'Bin spies' checking your rubbish (From Daily Echo)
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Bin men being asked to keep an eye on what people put in their bins by councils
11:10am Thursday 21st March 2013 in News
By Julian Robinson, Eastleigh Chief Reporter
Cllr Asa Thorpe – pictured launching the new bin for garden waste – says bins containing unacceptable materials will not be emptied.
COUNCIL snoopers are spying on the contents of hundreds of thousands of wheelie bins across Hampshire, the Daily Echo can reveal.
Bin men across large areas of the county are being asked to keep an eye on what people are throwing in their plastic containers. In Southampton, residents who break the rules will be reminded of possible “enforcement measures”, according to a council report.
And anyone tempted to throw their leaves, cut grass and unwanted foliage in their recycling or household waste bins in Eastleigh could be logged in a computer, receive an automatically generated letter or face a visit from a council officer.
The council will also refuse to take the rubbish away.
Bin checks With other authorities, including Fareham, Winchester, Test Valley and the New Forest, bin men are also asked to check up on what people are throwing away. Some send out information leaflets or attach notes to bins if they find residents trying to stash rubbish in the wrong container.
As previously reported by the Daily Echo, civic chiefs in Southampton and Eastleigh want people to pay for a controversial third plastic bin outside their homes for garden waste.
Now council tax campaigners fear “rubbish police” in the two communities will keep a close eye on whether garden waste is being placed in the right container.
In Eastleigh, rubbish will go uncollected and a note will be attached to the top of the wheelie bin if an offender is found.
Refuse collectors will use in-cab technology to make a note of the property involved and repeat offenders will then be sent an automatically generated letter.
If that fails, further letters will be sent before the resident receives a visit from a council officer.
But ultimately, there will be no fines for those who constantly break the rules with waste simply going uncollected until bins contain the right materials.
Refuse collectors in Southampton will also be asked to carry out checks during rounds while residents will be reminded of possible “enforcement measures” should greenery find its way in to domestic waste. Last night the council was unable to say what those measures were.
Jonathan Isaby, political director of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, said charging residents for garden waste collection was “the thin end of the wedge” for residents.
And he added: “One of the most basic services that people expect in return for their cash is for their rubbish to be collected. “The idea that the councils are going to use rubbish police to rifle through people’s bins and spy on their waste will be especially alarming to local residents.”
Don Thomas Southampton city councillor for the Coxford area said the policy of refuse collectors checking through bins was “ridiculous”.
He added: “The average resident out there already understands the importance of where to put rubbish but now they almost feel they have to walk on egg shells and be so careful about what they throw away.
“Putting things in the right bin is now becoming a chore rather than something people would want to do happily and on a voluntary basis.
Unscrupulous methods “I certainly believe this is going to cause more fly-tipping. I think unscrupulous people with lots of garden waste may also now look for alternative ways of disposing of their waste.”
Councils say the aim of checking waste is to educate residents about recycling, avoid the risk of contaminating a load and encouraging homeowners to put the correct materials in each bin.
Southampton City Council’s Cabinet member for the environment, Asa Thorpe, said: “It’s important that the council collects good quality materials for recycling and composting.
“If any garden waste bag contains materials that are not accepted, like bricks, it will not be collected. If the materials are removed the bag will be emptied on the next scheduled collection date.
“The contamination of recycling and general waste reduced the quality of our recycling and there is a risk that it will be rejected by the re-processors. This means the council loses income and also has to pay for the disposal of these items.
Cllr Thorpe refused to confirm what the “enforcement measures” were, but said the council were “concentrating on educating at the moment, as opposed to punishment.”
Comments(71)
OSPREYSAINT
says...
11:38am Thu 21 Mar 13
IronLady2010
says...
11:41am Thu 21 Mar 13
Sort your own house out before you start picking on us!
shirley-bill
says...
11:57am Thu 21 Mar 13
Mr E
says...
12:03pm Thu 21 Mar 13
There is NOTHING about this on Easlteigh BC's Website.
Urbane Forager
says...
12:09pm Thu 21 Mar 13
Why would anyone not recycle? - It is stupid and selfish not to do so.
Putting the wrong items in your bins is almost as bad as littering or fly tipping.
Everyone should recycle as much as they can obviously and this is facilitated by our bin system.
You can also build a simple compost heap, if you have a garden, this quickly turns scraps into something good for the plants.
If you don't help to improve recycling rates, you cannot really complain if your back yard becomes a landfill.
