Recycling every two weeks

[Miacis]

When did the recycling bin collection change to every two weeks? We easily fill our big blue bin every week so will have to put a weeks worth of recycling into the normal bin. This just seems daft? How are others managing?

We must have missed the notification as it was every week until Xmas. I assume this is a result of cuts

[nxjen]

If your blue bin had been collected every week you've been lucky. Collection of blue bins alternating with collection of the big green bins every two weeks has been the practice for (guessing) three or four years.

[Peckhampam]

its been at least a year that green and blue bins have alternated each week, with brown bins every week - because they contain food waste I take it.

[Penguin68]

For those living in houses (single or multiple occupancy) it was about 25 (or fewer) years ago that the council first issued wheelie bins - (green in colour) to replace the old style dustbins most people had - then about 10-12 years ago they issued blue plastic boxes for recycling tins and bottles and blue bags for paper and cardboard. They then issued blue wheelie bins for all paper, plastic, glass and tins recycling and finally brown bins (and kitchen caddies) for organic recycling. There have been 3 bins collected for at least the last 3 years (and I suspect slightly longer) - on the same cycle as now - brown every week, with green and blue alternating. [Out of interest the same gang collects the brown every week, with a second gang taking the blue/ green bins alternatively]. Although the collection methods are different I think the same philosophy also operated for collections from large blocks - although 'individual' wheelie bins weren't issued there.

[Phlox]

Miacis Wrote:

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> When did the recycling bin collection change to

> every two weeks? We easily fill our big blue bin

> every week so will have to put a weeks worth of

> recycling into the normal bin. This just seems

> daft? How are others managing?

>

> We must have missed the notification as it was

> every week until Xmas. I assume this is a result

> of cuts

What road do you live in where they emptied your blue bin every week?

[kford]

It's been every two weeks for us as long as we've had the big blue bins. They do fill up quickly though.

[Andrew1011]

If you are recyclling more every week than your blue bin will hold then you're probably not compactng cardboard and plastic bottles, etc. If you compact your recycling and still have more than your blue bin will contain then request a second blue bin.

As has been said, the blue recycling and green general waste bins bins have been emptied from houses and most street flats every two weeks since we have had three wheelie bins.

[Miacis]

Clearly I have missed this somehow. Feel a right eejit.

Note to self : drink Much less beer, wine and learn fine art of compacting plastic bottles and cans. Meanwhile if you see a mad woman jumping up and down on top of blue bin contents you'll know why

[ianr]

Perhaps neighbours would be happy to let you use any spare capacity in their blue bin the day before collection.

[uncleglen]

I cut the top off plastic bottle and shove it inside with other bottles. Our household is 4 people and we fill the blue bin every 2 weeks.

[Countrlass22]

Ours fills every 2 weeks to household 2

Wonders how managed with blue box...end up nags shredded stuff nite before on top...

Thats with compacted items.

Grateful for big blue bin glad see how many using them now.

And that is all recucled re used at southwarks new plant.

Green bin less full now

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Miacis, if you have too many recyclables to fit in your blue bin, if you put the excess in a clear plastic bag next to you bin (ie so that the contents of the bag are clearly visible as recyclables) the bag will be collected when your blue bin is emptied.

Renata

[Countrlass22]

Exactly Renata thankyou

Thats what i do they always take the extras as long clear are for recycling as stated see through bag.

Even green bin if small unwanted items can be in bin day of collection as long as not sharp no nails they will take wuth green bin.not to leave bags rubbish next bins on floor though or foxes rip open at night whether no food or not as hear dulwich they around from dark through to morning. 4 am looking for food...

[cactus]

I'm always struck by the unfairness of the recycling system.

Residents on your usual streets have to follow certain rules about how to dispose of their rubbish/recycling.

Whereas in blocks of flats, no such rules, and everyone is free to dump their recyclable items into huge communal

bins.

I live in a biggish new build development, and it drives me nuts that many of my neighbours don't recycle because it's voluntary. Grrrrr.

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

I think my definition of unfair is different to yours.

[SusieSoo]

It's such a shame that people have to find so many workarounds to accomodate the change to 2 week recycling. Would have been far simpler if the council had stuck with weekly collections.

[JohnL]

Home compression equipment needed - with some kind of thing you can add to stop smells :)

[singalto]

The weekly collection for recycling was, I'm sure, in the days of the recycling boxes. The. Blue bins are more than twice the size of the boxes.

[dc]

singalto Wrote:

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> The weekly collection for recycling was, I'm sure,

> in the days of the recycling boxes. The Blue bins

> are more than twice the size of the boxes.

Correct. 55 litres vs 240 litres. So 4.4 times the capacity.

[cosmonaut]

I would love it if recycling could be picked up weekly. I share a recycling bin with my middle and downstairs neighbours (one bin for five people) and it regularly fills up within days of being emptied. We don't have room anywhere for a second bin.

I used to have a separate recycling box that I put out alongside the bin, but the binmen took it away one day, and it took weeks to have it returned. It now lives permanently in the flat and gets decanted into the big bin to avoid it being abducted again.

[tomskip]

On a side note, why are there so many full sized brown wheelie bins out on the pavements? I live opposite a row of maisonettes with tiny back yards which have two outside each property. Wouldn't one between two flats suffice?

[Sue]

tomskip Wrote:

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> On a side note, why are there so many full sized

> brown wheelie bins out on the pavements? I live

> opposite a row of maisonettes with tiny back yards

> which have two outside each property. Wouldn't one

> between two flats suffice?

Or else those smaller brown bins (a slightly larger version of the brown bins they distributed for use in the kitchen).

[James Barber]

You can ask for a second blue bin.

Any problems let me know.

cosmonaut Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I would love it if recycling could be picked up

> weekly. I share a recycling bin with my middle and

> downstairs neighbours (one bin for five people)

> and it regularly fills up within days of being

> emptied. We don't have room anywhere for a second

> bin.

>

> I used to have a separate recycling box that I put

> out alongside the bin, but the binmen took it away

> one day, and it took weeks to have it returned. It

> now lives permanently in the flat and gets

> decanted into the big bin to avoid it being

> abducted again.

[Rosetta]

James Barber Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> You can ask for a second blue bin.

> Any problems let me know.

>

> cosmonaut Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > I would love it if recycling could be picked up

> > weekly. I share a recycling bin with my middle

> and

> > downstairs neighbours (one bin for five people)

> > and it regularly fills up within days of being

> > emptied. We don't have room anywhere for a

> second

> > bin.

> >

> > I used to have a separate recycling box that I

> put

> > out alongside the bin, but the binmen took it

> away

> > one day, and it took weeks to have it returned.

> It

> > now lives permanently in the flat and gets

> > decanted into the big bin to avoid it being

> > abducted again.

The OP said they don't have room for a second bin.....

[James Barber]

Oops missed that.

Then we could seek to replace the 240L wheelie bin with a 360L one. But they'll need to email me to try organising this.