Forum Topic

What are the bin men supposed to take?

All,I'm a bit confused as to what the bin men do and do not take.I put a cardboard box out on Wednesday morning, it was empty and not huge, but they left it behind. Rather strangely, they did take a black bag full of tree clippings that i was going to take to the skip when I had a chance. I know garden waste is only officially taken if it's in the council garden bags, so I guess I was just lucky there. But as for the cardboard, I can't work it out.They have also been a bit funny in the past around Plastic. I've put out some large tubs (that previously had protein Whey in them), and they've left those behind, even though I have put them in my white plastic bag.Thanks, Carl

Carl Tamboli ● 4666d18 Comments

Was it a whole cardboard box or had you squashed it flat? We are supposed to flatten cardboard so perhaps that explains it?

Clare Gittins ● 4666d

Can't judge upon the plastic stuff, think that should have been fine, but all cardboard needs to be unfolded as it takes the operators too much time otherwise.

Urs Esser ● 4666d

The instructions should be on the LBE website.  If it isn't clear then make sure you tell the Council and your Councillors - if you don't get anywhere.It is worth copying and saving the info or taking a screen pic to save your sanity!http://www.ealing.gov.uk/recyclingRe the plastics - perhaps you put the lids back on?The general rule with recycling plastics is to separate bottles and lids.  There appear to be two reasons for this:1  Tubs and their lids - and bottles and their lids - are most often made from different plastic types.2  Plastic bottles take up less space and are more easily baled when they are lidless.However it all depends on exactly what the contract says and  sometimes nobody seems to know!  The Council have to decide how they are going to get their message across.  Too little info makes it difficult for people and so does too much!From experience you can't expect the collection team to be consistent - as we don't believe that they have any consistent training.http://www.ealing.gov.uk/recycling

Philippa Bond ● 4666d

Hi, Some interesting replies - thanks for that.1. Actually the box wasn't flat, so I'll try that next week and see if it works.2. The lid was on but it's made form identical material to the tub. I'll try next time with lid off.Thanks again, Carl

Carl Tamboli ● 4666d

Try flattening the containers. They took a whole load of cardboard and plastic from me this week, as we had a bit of a clear out. Stamping on cardboard boxes is recommended for your mental health.

Maire Lowe ● 4666d

I agree about the cardboard - it needs to be flattened.  Packaging is supposed to be designed for recycling nowadays so a lot of it is much easier to flatten than it used to be - sometimes it just means undoing the bottom.  Nowadays you will find fewer different types of material together.  There is a lot more compostable egg-box type cardboard being used rather than polystyrene.They don't have the time to flatten everybody's cardboard and they don't have the space to take it in the lorry unflattened.We used to not have to worry much about the size of the box - as larger flattened boxes were just collected by a different lorry.  (LB Hounslow used to have to tear their boxes up to fit into the green box!)  Recently I have seen a lot of flattened cardboard in Ealing left after the collection and NOT being collected. Maybe they are no longer taking another lorry around - think it was the one that they collected the street sweeping bags in - so why not?There is a danger that they are re-writing and reducing their contract to suit themselves rather than the residents.  Unfortunately this is what happens when the contract isn't monitored properly. Whatever they are doing they ought to be upfront about it and publicise it.  They shouldn't just be monitoring themselves!

Philippa Bond ● 4666d

Re cardboard, it needs to be flattened but also with no tape on it.

M Vincic ● 4666d

Old May Gurney card Now also includes plastics and drink cartons not shown.

Bob Crossley ● 4666d

At present they appear to be taking anything placed out illegally on the footway and in the roadway.  With a dumps vehicle following the refuse trucks some couple of hours after their visit - picking up anything the refuse trucks left behind.No monitoring appears to be taking place. They are just clearing the streets of everything in order to avoid complaints.May be the cardboard in question was just missed?

Dee Cook ● 4664d

They do have their special ways of doing things..... I pay for garden green waste.  I once returned home to find most of my garden green waste gone except some dead sunflowers which had been in amongst the grass clippings.  They had actually sorted through the bags....? I reported it to Ealing Council.  The crew had to be given retraining. Strange, but true.

Pina Maletta ● 4664d

Carl re plastics:More lids do seem to be the same plastic recycling number nowadays but they don't have time to check this and I came across this interesting piece of info re the recycling of plastic milk bottles some time ago:http://www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/Milk%20Bottle%20R%20and%20D%20report.pdfThere are lots of reports on the WRAP website showing the research and development going on.Basically that one was to do the the problem that recycling the milk bottles WITH their tops was causing and that they were having to re-think and reconsider quite how they recycled them.  Including the tops was giving the plastic a slightly green hue which just wasn't such a pleasing and saleable colour as the white!Plastic milk bottles are part of a complete circle recycling loop.  There are lots of them out there the same and the plastics recycling companies are calling out for more.However good that is, glass milk bottles are even better because they are REUSED about 10 times.  You don't have to choose one or the other either.  You can get your milk delivered in glass bottles and then top up with the plastic bottles or tetrapak type cartons (recyclable in the green box) from the corner shop.

Philippa Bond ● 4663d

With heavy duty cardboard, the corrugated stuff, I use a box cutter to cut it down to size to put in a black bag.

John Pollastrini ● 4662d

Why aren't you putting it in a green box if you are cutting it up?

Philippa Bond ● 4662d

I've not got a green box

John Pollastrini ● 4662d

Is that because you can't have one where you live ie because you live in a flat?

Philippa Bond ● 4661d

All, happy to report that my folded cardboard was taken away yesterday - so thanks for the useful advice.Regards, Carl

Carl Tamboli ● 4660d

Hurray!  Just folded and not torn into little bits to put in the green box?

Philippa Bond ● 4660d

Does it really take SIX pages to order a new green box?

Philippa Bond ● 4656d