If you are unable to distiguish which bin is which and what is supposed to go into them, I expect the council can send you out a leaflet with big writing and simple language...
OSPREYSAINT
says...
12:10pm Thu 21 Mar 13
Ben Durutti
says...
12:11pm Thu 21 Mar 13
sotonbusdriver
says...
12:30pm Thu 21 Mar 13
A very silly waste of tax payers money in policing and monitoring rubbish,,, Typical of Councils to waste such money when they are screaming of shortfalls in revenue
townieboy
says...
12:31pm Thu 21 Mar 13
....no one ever checks the bins. As long as its shut and all cutting are in a bag your safe enough.
townieboy
says...
12:34pm Thu 21 Mar 13
03alpe01
says...
12:51pm Thu 21 Mar 13
For pity sake
says...
12:57pm Thu 21 Mar 13
They distribute extra recycling sacks to encourage us to reduce what we put in the black bags.
However, they don't extend the range of what they can recycle. Thus it's no tetrapaks, no yoghurt pots, no shredded paper etc. etc.
It's about time recycling policy was driven centrally rather than being left to inefficient local government. The packaging industry should be pressured into developing a set of plastics which could have a well-defined process of recycling rather than the confusing jumble we have now.
st1halo
says...
1:03pm Thu 21 Mar 13
IronLady2010 wrote:Agree with that and not just the recycling lorries!
No problem, maybe us residents should become Green Waste Lorry spies, if we were ALL to report each missed collection the Council would never cope with the volume of complaints!
Sort your own house out before you start picking on us!
If I pull the normal wheelie bin out by two feet they empty it, if not they don't! Sometimes they open it and just take one bag out! When they do tip it they leave the bin half way down the road.
They need to get "the average bin collector to understand what his job is"
SPIKEISLANDTRADER
says...
1:31pm Thu 21 Mar 13
solents
says...
1:32pm Thu 21 Mar 13
repcosy
says...
1:34pm Thu 21 Mar 13
Urbane Forager wrote:Partially i do agree...
I think this is a good thing.
Why would anyone not recycle? - It is stupid and selfish not to do so.
Putting the wrong items in your bins is almost as bad as littering or fly tipping.
Everyone should recycle as much as they can obviously and this is facilitated by our bin system.
You can also build a simple compost heap, if you have a garden, this quickly turns scraps into something good for the plants.
If you don't help to improve recycling rates, you cannot really complain if your back yard becomes a landfill.
If you are unable to distiguish which bin is which and what is supposed to go into them, I expect the council can send you out a leaflet with big writing and simple language...
I am not a persistent recycler myself, but i did make a point of putting all our glass bottles in a bin outside... however one day the council did not take it so i rung them and they said they would come back and collect it and when they did...
what bin did they put it in... household waste! I was livid! I went to the effort of recycling and they chucked it all in landfill! Here they are banging on about a small amount of grass cuttings which would decompose and they chucked tons of glass in there! hypocrites!
soton-mike80
says...
1:35pm Thu 21 Mar 13
OSPREYSAINT wrote:hahaha!! Love it!!
Quote: “The average resident out there already understands the importance of where to put rubbish but now they almost feel they have to walk on egg shells and be so careful about what they throw away". OK once you have walked on the egg shells, which bin do they go in?
SPIKEISLANDTRADER
says...
1:36pm Thu 21 Mar 13
solents wrote:Identity fraud !!! Someone checking my BINS will certainly be challenged and forcefully stopped . Or are you arguing that we should allow snooping in our bins ?
I'm all for it too.The councils have targets to meet set by the government. These targets are set to ensure that the council recycles all the waste that it can and not let recyclable materials go to landfill. Employing a Bin Checker costs a lot less than what they can make on meeting targets so as far as the council are concerned then its a no brainer. Too many people are too quick to accuse an honest man of doing an honest job. Effectively when that waste is in a council bin out on the street ready for collection then you no longer own it. It belongs to the council and they can take a look at it even if its under the guise of H&S and ensuring that they are not transporting dangerous or banned good and articles which have been placed in the bins either unsuspectingly or deliberately. In this instance the council appear to be employing someone to help them save money.
Mr Price
says...
1:40pm Thu 21 Mar 13
Mr Price
says...
1:44pm Thu 21 Mar 13
Saintlygirl
says...
1:45pm Thu 21 Mar 13
Quentin Heslop
says...
