Forum Topic

Green boxes for recycling

In our road many boxes have either gone missing or been damaged by refuse collectors throwing them into the front gardens, why can't Ealing adopt the same practice as Surrey, one bin for ALL recycling and one for household rubbish, especially for older people within the community surely it is easier for them to wheel a bin to the end of their property and safer for refuse collectors who won't acolytes if a bag is too heavy. Stops the vermin and foxes as well. Your thoughts???.

Tomasz Keller ● 4477d20 Comments

The different types of waste are collected by different waste trucks, I think there are about 3 collections. Maybe they go to different centresI don't understand how the one recycling bin would work as at some point the stuff has to be separated and that would add to the cost.You couldn't mix the food waste with plastics or cans!Personally I have always separated my rubbish I even wash out everything to deter vermin flies and smells, I did it even when living in a flat. Just a habit.

Kim Rugg ● 4477d

I have been hearing about commercial sorting machinery used in several countries very successfully and would love to know if anyone has experienced of them or knows anything about comparable costs. I know some commercial waste companies have invested in this machinery since landfill has become more expensive. Any thoughts?

Maire Lowe ● 4477d

We could start by getting the council to ditch the white plastic sacks for plastic and just allowing plastic to go in the green box along with everything else. It's collected by the same people and gets dumped in the same truck as everything else. It never used to be thus way but the council don't seem to understand the practice is now outdated. Make recycling simpler and easier and more people will do it, saving them money on landfill and crazy bribery/incentive schemes.

Ben Smith ● 4477d

The current recyling vehicles might look like one big truck, but they have different compartments and different types of recycling are put into different departments, hence the need for keeping plastics and glass and the likes separate... The facilities they deliver to are geared that way.However, Maire is right, the system used by Ealing is totally outdated, and much better systems have been around in Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Germany for example, for more than 10 years. They have three bins - food and garden waste, everything recyclable, and the rest (minimal). However, they have plants that can cater for this sort of scenario, and it looks as if there are not enough plants with the right technology in the UK - yet.We are well behind the continent in environmental matters - 20 years at least - hard to catch up...

Urs Esser ● 4477d

Yes, I realise the trucks have different compartments for different stuff - one for glass, one for paper... and one for plastic.  So if glass and paper can go in the same green box, I see no reason why plastic cannot go in the same green box.  If you watch them collecting it, plastic is treated in exactly the same way as everything else.  The white sack is a legacy of the old system when it was collected by a different team but Ealing fear change as change means work.

Ben Smith ● 4477d

For Tomasz, it's quite easy to get free replacement green boxes or bags from Ealing Council. I tend to use the online service but I think you can leave a message on their phone service.

Kim Bobsin ● 4476d

The mixed garden waste and food waste collections some other boroughs have means that you have a big smelly wheelie bin.  Money has been made available for a separate food waste collection.Separating the food waste out into the food waste bin makes a great difference as it keeps the rest much cleaner and means an end to the very smelly leaky black bin bag.  In this hot weather it may be a good idea if you have very smelly waste to wrap it up extra well in newspaper or use a compostable liner (seedling logo BS EN 13234).  Also remember to keep you food waste bin out of the sun if possible.We are supposed to be reducing our waste and separating so that it is easy to use as a resource.  We are aiming for a circular economy.Those plastic milk jugs for instance are now part of a closed loop system ie they are truly recycled...  back into new plastic milk jugs.  A little rinse with water immediately will stop any residue sticking to the inside and leaning on them when dry means a lot less volume.I am surprised at how few people squash their cans or large plastic bottles.  Or flatten their cereal packets.Don't forget that there are street banks which are very useful when you are going on holiday and will miss a collection.  They generally are only for basic recycling but check online what is near you.Many of us have an ordinary sized dustbin placed at the boundary of our property so that we don't have to store all our rubbish in the home.  Line it with a black bin bag and you will save a lot of space.  Tie it on dustbin day and leave the lid off (but tied to the bin so as not to disappear).  Unfortunately it is recycling that I have most of - not black bag waste!  The less you buy and waste the less you have to throw away. Many people still do not understand what the dates written on food mean. Here is a downloadable sheet which could be laminated and stuck to a fridge door (and particularly useful for anybody going to university).http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/food-saverBTW the latest re eggs I've seen was that you can use them if they are past their best before date but only if cooked thoroughly.  A great excuse to bake a cake!  (For some bizarre reason eggs have a best before and not a use by date.) So why not put your bin on a diet this summer - a challenge for the family:http://www.therubbishdiet.org.uk/welcome-to-the-rubbish-diet/

