Lack the executive function to use the food waste bin

[Zippidydoodah]

Just that. I realise that I just can’t do it, as I use it for a bit, forget to empty it, then ages later realise where the fruit fly infestation is coming from, or just think maybe I should empty it and it’s full of mould. Then I clean it, disinfect it and chuck it outside until the next time I try and fail to use it.

WTF is wrong with me!?

You need to set a phone alert and as soon as you get the alert do the job

For example I have lived in this house for 15 ish years the bins need to be out by Thursday morning they have ALWAYS needed to go out by Thursday morning Wednesday 7pm my alert goes off reminding me to take the bin out and which colour the 7pm is crucial ive done tea ive began cleaning up ive not usually removed my bra (ie im still in "work mode") im in the kitchen right by the bins usually emptying the bins so its nothing for me to grab my keys from the kitchen door and take the big bins out

It seems excessive but I genuinely will forget

Figure out your sweet spot time wise and set alerts

Where do you keep your food waste bin?

We keep the bin the council collect outside and have a smaller caddy inside next to the kitchen sink. We use the caddy every day for peelings, tea bags etc. We use biodegradable liners in the caddy and I clean the whole thing every time I take the food waste out to put in the outside food bin. We never get fruit flies, but I am a bit obsessive about keeping it clean. Having something easily to hand to put the food waste in will mean you actually do it. I empty our kitchen caddy once or twice a week into the outside food bin and that gets emptied by the council every week. It’s much better than putting it in the landfill bin which only gets emptied every fortnight.

If you’re not using the food waste bin for vegetable scraps etc, what are you using instead? If you’re using the normal kitchen bin, just stick a sign on the top saying ‘no food waste in here’ or something. And make sure you have something in the kitchen (caddy or similar) that makes it easy for you to pop your waste in every time you cook. If I’ve got lots of veg to prep I stick the caddy on the bench in front of me and put all the waste bits in as I go. Success will depend on you finding a system that is easy and accessible.

Thank you. We do keep the little one in the kitchen. Maybe I’ll try setting a reminder. I feel dread over it though. The bonkers thing is, have been holidaying in wales and using the food waste bin there for years. Don’t know what the difference is with home!

It's not going to make any difference if you don't use the bin. Stop worrying about it!

It’s not an executive function issue when you are able to do it in wales is it? You’re just not used to it yet, once it’s in your new routine it’ll be fine.

I don’t get why people are so against a food bin. We started using one 10 years ago, but for a couple of years I lived somewhere where there wasn’t one and I hated throwing food in the bin, it just didn’t feel right. My whole street uses their food bin so it’s not just me. I really don’t get the hate for it.

Executive function.... No you just can't be arsed!

Put it on the side, empty every Wednesday and Sunday. Job done.

I put a large compostable liner (we use eco wave 20l) in the main food bin and as long as I tie it before putting it out then it all goes and just needs a rinse around. For us having a separate caddy just wasn't working so in the summer the bin sits outside the kitchen door, winter it comes inside. Everyone scrapes their own plates so all I need to do is once a week tie the whole liner up and put the bin out the front. Like pp I have an alarm for that.

Now is a good time to get into a routine because less chance of maggots which tbf are grim.

I tried and failed with mine. I have so little food waste that the faff seems pointless. I’m sure the environmental benefit of having it, isn’t outweighed by the use of water and detergents for washing and cleaning it, in my case.

I get itS it is just another thing in an already stressful busy day. I put the small caddy on the side and found that helpful as a reminder. We are also able to use any bag even a bread bag was suggested so that has made it easier.
I do it religiously now.

We've had the food bin for 20 years, putting food waste in the main bin when I visit my DD in England feels so wrong. In summer the black bin stinks because of the food in it hanging around for three weeks.
First post is 100% correct. Just set a reminder until the habit is formed.

We empty ours every day or two, into the compost bin in the garden. Have done for nigh on 25 years. We throw very little away that is not compostible. It sits right in front of the food prep area and gets washed after each emptying.

No way could it be emptied twice a week, just take it out each day before cooking and rinse it out.

For a while I trialled a bowl bedside the sink for scraps as the food waste was smelling so quickly even after a day or two. It then gets emptied to outside bin daily as it’s much more visible. It worked quite well but I went back to the food waste when the weather got cooler. Or get a nicer (small) caddy/bin and put next to the sink. Get disposable food waste bags for it as that makes it easier to empty. It’s more immediate to empty.

I make little outside composters for my herb and flower beds so that when I peel stuff in the summer, I do all the veg prep in a bowl, and take it out and empty it into the composter which then allows all the prep water to water the plants, and the worms reduce the food waste to useable compost that then gives nutrition to the plants. It saves anything stinking as well.

You can make them just by sinking a plant pot into the soil by a couple of inches and putting a plant pot saucer over the top. I make mine out of clay as I do pottery but they really do help in the summer to keep the indoor veg waste down.

Agree with this, such a good idea. I have some alerts on my phone for weekly things. I also sellotape a piece of kitchen roll with the words “lunch and water bottles” to my internal garage door every evening. This is to remind me to put them in the kids bags in the morning. I see it on the way to boil the kettle and don’t move it to the other side of the door until it’s been done! No one else sees the sign, just me from 10pm until 7am the next day!

I think this is the difference between doing it on holiday, and doing it at home. It’s obvious really. Home my brain is full of endless tasks that I have to do, and food waste falls by the wayside as not urgent for survival.

Thanks for that.

Go easy on yourself. If it’s not something you can do, just put food waste in the bin. It’s not worth beating yourself up for, you’re doing your best!

This. Your potato peelings and some fruit peel is going to make no difference whatsoever to the future of thr planet.

I shrove it in the dishwasher on a Friday as part of my kitchen reset, then it gets all the nooks and crannies cleaned.

Thank you…yes, it is another stick to beat myself with!

i will try again when I feel that I can manage it 🤦🏻‍♀️😆

I don’t do a regular kitchen reset, but my goodness I need to!

In Wales they are collected weekly but they still smell funky in the summer and the flies foxes and rats it attracts is grim i think if we are going to do a food waste collection we should do it properly and more often why dont we have electric bin lorries now we could have mini electric bin lorries zipping around at night (electric is quiet enough for that) grabbing the food waste bins save all the bother

We keep our kitchen caddy on the floor next to the ordinary bin. It gets emptied every couple of days and the food waste taken to the bigger food waste bin outside next to where we keep the wheelie bins. The council empties it every week. I genuinely can't see what the problem is.

I separate things into recyclables, glass and general.

I refuse to use the food waste bin, it's just a step too far in the Government's desire to control us and make us use up our time and energy for this. Then there is the cleaning of the bins which requires our time and energy and of course our precious water to wash the damn things out.

No, I've had enough orders. Don't have much food waste anyway. So OP, leave it and forget about it.

You will note that I am not making any judgments about those who religiously do separate food waste. It's just me and my dislike of big government.