1:47pm Thu 21 Mar 13
one in a million
says...
1:51pm Thu 21 Mar 13
cantthinkofone
says...
1:56pm Thu 21 Mar 13
roofspace
says...
2:01pm Thu 21 Mar 13
In what was the City Engineers Dept the buck stops NOWHERE. Isn't privatisation a wonderful thing - just imagine how bad it must of been when the council was responsible........
jonvon21
says...
2:08pm Thu 21 Mar 13
Big brother indeed but not very carefully thought out I think!
freefinker
says...
2:36pm Thu 21 Mar 13
Urbane Forager wrote:.. absolutely. Well said. There is no excuse for not using the corrects bins. Our recycling rates in the UK are pathetic enough as it is, without people making this worse by not using the right bins.
I think this is a good thing.
Why would anyone not recycle? - It is stupid and selfish not to do so.
Putting the wrong items in your bins is almost as bad as littering or fly tipping.
Everyone should recycle as much as they can obviously and this is facilitated by our bin system.
You can also build a simple compost heap, if you have a garden, this quickly turns scraps into something good for the plants.
If you don't help to improve recycling rates, you cannot really complain if your back yard becomes a landfill.
If you are unable to distiguish which bin is which and what is supposed to go into them, I expect the council can send you out a leaflet with big writing and simple language...
If there are 'bin snoopers' checking bin contents, I say good on them. We need more as well as effective financial penalties for offenders.
chunky_lover
says...
2:51pm Thu 21 Mar 13
sarfhamton
says...
3:48pm Thu 21 Mar 13
loosehead
says...
4:09pm Thu 21 Mar 13
Linesman
says...
4:22pm Thu 21 Mar 13
For pity sake wrote:The good Tories in the New Forest charge for taking garden waste.
The good Tories in the New Forest have the answer to reducing land-fill:
They distribute extra recycling sacks to encourage us to reduce what we put in the black bags.
However, they don't extend the range of what they can recycle. Thus it's no tetrapaks, no yoghurt pots, no shredded paper etc. etc.
It's about time recycling policy was driven centrally rather than being left to inefficient local government. The packaging industry should be pressured into developing a set of plastics which could have a well-defined process of recycling rather than the confusing jumble we have now.
Eric_Cartman
says...
4:25pm Thu 21 Mar 13
st1halo
says...
4:39pm Thu 21 Mar 13
SPIKEISLANDTRADER wrote:That couldn't possibly work. Everyone would opt out just to save money and then start to dump rubbish everywhere! As unreliable as the Council are, the public would be much worse!
Why dont we have the option to dispose / recycle our own rubbish. There must be 1000 s that would opt out of being charged through our council tax . Rather than being charged EXTRA for having a garden waste collection and increased council tax payments . Fair solution for all. Bulk household collections use to be free , the same as garden waste. Council s cant have it ALL their own way , just to get MORE MONEY out of us .
mickey01
says...
5:09pm Thu 21 Mar 13
freefinker wrote:its not he fact that they are not being used but not used properly my neighbours never break up cardboard boxes never take the tops off and crush plastic milk bottles and then put the plastic in plastic carrier bags which defeats the excercise
Urbane Forager wrote:.. absolutely. Well said. There is no excuse for not using the corrects bins. Our recycling rates in the UK are pathetic enough as it is, without people making this worse by not using the right bins.
I think this is a good thing.
Why would anyone not recycle? - It is stupid and selfish not to do so.
Putting the wrong items in your bins is almost as bad as littering or fly tipping.
Everyone should recycle as much as they can obviously and this is facilitated by our bin system.
You can also build a simple compost heap, if you have a garden, this quickly turns scraps into something good for the plants.
If you don't help to improve recycling rates, you cannot really complain if your back yard becomes a landfill.
If you are unable to distiguish which bin is which and what is supposed to go into them, I expect the council can send you out a leaflet with big writing and simple language...
If there are 'bin snoopers' checking bin contents, I say good on them. We need more as well as effective financial penalties for offenders.
chrisja
says...
5:29pm Thu 21 Mar 13
huckit P
says...
5:43pm Thu 21 Mar 13
freefinker
says...
