BS: Green bin / green food bin?

Subject: BS: Green bin / green food bin?
From: GUEST,I Don't Know
Date: 16 Mar 12 - 12:51 PM

How many 'catters' have both Green recycle bins and Green Food recyle bins?
Here under Essex County Concil we have both, until today I have always placed potatoe/veg peeling and fruit skin/cores on my compost heap but due to our move the new owners asked us to clear the heap as they wish to use the area for a dog run, so I placed my veggie peelings ect. in my green bin which the men have refused to take and slapped a contanimated notice on it. On ringing the council they said it was because it contained food waste which should have been in the smaller food bin. The stupid part about it is my neighbour got a notice on here food bin and was told it was because she had placed fruit and veg peelings in it and they should be in the large bin!!!
The big question is "do the council know what they are doing or are they making the rules up as they go along".

Subject: RE: BS: Green bin / green food bin?
From: Newport Boy
Date: 16 Mar 12 - 02:06 PM

In South Glos we have a green bin for garden rubbish (suitable for composting) and a food bin. We can now put all waste food - cooked or uncooked, and including meat in the food bin, collected weekly. The only exclusion is uncooked bones, presumably because of CJD. Everything else is collected fortnightly.

So we have:

Black bin - general rubbish, non-recyclable
Green bin - garden rubbish for composting
Food bin
Newspaper bag - can include office paper
Plastic bottle bag - drink bottles, shampoo bottles
Cardboard bag - we can also leave large boxes loose
Green box - for glass and tins.

We have to take cardboard drink boxes to the Sort-It centre, where there are also separate bins and skips for just about everything, including asbestos, waste oil, clothing, shoes, etc. The guys there have sharp eyes and make sure everything goes in the right bin - their bonus depends on it.

Phil

Subject: RE: BS: Green bin / green food bin?
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 16 Mar 12 - 03:18 PM

Guest, have you considered changing the compost 'heap' for a largish plastic compost 'bin'? You can get them fairly cheaply from a garden centre, and they're not as messy as a heap. You could site it wherever it's convenient. It seems a shame to be chucking out all those good compostable peelings and bits! It's surprising how fast they turn it into compost and it's great stuff for your garden.

Subject: RE: BS: Green bin / green food bin?
From: GUEST,I Don't Know
Date: 16 Mar 12 - 04:46 PM

Yes. we have two compost bins we are taking with us but need them clean and empty for transport so just for now is using the recyling bins.

Subject: RE: BS: Green bin / green food bin?
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 16 Mar 12 - 07:12 PM

The short answer is that only the Local Council knows, and no two use the same criteria apparently.

In the Tonbridge & Malling area of Kent we have:

Black bin - Non recycle stuff and plastic bags
Green bin - Food waste, garden waste for composting and cardboard
Green box - Tin cans and paper.

We take all glass and plastic to the bottle bank in our village, otherwise it would go in the black bin and not be recycled. All three units are collected fortnightly, so in summer we have just about the best maggot farm in the country.

Don T.