Forum Topic

Food Bins - A health hazard?

What a disgusting sight this morning to see the mess in some of the food bins which had been left out for collection!I feel sorry for the AMEY employee having to tip the food scraps into a large blue wheelie bin. The small of rotting food, would make one feel nauseous.Bins were not lined or the food wrapped so the empty bins were covered in flies!Surely this is a health hazard? Are people too lazy to dispose of food scraps properly?  Can you imagine having to empty these things?It was a relief when I looked inside my own food bin to see it was very clean, I will then wash it out with Dettol ready for the next time.Please spare a thought on how to dispose of food scraps properly.

Jean F Fernandez ● 3708d19 Comments

I haven't tried it as I don't have a dishwasher but Sarah Felstead over on brentfordTW8.com does this."I found that if I take the top shelf out of the dishwasher I can fit the outside food bin in, for a quick wash ... having rescued the insect life, first.  :) x"It is worthwhile in this weather making sure that you use a brush to wash around the hinge and lid on the outside as well as the inside.And always worthwhile knowing the lifecycle of musca domestica which I certainly did at school.  When the weather warms up they breed faster. However those don't bother me in the house as much as when any bluebottles get in and start zooming from from end of the room to the other bumping into things.

Philippa Bond ● 3689d

Thank you Don (it never used to copy and paste) - but there were leaflets issued - the sort that you can stick on a fridge door with a magnet.  Why aren't those on the website for us to download?  They are more eye-catching. We need infographics nowadays.I also had a look for the collection schedule leaflets online but haven't found those yet.  I presume those are there - because shey should be....

Philippa Bond ● 3694d

I wrap cooked food waste in paper._____________________________________________________https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201171/recycling_services/278/food_waste_recyclingFood waste recycling is available to all homes with a front boundary. To recycle food waste you will be provided with a free 23 litre food waste bin. You can order a food waste bin online. Food waste is collected every week. Find your collection day. Please place your food waste recycling on your front boundary by 7am on your collection day. Please line your food waste bin with newspaper or a compostable bag, this will help prevent smells and stops food waste sticking to the inside of the box. Please do not use plastic bags to line your food waste bin. You can recycle: • cooked and raw food • meat and fish (bones) • vegetables, fruit peelings, egg shells • dairy products (cheese and yogurt) • tea bags and coffee ground • newspaper to wrap your food • compostable liners Please do not place the following items in your food waste bin: • pet litter • pet faeces • any kind of packaging • plastic bags • nappies • liquids • tissues/kitchen roll • other general waste We cannot collect your food waste bin if it contains any of these items. Related Pages:  / News   / Neighbourhood recycling sites

Don Kelly ● 3694d

Why can't we download a PDF of instructions for the food waste bin?

Philippa Bond ● 3694d

I've been hearing that the food waste bins have been given out without instructions.  I don't remember getting any compostable bags when we first started using it so many years ago and I've only actually used them about three times.  Compostable bags were issued more recently.  I use newspaper!  It is always good to know that you can fall back on newspaper anyway when you do run out if compostable (seedling logo) bags.  Some Councils suggest that you use kitchen roll (not ours).  Hounslow suggest that you put a small amount of shredded paper in the bottom of the bin as a way of soaking up any extra liquid.  Kim Rugg suggests paper egg box in the bottom.  I'm putting those in my wormery at the moment.

Philippa Bond ● 3694d

The council should publicise more that they are quite happy to take away the food wrapped in newspaper and placed in the bin.We've been doing it for years and as we can all get Metro/Standards for free its perfect.

Tony Mansell ● 3694d

I get mine from Tesco...

Lorna Dodd ● 3695d

One of the hardware shops that cuts keys opposite The Sheepwalk used to stock them. I usually get them online now.

Krupa ONeill ● 3695d

I've found the compostable bags occasionally in a pound shop out of borough.  Anybody found them in one locally?

Philippa Bond ● 3695d

Does anybody use a meat-safe nowadays? Ours at home used to sit on a marble slab and was a good place to put a pastry tart to cool - or the roast before it was cut off the bone.  It had mesh doors which kept flies out.

Philippa Bond ● 3701d

Get the free newspapers from Morrisons and the likes - with three layers of them spread out like a star, all your food waste can be wrapped up nicely before it goes into the food bin. Btw, most of mine is not wasted food but rather stuff from cutting up melons, pineapples and he likes. Even if you shop sensibly avoiding waste, you will have quite  ot of that stuff...

Urs Esser ● 3702d

Excellent advice everybody, I might add, if you place empty egg boxes at the base it stops the bottom layers adhering to the bottom when emptying so you don't get a gross bottom layer left behind. Avoid leaving any food exposed at any time, cover fruit bowls etc...

Kim Rugg ● 3705d

All supermarkets sell them but the cheapest in my experience is the stall outside Sainsbury's in Chiswick.

Keith Iddon ● 3705d

Asda has bio-bags and nifty caddy-sized paper liners.

Susan Flory ● 3705d

The only place I find them is on amazon

Manuela Mancini ● 3705d

Annoyingly, Morrisons don't stock the disposable caddy bags any more. Really cross-making.Anyone know if there is anywhere in Acton I can buy them?

Sara Nathan ● 3706d

Here are some points on food waste bins. We don't have flies and you needn't either.Do your best to keep your outside food waste bin out of the sunDon't let flies land on your food when you are preparing it, eating it - or before you clear it off the plates into  here are a few points on food waste bins (which are still be to collected weekly).  We don't have flies - you needn't either.Do your best to keep your outside food waste bin out of the sunDon't let flies land on your food when you are preparing it, eating it - or before you clear it off the plates into an inside or outside food waste bin and close the lid.Keep the lids closed! You can use a compostable bag (seedling logo etc)Lining your bin/s with shredded paper or sheets of newspaper helps the contents to slide out of the bin when being emptiedWash your bins out - using something smelly will stop flies from being attracted by any rotten smellsManaging your fridge well will mean that you'll have fewer of those things that lurk in the depths enough to make you go Yuk!Seeing what you are throwing out will show you what you are overbuying and you can then tweak your buying and eating habits. Buying fewer perishables more often will mean that you can enjoy them more because they are fresher.Use your freezer as well as your fridge for leftovers - they are good for hungry just-looking-to-see-if-there-is-something-nice-in-the-fridge door leaner snackers or a quick mealwww.lovefoodhatewaste.com is full of useful info.www.recyclenow.com has lots of stories of how individuals have made it work for themIt is easier to wash a food waste bin out than a wheelie bin!

Philippa Bond ● 3707d

I blame Brexit

Dennis Brogan ● 3707d

Biodegradable bags cost a few pennies each but make the bins much less unpleasant.

Susan Kelly ● 3708d