5:54pm Thu 21 Mar 13
mickey01 wrote:.. yep, you're quite right. Another reason to heap condemnation on a large percentage of the population. It's not as though it's difficult, is it? Let’s have lots more bin snoopers and heavy penalties for offenders. There's no excuse for not doing it properly.
freefinker wrote:its not he fact that they are not being used but not used properly my neighbours never break up cardboard boxes never take the tops off and crush plastic milk bottles and then put the plastic in plastic carrier bags which defeats the excercise
Urbane Forager wrote:.. absolutely. Well said. There is no excuse for not using the corrects bins. Our recycling rates in the UK are pathetic enough as it is, without people making this worse by not using the right bins.
I think this is a good thing.
Why would anyone not recycle? - It is stupid and selfish not to do so.
Putting the wrong items in your bins is almost as bad as littering or fly tipping.
Everyone should recycle as much as they can obviously and this is facilitated by our bin system.
You can also build a simple compost heap, if you have a garden, this quickly turns scraps into something good for the plants.
If you don't help to improve recycling rates, you cannot really complain if your back yard becomes a landfill.
If you are unable to distiguish which bin is which and what is supposed to go into them, I expect the council can send you out a leaflet with big writing and simple language...
If there are 'bin snoopers' checking bin contents, I say good on them. We need more as well as effective financial penalties for offenders.
freefinker
says...
5:57pm Thu 21 Mar 13
huckit P wrote:.. use chicken wire under the bin and a little way up the outside. Keeps out rats and doesn't interfere with the composting processes.
When I started a compost heap I also got rats. I know they don't always show up in all compaost heaps but my neighbours warned me they had the same problems. I bought the proper compost bin, used composting enhancer - the lot. But all I got were rats and they have cost me a fortune to get rid of. Never again.
sparkster
says...
6:31pm Thu 21 Mar 13
D.a.v.e
says...
6:34pm Thu 21 Mar 13
Every autumn my front garden is covered by leaves from local roadside trees and up until now I have filled my green bag with them. In future they will get swept onto the pavement to be collected because I will not be paying the council to collect what is not mine to start with.
Donald2000
says...
6:36pm Thu 21 Mar 13
Eric_Cartman wrote:Yes, let's spend loads more money on officious little council workers who come round and see what's in your bin. After all, it's not as though the money could be better spent, eh what, me old Chumley Warner.
So they should check if people are recycling properly. There's no excuse not to; they provide us with different bins. Failing to segregate seriously reduces the value of recycling. If people persistently refuse to segregate then they should be sanctioned.
IronLady2010
says...
6:41pm Thu 21 Mar 13
freefinker wrote:freefinker, I have a patch of Lawn maybe 15ft x 9ft, most green waste comes off Council owned trees when the leaves drop. Should I pay to have it collected?
huckit P wrote:.. use chicken wire under the bin and a little way up the outside. Keeps out rats and doesn't interfere with the composting processes.
When I started a compost heap I also got rats. I know they don't always show up in all compaost heaps but my neighbours warned me they had the same problems. I bought the proper compost bin, used composting enhancer - the lot. But all I got were rats and they have cost me a fortune to get rid of. Never again.
My small lawn will less than quarter fill a black bag each month, so I don't feel I should pay to have it collected,it's a ridiculous amount to suggest.
I'm happy to go to the tip, but am sure others will be in the same situation whereby they're getting rid of Council rubbish at a cost to themselves.
hampshire
says...
6:41pm Thu 21 Mar 13
IronLady2010
says...
6:44pm Thu 21 Mar 13
IronLady2010 wrote:If a neighbours cat shats on my bit of grass and I witness it, I simply flick it back on their doorstep, the same with those smelly dogs.
freefinker wrote:freefinker, I have a patch of Lawn maybe 15ft x 9ft, most green waste comes off Council owned trees when the leaves drop. Should I pay to have it collected?
huckit P wrote:.. use chicken wire under the bin and a little way up the outside. Keeps out rats and doesn't interfere with the composting processes.
When I started a compost heap I also got rats. I know they don't always show up in all compaost heaps but my neighbours warned me they had the same problems. I bought the proper compost bin, used composting enhancer - the lot. But all I got were rats and they have cost me a fortune to get rid of. Never again.
My small lawn will less than quarter fill a black bag each month, so I don't feel I should pay to have it collected,it's a ridiculous amount to suggest.
I'm happy to go to the tip, but am sure others will be in the same situation whereby they're getting rid of Council rubbish at a cost to themselves.
SPIKEISLANDTRADER
says...
6:53pm Thu 21 Mar 13
st1halo wrote:So we just pay & shut up ! Fly tipping will increase ANYWAY but its about choice , not about £££££££ . I certainly will not pay more to have garden waste collected , compost is the solution , and burn what cant be rotted down.
