LesleyH Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 We are pretty good with our rubbish...our black bin is never more than half full and we compost our veg in the chickens or compost bins. Our down-fall is that although we usually use our own bags at supermarket - we do occasionaly 'stock up' on carriers to use as a bin inside . We have one hanging on a peg in the kitchen instead of a bin and we tie it and put it in the wheelie when full. I want to move forward and stop this bad habit ...but hubbie thinks that we can't just put rubbish in the wheelie unless it is bagged. thoughts please???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 I use biodegradable bin-bags (Waitrose sell them) for kitchen waste. Yes, it is more expensive than using carrier-bags, which is what I used to do, but the picture of those plastic bags clogging up landfill is enough to make me change my view! I don't think there are any rules as such about putting rubbish in wheelie bins, but if you don't bag it up then the inside of the bin is liable to get very smelly. I don't fancy hosing that out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 I use biodegradable bin-bags (Waitrose sell them) for kitchen waste. Yes, it is more expensive than using carrier-bags, which is what I used to do, but the picture of those plastic bags clogging up landfill is enough to make me change my view! I don't think there are any rules as such about putting rubbish in wheelie bins, but if you don't bag it up then the inside of the bin is liable to get very smelly. I don't fancy hosing that out! I agree. I had to jetwash my bin last week. It was crawling with maggots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 We've had the maggots in the bin as well Now I rinse anything that may become smelly and attract flies, ie the wrappings from meat etc. I must admit I don't know why I still use bin liners as most of what goes in now is clean! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yolky Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 I have the job of jet washing the bin when it is emptied this week, I feel a little queezy already Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helly Welly Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 I got compostable bags from Tesco as they degrade better than degradable ones, if that makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 We use the compostable bags for some things as well - the ones made from starch. Starch breaks down fairly quickly whereas the biodegradable ones shatter into smaller and smaller pieces but still leave a plastic residue. We try to use newspaper to wrap stuff in instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LesleyH Posted July 28, 2008 Author Share Posted July 28, 2008 thanks all - i may try the compost bags... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 We're due to have new bins this week - except Stratford district Council is 14,000 short - and we're one of the villages having to wait We have had all the literature though - and I notice that one of the FAQs is "what happens when my bin is dirty?" Whatever happened to common-sense??? - and there is a list of companies who will come on a contract basis to clean your bin It would be convenient for those who are elderly, infirm or disabled but otherwise it only takes minutes to clean a plastic bin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 it only takes minutes to clean a plastic bin *brings wheelie bins over to Lesley's* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 ...as long as you bring cake as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike-J Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 I try to buy biodegradable/ compostable bin bags too, (or else use the plastic bags my husband collects that everyone has brought in their lunch in or been to the shop for the paper!) However, does anyone else remember hearing anything about whether it is worth using the degradable/compostable one in anything that is going in a landfill site. I'm hopeless at retaining what I read, but i think it was something to do with the lack of air/ oxygen or something which meant the bags didn't break down the way they were supposed to. Am I talking rubish or has anyone else come across this? Spike-j Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 That would probably be the degradeable ones - they break down into smaller and smaller pieces of plastic but the plastic is still there. Perhaps they don't even do that if they are buried and have no oxygen?, I seem to remember reading something about it as well. I would think the compostable bags would work because they usually contain damp items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 We now have four wheelie bins, one black one for general rubbish, two green ones for recycling (paper, card, plastic and tins) and a brown one gor garden waste. It's great but I'm going to need a bigger drive to put my bins on soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 We did get our new bins! - but the village which is our address weren't supposed to be getting them ...and no-one at the Council seems to know which day our collection will be....the one which is for our village according to our address....or the one for the village which is just up the road, but which isn't our address We will however, be having a collection for household rubbish every week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaireG Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 We're due to have new bins this week - except Stratford district Council is 14,000 short - and we're one of the villages having to wait We have had all the literature though - and I notice that one of the FAQs is "what happens when my bin is dirty?" Whatever happened to common-sense??? - and there is a list of companies who will come on a contract basis to clean your bin It would be convenient for those who are elderly, infirm or disabled but otherwise it only takes minutes to clean a plastic bin We're one of the 14, 000 to. Can't wait till we get the bins as i hate using just sacks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 Hello Claire! - I guess you aren't far away then! We actually have our new bins now......but can't work out which round we are to be included with - one of the problems with being rural I suppose, we're between two villages Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 Going back to Lesley H's original question - I was in Lakeland yesterday, and they do wheelie bin liners. £3.50 for 20, which doesn't seem to bad as presumably you'd only use 52 a year. It still means putting plastic into landfill though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina C Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 I am a terrible slattern. I don't clean my bins I don't use bin liners in my kitchen bin either. We don't have much food waste but anything that the chickens can't eat can go in the garden waste bin anyway. Most of what goes in our grey bin is paper and sellotape I think (by-product of 'creative' child and working from home) so its not really smelly and I can live with grubby bins I saw my neighbour hosing his out last week and thought 'I should do that one day' but I proabably won't... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LesleyH Posted August 15, 2008 Author Share Posted August 15, 2008 Thanks Tina. Since my last post we have aquired a puppy...so I have been forced to purchase in indoor bin. I have found that Tesco and Asda to not sell the right size liners eco freindly wise - only the normal non biodegradable ones - its a 25 litre bin...so i had to buy bog standard ones - I was very dissapointed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helly Welly Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 I use the 40 litre compostable bags from Tesco in a normal size bin, i'd rather do that than use eco-unfriendly bags. They are too big but it doesn't cause any problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluffymuppet Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 However, does anyone else remember hearing anything about whether it is worth using the degradable/compostable one in anything that is going in a landfill site. I'm hopeless at retaining what I read, but i think it was something to do with the lack of air/ oxygen or something which meant the bags didn't break down the way they were supposed to. Am I talking rubish or has anyone else come across this? Spike-j Anything biodegradable that ends up in landfill runs the risk of decomposing without enough oxygen (anaerobically) and producing methane - which is not only a fire risk, but a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Hence it would be better if we kept biodegradable stuff out of landfill where possible (although some have management systems in place that collect methane for fuel use). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...