Wrong type of weeds in brown bin - now blacklisted

[Lollipop]

Hi I wanted to know if anyone else has had this problem? I put some semi-composted weeds in my brown bin several weeks ago. My fault - I them in a heavy duty plastic bag and they had started to compost.

The council refused to empty the bin. They put a tag on my bin saying I had the wrong type of material in it. I couldn't believe it - it was weeds with a bit of mud on the roots.

I emptied as much as I could (and took it to the recycling centre in Norwood (who were perfectly happy for me to put it in the garden skip). There was a bit left in the bottom as it is hard to clean those deep bins. Last weekend I added a pile of leaves and trimmings. Today they have been and not emptied the bin again.

Every week they look for the little green bag of kitchen compost and remove that. However under the leaves, twigs etc are several other green bags of kitchen compost which I am sure are a health hazard by now!!

Any suggestions on how one gets removed from the council blacklist? They won't even take away brown paper bags with garden clippings now. And warning to all of you out there - only CLEAN weeds in your bins or the same thing might happen to you

[bemusED]

you still pay for refuse collections - lodge a formal complaint with council.

[Melph91]

Call the council and kick up a fuss, we had a similar problem with bin men picking and choosing what to take when we first moved to ED. Called and complained, was gone in 3 days.

[James Barber]

Hi Lollipop,

Drop me an email - I can help you sort this out.

[Lollipop]

Hi James - have PM'd you. Thanks Melph 91 and bemusED. I have been trying to deal with house repairs and an elderly parent on the other side of the Atlantic who is not well and haven't felt up to doing battle with the council. It just seems so petty!

Anyway - hoping James can work his magic and get it sorted.

[Gardenman]

There's a chance it might be to do with the plastic bags, not what's in them. They can't be composted. If not, you're looking at a jobsworth situation & being privatised, you are the refuse companies customer at the end of the day. Good luck.

[edcam]

Did you put the plastic bag in the bin? If so, that's the problem.

[BrandNewGuy]

As confirmed by a quick visit to the Council website:

http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/530/food_and_garden_waste

[Lollipop]

No plastic bags in bin! Just weeds with mud on them. However, I have now emptied the bin and rebagged all the weeds to take to Norwood recycling centre. Bit of an ordeal and neighbours stopped by to watch me crawling inside bin to get it all out. I have put only kitchen waste and some leaves into it. Tomorrow is collection day - fingers and toes are crossed that they will empty i. Kitchen waste at the bottom is two months old. Hopefully that won't trigger another problem.

[BrandNewGuy]

So when you said, "I [put] them in a heavy duty plastic bag", you meant you tipped the weeds from that bag into the bin but didn't put the bag in?

[Mustard]

What council is this? Maybe ask them for a new garden bin.

[Mustard]

There is also a bin cleaning service I have seen going round the streets in Southwark, perhaps you could contact them.

[Gardenman]

The other possibility is that it may have been Japanese knotweed. This has to be dealt with by licenced operatives. Which is ridiculous & jobs for the boys. Jap knotweed is not as bad as is made out. If it is, just burn it. If it isn't, please let us know. I'm losing sleep over this!!!!

[Jeremy]

Gardenman Wrote:

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> Jap knotweed is not as bad as is made out. If it is, just burn it.

Yes I would have thought that the dead stems you're left with by Jan should be safe to burn.

But not convinced that the bin men go round inspecting our bins for JK..

[Penguin68]

If there were substantial amounts of soil in the bin it could have been excluded in case it was garden soil rather than vegetable waste - soil has stones which could damage machinery designed to shred compost.

[Sue]

Penguin68 Wrote:

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> If there were substantial amounts of soil in the

> bin it could have been excluded in case it was

> garden soil rather than vegetable waste - soil has

> stones which could damage machinery designed to

> shred compost.

Yes, I think they do ask that you don't put soil in the bin.

I'm always worried if I have a bit of compost I can't detach from stuff I'm putting in the bin.

[Lollipop]

Problem solved. I climbed into the bin, emptied it out and put only dried garden waste into it. Bin not only empty but for the first time, put back in its place! Now to need to do a run to the recycling centre who will take the weeds that Southwark won't.

Japanese knotweed stems are quite distinctive. I know as neighbours had it but it has now been treated.It wasn't the problem. It was couch grass I was trying to get rid of and it is very hard to get the soil off the roots. Lesson learned though