SPIKEISLANDTRADER wrote:That couldn't possibly work. Everyone would opt out just to save money and then start to dump rubbish everywhere! As unreliable as the Council are, the public would be much worse!
Why dont we have the option to dispose / recycle our own rubbish. There must be 1000 s that would opt out of being charged through our council tax . Rather than being charged EXTRA for having a garden waste collection and increased council tax payments . Fair solution for all. Bulk household collections use to be free , the same as garden waste. Council s cant have it ALL their own way , just to get MORE MONEY out of us .
Lockssmart
says...
7:58pm Thu 21 Mar 13
Huffter
says...
7:59pm Thu 21 Mar 13
03alpe01
says...
8:03pm Thu 21 Mar 13
Huffter wrote:or more to the point, who'd want to inspect it?
If you've thrown something away, why would you worry about who inspects it?
freefinker
says...
8:47pm Thu 21 Mar 13
Lockssmart wrote:.. oh dear, has J.P.M not come out to play with you tonight? Ah, diddums, poor thing.
Free Finger talks too much.
freefinker
says...
8:57pm Thu 21 Mar 13
IronLady2010 wrote:.. have you looked into getting a wormery? E.G. http://www.originalo
freefinker wrote:freefinker, I have a patch of Lawn maybe 15ft x 9ft, most green waste comes off Council owned trees when the leaves drop. Should I pay to have it collected?
huckit P wrote:.. use chicken wire under the bin and a little way up the outside. Keeps out rats and doesn't interfere with the composting processes.
When I started a compost heap I also got rats. I know they don't always show up in all compaost heaps but my neighbours warned me they had the same problems. I bought the proper compost bin, used composting enhancer - the lot. But all I got were rats and they have cost me a fortune to get rid of. Never again.
My small lawn will less than quarter fill a black bag each month, so I don't feel I should pay to have it collected,it's a ridiculous amount to suggest.
I'm happy to go to the tip, but am sure others will be in the same situation whereby they're getting rid of Council rubbish at a cost to themselves.
rganics.co.uk/the-or
iginal-wormery.htm
Can be kept indoors, will do the kitchen waste as well.
Lockssmart
says...
9:02pm Thu 21 Mar 13
freefinker wrote:J.p.m. Hasn't because it's you!
Lockssmart wrote:.. oh dear, has J.P.M not come out to play with you tonight? Ah, diddums, poor thing.
Free Finger talks too much.
loosehead
says...
9:06pm Thu 21 Mar 13
huckit P wrote:huckit P get some wire mesh( thick Wire) criss cross it & put it under your compost bin or under & around it if you've made your own bin,
When I started a compost heap I also got rats. I know they don't always show up in all compaost heaps but my neighbours warned me they had the same problems. I bought the proper compost bin, used composting enhancer - the lot. But all I got were rats and they have cost me a fortune to get rid of. Never again.
I've just built a compost bin on my allotment & we have to do this to allow the worms in but keep rodents out I hope this informations useful?
loosehead
says...
9:08pm Thu 21 Mar 13
SPIKEISLANDTRADER wrote:We only put our bins out about once a month so we would love to only pay for what we make.
Why dont we have the option to dispose / recycle our own rubbish. There must be 1000 s that would opt out of being charged through our council tax . Rather than being charged EXTRA for having a garden waste collection and increased council tax payments . Fair solution for all. Bulk household collections use to be free , the same as garden waste. Council s cant have it ALL their own way , just to get MORE MONEY out of us .
but what about large or young families?
loosehead
says...
9:09pm Thu 21 Mar 13
SaintM
says...
9:19pm Thu 21 Mar 13
Eric_Cartman
says...
9:51pm Thu 21 Mar 13
Donald2000 wrote:The refuse collector men do it. It happens in a lot of towns here and the rest of Europe. Do you think they'd have a smartly dressed civil servant with a bowler hat and a neat little clip board dong it? Noooooooo!
Eric_Cartman wrote:Yes, let's spend loads more money on officious little council workers who come round and see what's in your bin. After all, it's not as though the money could be better spent, eh what, me old Chumley Warner.
So they should check if people are recycling properly. There's no excuse not to; they provide us with different bins. Failing to segregate seriously reduces the value of recycling. If people persistently refuse to segregate then they should be sanctioned.
Donald2000
says...