Philippa Bond ● 4473d

If you do ONE THING to recycle - separate out and recycle your food waste - it makes such a lot of difference to everything else left in your bin especially in this summer heat.You may even find out what you waste most of and then be able to save money by buying or storing something a little differently and save yourself some money in the process. The major change I made was in buying and storing bread.  Ironically it is the elderly who could probably show younger generations more than a thing or two about food management.This website is very useful:  www.lovefoodhatewaste.comPerhaps you could help a neighbour by ordering a green box and/or lockable food waste bin for them?  Sharing a green box?  Or even sharing a food waste bin - now that is a bit of a challenge.  I wonder who'd do that?http://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/200970/recycling_services/278/food_waste_recyclingSharing newspapers or a roll of compostable liners (seedling logo/BS EN 13234) should be easy.  Compostable liners are cheapest bought online.  They are particularly useful if you are going to be going away and don't have a neighbour to put your food waste out for you or won't be around to rinse out your bin (all you need to do if you line it with newspaper or compostable liner).You can use what you like as a small caddy on a worktop if you want to.  It just needs a lid to keep flies out.You can get posh expensive ceramic ones or cheap plastic ones.  I've used an old ceramic biscuit barrel.Ealing freecycle is a good way to find things that people don't want or give things away that you don't want.

Philippa Bond ● 4472d

For the vast number of us who have to make do with living in a flat, food recycling is not an option.I would rather people recycle plastics, metal and glass - it's available to more people and anyone who doesn't want to keep a box/bag in their flat can use recycling banks (I know plenty of people who don't recycle and have 2 cars).

Ben Smith ● 4472d

Nick, you say:-"We could start by getting the council to ditch the white plastic sacks for plastic and just allowing plastic to go in the green box along with everything else. It's collected by the same people and gets dumped in the same truck as everything else."But the plastics are not collected by the same truck as the rest of the recycling - well it isn't in my part of Acton. The green box and food waste are always collected together and the plastics collected separately.The recycling works well if everyone does it. I wish more people would use the food waste buckets and not put the waste in the black bags which attracts foxes/rats/cats who rip the bags and the rubbish then gets spilled all over the place.

Amanda Knights ● 4471d

Recycling certainly works well if everyone does it, which is why the council need to make it easier.  Paying money on loyalty schemes isn't the answer.And while I agree food waste in bin bags is bad, those of us no lucky enough to have a house with a street boundary don't have the luxury of food waste bins.

Ben Smith ● 4471d

NickAlthough you aren't lucky enough to be offered a food waste bin it is still worthwhile separating your food waste from the rest of the waste.This allows you to wrap more securely a very small proportion of your waste (as well as showing you what you wasted and whether you could save money by making any changes to what you are doing).  Bread was the biggest waste for us and we now buy much less and keep it differently.  (A big loaf isn't cheaper if you throw half away. The cost can be in hassle as well as cash!)I still don't understand about your flats.  That is a lot of flats to either not have communal facilities or the clear sack system.  Do you have a communal garden?

Philippa Bond ● 4471d

I waited 10 months for my white sack,, after about 20 phone calls and 5 reference numbers and 2 official complaints I finally got one. I personally feel that enterprise are a waste of space.

Amanda Smith ● 4471d

After 10 months was a white sack all that they gave you?  You deserve a medal for dogged determination.  No comment on the rest.

Philippa Bond ● 4471d

BTW Before we got the white recycling sacks we were told to use another green box.  Did they tell you to do this - or any other alternative?

Philippa Bond ● 4471d

yes I was told to use another green bin ( which I never got) so put all plastic in clear plastic sacks and then argued with bin men every week as they said they couldn't take as they didn't know what was inside.

Amanda Smith ● 4470d

We keep being told that it needs to be easy for people and being told that it is hard to get people started - so they ought to be bending over backwards to help people who actually actively show an interest and want to!

Philippa Bond ● 4470d

See Merthyr Tydfil's new contract:http://www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-news/councils/merthyr-tydfil-awarded-ps2m-to-boost-recycling-rateYou might find it surprising.

Philippa Bond ● 4466d

I have a family sized green food waste bin from the council that's never been used. No one in my building needs it. Please email me if you'd like it and able to collect or whatever suits.

Serena Cameron ● 4464d

An elderly neighbour has attached his ordinary size dustbin to what looks like a shopping trolley base (not the store type) so that he can move it about.

Philippa Bond ● 4458d