We're all encouraged to recycle and in the UK and hopefully, around the world, we have separate bins for household waste. Our local Council specifies that the recycle been should be green and this along with our grey general waste bin is emptied every other Thursday. Now sadly it's got to the stage that homeowners need to watch the binmen through the windows of their homes like hawks just in case the refuses collectors decide for some pathetic reason not to take your waste away which I might add you pay to be done in the Council Tax charge although the actual legislation says they have to remove it for free but we all know nothing is free in this life.
Our Recycle binmen generally arrive at around 7 am and so, as always, I watched out my front room window. A mountain of a man lifted the lid and peered inside, he then produced a yellow ticket and started writing on it.
"They're not going to take the bin!" I exclaimed. "What have you put in it now? I keep telling you about this." said the wife. "NOTHING!" I bellowed and lept outside.
Me: "Why are you not taking my bin?"
1st Binman: "Dunno mate, you'll have to ask him."
Scurrying towards the cab of the dust cart (Refuse if you're American) was Mr Power Mad
Me: "Excuse me, why are you not taking my bin?"
Mr Power: "It's contaminated mate."
Me: "Contaminated?"
Mr Power: "Yeah, its got the wrong waste in it."
Me: "What on earth are you talking about?"
Mr Power: "There's a washing up bowl in it."
Me: "And? It's plastic!"
Mr Power: "We don't take hard plastic."
Staggering backwards slightly
Me: "You don't take hard plastic? Are you serious? It's plastic for Pete's sake!"
Mr Power: "We don't take hard plastic."
Grasping the plastic washing bowl I threw it on my drive however this didn't seem to placate him as he started to peer inside the bin scouring the contents like some determind bloodhound. Realising what his game was I thrust my hand and arm into the contents and started whirling the waste around like an old agitating Twin Tub.
Me: "THERE! Happy?"
Mr Power trundled off with our bin muttering under his breath.
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"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
Much as I want everyone to do more recycling the authorities do not make it easy. Every council seems to have a different system and they don't make it clear exactly what can go in the green bin (or whatever colour they use). The variety of plastics in use complicates matters. I know there are issues with black plastic as it is harder to sort, but it seems that is being phased out. Ideally everyone should try to reduce how much plastic they use, but we know most won't bother.
A washing up bowl is not exactly contamination anyway. That can easily be ejected. I bet other people leave food and other waste in the recycling bin that causes much worse problems.
Sigh...
I think they use the term "Contamination" as blanket term for rejecting a collection. I don't think it's meant in the literal sense.
Yeah, I know, but words have impact and he could have fixed the issue by removing it himself. There must be all sorts of problems with wrong stuff messing up the processes. I would be interested to see how my recycling waste gets processed. I wonder how much is manual.
Oh god! Are you having a laugh? Remove it himself? They don't do that mate. They even refuse to take your bin if the lid is not 100% closed. The brown bin must only have 'Good' garden waste which is Grass and flowers. Any Twigs you have to hide and leaves they dislike. Put any soil in and that's a massive "No no"
Changing the subject: I know you want to avoid Twitter but can you (Via DM et al) enlighten me on the question I've asked?)
Well some people do actually give a shit about their jobs and the people they serve. Not everyone is a 'jobsworth', although their bosses may try to force them to be.
I thought it was common knowledge that they don't take hard plastic.
It is an issue, I Was talking with one bloke who used to work in the local recycling center - he said they spent a a lot of time sorting through such waste and it just ends up going to landfill.
They don't seem as fussy around here.
These people seem to manage it: https://www.re-foundobjects.com/product/view/recycled-plastic-washing-up-bowls
The problem is the Councils want the segregation done by the households. This does two things, it saves on wages and saves infrastructure because they need less staff and Transit station space. I disagree with this approach because it's not only floored but is actually likely to encourage deliberate miss-segregating. A better solution would be to say: All Cans, bottles, plastic and paper here. And let trained staff segregate it.
Or you could just move to Ghana - children separate any useful waste for free there.
It was a sad day when they stopped us shoving small boys up chimneys and down mine shafts. 😉
image source
Yes it's been downhill ever since 1833 for sure.
I know exactly how you feel. Our lot are very fussy too. It has to be a particular type of plastic, can't have the tiniest spec of dirt on it, and heaven forbid if you've filled the bin anywhere near to the top!
I wouldn't mind but I'm pretty sure it all ends up in landfill somewhere (probably China) anyway. So now if I have the tiniest doubt I just stick it in with general waste.
Meh.
Interesting post. Thanks you
Out refuse collection lot seem to take anything and everything which makes me wonder whether ours just ends up in landfill anyway. I try to sort stuff and would have done the same as you based on it being plastic. You'd have thought recycling centres were setup to handle items that aren't right, there must be something in most bins they collect.
Exactly. If they made it that households had to at least do a rudimentary sort I suspect it would increase the amount in the recycle bin and less, initially, going to landfill.
What a bunch of dicks, any excuse to not take your shit away eh?.., I heard some councils refuse if the lid is not completely shut.
Yeah, ours do that. And they actually only want grass clippings and flowers in the garden waste bin as twigs and leaves make for a poorer compost that they sell back to the residents who supplied it in the first place!
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