10:43pm Thu 21 Mar 13
Eric_Cartman wrote:The refuse men do it. Are they qualified to carry out investigations under RIPA2000? What would they be looking for? How can they prove where any given rubbish comes from? What evidential value would such researches into people's bins have?
Donald2000 wrote:The refuse collector men do it. It happens in a lot of towns here and the rest of Europe. Do you think they'd have a smartly dressed civil servant with a bowler hat and a neat little clip board dong it? Noooooooo!
Eric_Cartman wrote:Yes, let's spend loads more money on officious little council workers who come round and see what's in your bin. After all, it's not as though the money could be better spent, eh what, me old Chumley Warner.
So they should check if people are recycling properly. There's no excuse not to; they provide us with different bins. Failing to segregate seriously reduces the value of recycling. If people persistently refuse to segregate then they should be sanctioned.
Oh well, I suppose local government is used to wasting money and spying on the citizenry, so why am I not surprised to see this ridiculous move being mooted?
sotonboy84
says...
10:51pm Thu 21 Mar 13
Eric_Cartman
says...
11:33pm Thu 21 Mar 13
Donald2000 wrote:Yes, bin men do check the rubbish. To be honest, I don't know what qualifications you think are needed to distinguish between a plastic coke bottle and a bit of old cabbage or whatever. In Andover, they have a look in your recycling bin and if there are non-recyclables in it, they stick a polite notice on it and they don't empty it. Only lazy, selfish and/or irresponsible people will get fined or otherwise sanctioned by this.
Eric_Cartman wrote:The refuse men do it. Are they qualified to carry out investigations under RIPA2000? What would they be looking for? How can they prove where any given rubbish comes from? What evidential value would such researches into people's bins have?
Donald2000 wrote:The refuse collector men do it. It happens in a lot of towns here and the rest of Europe. Do you think they'd have a smartly dressed civil servant with a bowler hat and a neat little clip board dong it? Noooooooo!
Eric_Cartman wrote:Yes, let's spend loads more money on officious little council workers who come round and see what's in your bin. After all, it's not as though the money could be better spent, eh what, me old Chumley Warner.
So they should check if people are recycling properly. There's no excuse not to; they provide us with different bins. Failing to segregate seriously reduces the value of recycling. If people persistently refuse to segregate then they should be sanctioned.
Oh well, I suppose local government is used to wasting money and spying on the citizenry, so why am I not surprised to see this ridiculous move being mooted?
jamcam
says...
12:25am Fri 22 Mar 13
chunky_lover
says...
2:18am Fri 22 Mar 13
SaintM wrote:A spy infers it might be someone intelligent, make no mistake these are min wage council workers.
surely its cheaper to collect waste then employ spies
Dusty
says...
2:58am Fri 22 Mar 13
shirley-bill wrote:Put your recycle in black bin bags and it wont get collected in Eastleigh, that's why you have clear sacks or put recycle in the bin loose.
put it in black bags and then in the bin, SSC say that bin men cannot open up bin bags ,also HS say this to.
Donald2000
says...
8:50am Fri 22 Mar 13
Eric_Cartman wrote:Oh yes, it's all so highly important, isn't it Eric? It must be at the top of your agenda because you are so knowledgeable about all of it. In the meantime, some North Korean is boasting about wanting to blow up the world.and making a pre-emptive strike on the United States. It seems to me you won't have to worry about recycling then?
Donald2000 wrote:Yes, bin men do check the rubbish. To be honest, I don't know what qualifications you think are needed to distinguish between a plastic coke bottle and a bit of old cabbage or whatever. In Andover, they have a look in your recycling bin and if there are non-recyclables in it, they stick a polite notice on it and they don't empty it. Only lazy, selfish and/or irresponsible people will get fined or otherwise sanctioned by this.
Eric_Cartman wrote:The refuse men do it. Are they qualified to carry out investigations under RIPA2000? What would they be looking for? How can they prove where any given rubbish comes from? What evidential value would such researches into people's bins have?
Donald2000 wrote:The refuse collector men do it. It happens in a lot of towns here and the rest of Europe. Do you think they'd have a smartly dressed civil servant with a bowler hat and a neat little clip board dong it? Noooooooo!
Eric_Cartman wrote:Yes, let's spend loads more money on officious little council workers who come round and see what's in your bin. After all, it's not as though the money could be better spent, eh what, me old Chumley Warner.
