Big Rubbish Day

[Crystal Tips]

I was out tonight and Mrs Tips was telling me about a place in Japan where once a month they had Big Rubbish Day where people stuck big stuff outside their houses/flats (sofa's, beds, fridges etc) and it would be taken by others in the community. A friend of hers furnished a flat through it.

Mrs Tips has recently contacted the council who said she had a 7 day wait for big rubbish collection from the council and frustrations about replies on email so we haven't been able to confirm when we can leave stuff out to get picked up. This was after difficulties contacting places that might be able to pick up the stuff to recycle who said we have to stay in all day to pick up - i.e. no street pick up.

So anyway I was wandering whether it was a good idea to have a Big Rubbish Day. Cut all the council admin. If you stick stuff out the front of your gaff on say the first Monday of the month the council will pick it up by the end of the day. You could put some kind of council type sticker on it if you wanted to confirm this. This would make it open season for any other person or white man van to pick stuff up - and re-use recycle stuff - before the council got round.

When I lived in Peckham I stuck stuff out the regularly got snaffled up including a 3 piece suite. My mate in San Francisco says that is what happens there - anything outside your property is fair game - a bit like stuff in a skip.

Just a thought

[Mikecg]

I thought this was ED not skip sifters paradise?

Sounds like a good idea but it is a bit of a pikey thing to do though I would be embarrassed if my house was fully furnished from other peoples cast offs.

[Peckhampam]

I had a big clear out of garden sheds and rubbish. I called the council-really prompt and friendly reply and stuff was picked up the next day. I thought I got really good service. Maybe you rung the day after a collection?

[KalamityKel]

Bit of a dodgy game to play if you're not a particularly responsible member of the community (obviously not meaning YOU) and puts a few things like electrical goods out to be taken... safety can be quite questionable with some things.

[Mellors]

When we moved house I put lots of things outside my place in ED and was delighted they got taken by new owners. A couple of things were left and I took them to the tip in Vale St. I think its brilliant - like a local Freecycle :)

I hope whoever picked up the ailing houseplant I couldnt be bothered to rescue the other day loves it more than I did too!

[RosieH]

Crystal Tips, nice idea.

Mikecg - skip sifters paradise? Hardly. Friend of mine picked up a beautiful fanlight from outside a house renovation in Holland Park (think it's a bit posher there than here) - had it fitted with mirrored glass and it's absolutely stunning.

I'd far rather that furniture that was still fully serviceable (though no longer required) went to a good home than went to landfill.

[tiddles]

great idea - we have often put items out with a note saying 'help yourself'. not always complete rubbish - just stuff we just dont need/have room for. I would love this - free rein to rifle thro some junk! Nothing wrong with skip sifting - as long as you ask first and what a great way to stop unnecessary waste. I would love this!

[Pickle]

It certainly already happens on our street - there is often stuff outside houses with a "help yourself" note, and we have also put things out that we no longer need. I've also had a couple of instances of people knocking on the door asking if they can take stuff that I've left out for the council to collect.

[Mellors]

Oooh, I was spitting mad today. Somebody in Dulwich Village was putting out a lovely set of shelves when I was driving past (clearly posher over there lol) - by the time I turned the car round it had been snaffled by another passer by! You've got to be quick off the mark....

Incidentally, the tip at Vale St is only taking recyclable items from 1 April, so get rid this week if you need to or you will have to go up Walworth Rd or over to Battersea.

[Shu.Kurimu.Sensei]

This is what you mean, in most cities you have to pay more according to the size and how much of the rubbish can be recycled

http://www.city.yokohama.jp/me/naka/contents/english/life/garbage/garbage.html

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=-2-6dEG4W4kC&pg=PA135&lpg=PA135&dq=sodai+gomi&source=bl&ots=UqV0FCxGxt&sig=mQgiVrVnmGS4tVXgGiqZNfC064o&hl=en&ei=t6TGSYmTNIS2jAfbuZmeCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result

http://wordmagix.blogspot.com/2006/04/gomi-japanese-trash-is-serious.html

EDIT:

In the 80s- early 90s yes, it was common for foreign residents to furnish homes with street rubbish, but I believe that its now illegal if the stuff has a paid label on it for collection. Also, in some council approved markets there are sometimes places where you can drop off stuff for others. There was one community that got written about by The Japan Times (a pretty crap paper, actually) and our BBC who have one of the best recycling rates in the world.

Ah, linkage here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/aug/05/recycling.japan

http://www.greenpeace.or.jp/campaign/toxics/zerowaste/localgov/kamikatsu_en_html

If you sign up to a local scheme, depending on the area, on top of the enforced recycling (unless you live in a "mansion") you can also trade your stuff like newspapers and cardboard etc for toilet rolls, blank cdrs (made from corn starch!) and other recycled goods.

[SteveT]

They have a monthly dump day for big stuff in Germany too.

A friend who was strapped for cash, furnished his whole flat with goods saved by driving around the neighbourhood the night before the official guys collect.

They have different days for each area, which also helped.

Would it be an improvement to have the same here?

[monica]

What a great idea, similar to free cycle, I have rescued brand new blinds from a skip outside whitehall and now they adorn my mother in laws conservatory in Belfast.Very good idea

[snorky]

Its a fantastic idea - we dumped a load of kids garden stuff in the garden woth a note saying help yerself - gomn within an hour

its good to see stuff used by someome else and avoid falling into the spiralling vortex of spend