilst driving.

walnut, mentioning zero tolerance, Portugal was the only country in Europe that opted for a zero tolerance regarding drink driving and after much hassle from restaurteers and the wine industry it was changed to point something very low, the equivalent of one beer or a glass of wine.

There's very little graffiti here (in the Algarve, I can't speak for Lisbon etc) and in one town on the coast, Olhao, the council encourages "good" graffiti on the building walls and it looks pretty neat. Kids go to school from 8am to 4pm here, 5pm on Fridays, at least the school where our friend's girls go.

I'm like you Helen and try to "re-home" my unwanted items first and if I can't the charity shops get it. We've taken two carloads so far this summer and have another on the go.

 

First of the "freebie" lights installed and working ... had to buy an SDS? drill to go through the 60cm stone wall to install them. These are the two upper left ones on the table and are now inside the front door arch ...

 

ooooo love them lol,your so lucky bet they look great in daylight too.

 

They look beautiful! An excellent find too

I love freecycling and recycling You never quite know what you'll find

 

LoL they look lovely, very nice

 

Smashing lights there Lady gives your door way such an enchanting look, I'm so very jealous.

Sorry for the late reply and after I was waiting for you to finish them too.... I don't know how I miss you posting that picture but many thanks for remembering to show us all.
Helen.xxx.

 

lol they are gorgeous i am also jealous,you don't get good rubbish like that over here,