So they should check if people are recycling properly. There's no excuse not to; they provide us with different bins. Failing to segregate seriously reduces the value of recycling. If people persistently refuse to segregate then they should be sanctioned.
Oh well, I suppose local government is used to wasting money and spying on the citizenry, so why am I not surprised to see this ridiculous move being mooted?
opera phantom
says...
10:06am Fri 22 Mar 13
are just like the old East Germany Stassi.
Any ruse to get more money out of us suckers.
What about the fact that nearly a third of recycled material collected nationally
ends up in a landfill site.
Most politicians national or local are just
lying cheating parasites.
Urbane Forager
says...
11:10am Fri 22 Mar 13
freefinker wrote:I remember seeing this when the bin strike was on, recycling bins overflowing with recyclable material in pastic carrier bags... Duh!
mickey01 wrote:.. yep, you're quite right. Another reason to heap condemnation on a large percentage of the population. It's not as though it's difficult, is it? Let’s have lots more bin snoopers and heavy penalties for offenders. There's no excuse for not doing it properly.freefinker wrote:its not he fact that they are not being used but not used properly my neighbours never break up cardboard boxes never take the tops off and crush plastic milk bottles and then put the plastic in plastic carrier bags which defeats the excerciseUrbane Forager wrote: I think this is a good thing. Why would anyone not recycle? - It is stupid and selfish not to do so. Putting the wrong items in your bins is almost as bad as littering or fly tipping. Everyone should recycle as much as they can obviously and this is facilitated by our bin system. You can also build a simple compost heap, if you have a garden, this quickly turns scraps into something good for the plants. If you don't help to improve recycling rates, you cannot really complain if your back yard becomes a landfill. If you are unable to distiguish which bin is which and what is supposed to go into them, I expect the council can send you out a leaflet with big writing and simple language..... absolutely. Well said. There is no excuse for not using the corrects bins. Our recycling rates in the UK are pathetic enough as it is, without people making this worse by not using the right bins. If there are 'bin snoopers' checking bin contents, I say good on them. We need more as well as effective financial penalties for offenders.
Urbane Forager
says...
11:15am Fri 22 Mar 13
freefinker wrote:Composts will not encourage rats - provided you put the correct things into them - i.e. no cooked or meat products.
IronLady2010 wrote:.. have you looked into getting a wormery? E.G. http://www.originalo rganics.co.uk/the-or iginal-wormery.htm Can be kept indoors, will do the kitchen waste as well.freefinker wrote:freefinker, I have a patch of Lawn maybe 15ft x 9ft, most green waste comes off Council owned trees when the leaves drop. Should I pay to have it collected? My small lawn will less than quarter fill a black bag each month, so I don't feel I should pay to have it collected,it's a ridiculous amount to suggest. I'm happy to go to the tip, but am sure others will be in the same situation whereby they're getting rid of Council rubbish at a cost to themselves.huckit P wrote: When I started a compost heap I also got rats. I know they don't always show up in all compaost heaps but my neighbours warned me they had the same problems. I bought the proper compost bin, used composting enhancer - the lot. But all I got were rats and they have cost me a fortune to get rid of. Never again... use chicken wire under the bin and a little way up the outside. Keeps out rats and doesn't interfere with the composting processes.
You can also use chicken wire as suggested above if this does become a problem.
There is loads of good info and equipment available.
I just used a couple of small pallets and it works fine - we have a ready supply for the garden and massively reduce what we chuck into the bin.
The heap is full of worms but not rats!
Urbane Forager
says...
11:22am Fri 22 Mar 13
Donald2000 wrote:I can't quite see how your argument about North Korea works in a discussion about rubbish bins.
Eric_Cartman wrote:Oh yes, it's all so highly important, isn't it Eric? It must be at the top of your agenda because you are so knowledgeable about all of it. In the meantime, some North Korean is boasting about wanting to blow up the world.and making a pre-emptive strike on the United States. It seems to me you won't have to worry about recycling then?Donald2000 wrote:Yes, bin men do check the rubbish. To be honest, I don't know what qualifications you think are needed to distinguish between a plastic coke bottle and a bit of old cabbage or whatever. In Andover, they have a look in your recycling bin and if there are non-recyclables in it, they stick a polite notice on it and they don't empty it. Only lazy, selfish and/or irresponsible people will get fined or otherwise sanctioned by this.Eric_Cartman wrote:The refuse men do it. Are they qualified to carry out investigations under RIPA2000? What would they be looking for? How can they prove where any given rubbish comes from? What evidential value would such researches into people's bins have? Oh well, I suppose local government is used to wasting money and spying on the citizenry, so why am I not surprised to see this ridiculous move being mooted?Donald2000 wrote:The refuse collector men do it. It happens in a lot of towns here and the rest of Europe. Do you think they'd have a smartly dressed civil servant with a bowler hat and a neat little clip board dong it? Noooooooo!Eric_Cartman wrote: So they should check if people are recycling properly. There's no excuse not to; they provide us with different bins. Failing to segregate seriously reduces the value of recycling. If people persistently refuse to segregate then they should be sanctioned.Yes, let's spend loads more money on officious little council workers who come round and see what's in your bin. After all, it's not as though the money could be better spent, eh what, me old Chumley Warner.
It might be just me, but it seems to have nothing whatever to do with this argument.
Is it some sort of clever reference to a different sort of garbage?
I'm talking about the verbal type, of courese...
I think that a lot of people must consider this issue important, given the amount of (somewhat polarised) opinions it has generated here - beside your own somewhat irrelevant comments about nuclear war.
Eric_Cartman
says...
1:56pm Fri 22 Mar 13
Donald2000 wrote:Obviously, you must have a problem telling the difference between a empty soup tin and a chicken bone. That must be why you are so against making sure your rubbish goes into the correct bin - you're worried you'll get fined!
Eric_Cartman wrote:Oh yes, it's all so highly important, isn't it Eric? It must be at the top of your agenda because you are so knowledgeable about all of it. In the meantime, some North Korean is boasting about wanting to blow up the world.and making a pre-emptive strike on the United States. It seems to me you won't have to worry about recycling then?
Donald2000 wrote:Yes, bin men do check the rubbish. To be honest, I don't know what qualifications you think are needed to distinguish between a plastic coke bottle and a bit of old cabbage or whatever. In Andover, they have a look in your recycling bin and if there are non-recyclables in it, they stick a polite notice on it and they don't empty it. Only lazy, selfish and/or irresponsible people will get fined or otherwise sanctioned by this.
Eric_Cartman wrote:The refuse men do it. Are they qualified to carry out investigations under RIPA2000? What would they be looking for? How can they prove where any given rubbish comes from? What evidential value would such researches into people's bins have?
Donald2000 wrote:The refuse collector men do it. It happens in a lot of towns here and the rest of Europe. Do you think they'd have a smartly dressed civil servant with a bowler hat and a neat little clip board dong it? Noooooooo!
Eric_Cartman wrote:Yes, let's spend loads more money on officious little council workers who come round and see what's in your bin. After all, it's not as though the money could be better spent, eh what, me old Chumley Warner.
So they should check if people are recycling properly. There's no excuse not to; they provide us with different bins. Failing to segregate seriously reduces the value of recycling. If people persistently refuse to segregate then they should be sanctioned.
Oh well, I suppose local government is used to wasting money and spying on the citizenry, so why am I not surprised to see this ridiculous move being mooted?
Recycling is not the white elephant it used to be; it is serious business and if the recyclable rubbish is uncontaminated it is worth while doing. It's when it becomes contaminated that it becomes less viable. The less that goes into landfill the better.
andre72
says...
4:00pm Fri 22 Mar 13
andre72
says...
4:09pm Fri 22 Mar 13
repcosy wrote:yeah glass isn't recyclable mate
Urbane Forager wrote: I think this is a good thing. Why would anyone not recycle? - It is stupid and selfish not to do so. Putting the wrong items in your bins is almost as bad as littering or fly tipping. Everyone should recycle as much as they can obviously and this is facilitated by our bin system. You can also build a simple compost heap, if you have a garden, this quickly turns scraps into something good for the plants. If you don't help to improve recycling rates, you cannot really complain if your back yard becomes a landfill. If you are unable to distiguish which bin is which and what is supposed to go into them, I expect the council can send you out a leaflet with big writing and simple language...Partially i do agree... I am not a persistent recycler myself, but i did make a point of putting all our glass bottles in a bin outside... however one day the council did not take it so i rung them and they said they would come back and collect it and when they did... what bin did they put it in... household waste! I was livid! I went to the effort of recycling and they chucked it all in landfill! Here they are banging on about a small amount of grass cuttings which would decompose and they chucked tons of glass in there! hypocrites!
Vix1 says...
11:34am Thu 21 Mar 13