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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that by the time I've washed out my washing liquid bottle I have wasted so much energy I might as well have binned it?

51 replies

MakemineaGandT · 03/02/2011 20:08

Empty washing liquid bottles take a hell of a lot of washing and rinsing to make them clean enough to put in the recycling. I wondered today how much energy was "wasted" in doing this compared with how much will be "saved" by its recycling. Surely sometimes it just makes "green" sense to just bin things?

OP posts:
mercibucket · 03/02/2011 20:52

cut the top bit off and stick it in the washing machine with the clothes (obv don't leave jagged bits on it)

LadyOfTheManor · 03/02/2011 20:52

I recycle food waste to the pigs but I don't recycle with multi coloured bins

a) because it doesn't make a difference to land fill

b) we don't have them and it isn't compulsory here

c) I don't pay extortionate rates of council tax to mess about with trash

Ormirian · 03/02/2011 20:53

Why are you washing it so thoroughly? It's not neccessary. Milk bottles need a quick rinse so they don't smell but not much else.

Got2Dance · 03/02/2011 20:57

Put the lid on the milk bottle, then that won't smell either!

AMumInScotland · 03/02/2011 20:58

I rinse out milk cartons, and most other things, while the tap decides to change from cold water to hot, which usually gives me plenty of time.

Washing machine liquid - again I stand the bottle upside down and use it out of the lid for the last couple of washes. That doesn't leave much stuck to the bottle. If I've got a bit of handwashing to do, I'll just hang onto the bottle to rinse out to use for that anyway.

oldraver · 03/02/2011 21:00

The normal plastic milk cartons only take a quick rinse for me but the tetra's seem to take aaages, and quickly go mouldy, though if I wasnt so lazy and remebered to take them to the recycling more often wouldn't be a problem

Our council are going to collect them weekly from now on so I will probably not be so fussy as they wont be hanging around

mutznutz · 03/02/2011 21:01

I don't wash anything I re-cycle

C0FFEE · 03/02/2011 21:02

Why are you washing it so thoroughly? It's not neccessary. Milk bottles need a quick rinse so they don't smell but not much else.
------

But they ask you to wash things out. Bottles of sauce, cans beans and other such things are difficult to wash out.

AMumInScotland · 03/02/2011 21:10

Ours have to be "lightly rinsed, and lids removed" - but since they only get collected once a fortnight, I wouldn't want to leave them stinking anyway!

Ormirian · 04/02/2011 10:46

coffee - sorry I was only referring to plastic bottles - they only need a rinse and even something like tomato sauce isn't going o get that disgusting if a little is left on the bottle. Cans and foil dishes go in the dishwasher with all the other washing up.

PlentyOfParsnips · 04/02/2011 10:53

I just give everything a quick swish in the dishwater after I've done the dishes.

Ariesgirl · 04/02/2011 10:54

Why do you find washing out plastic bottles tiring? Perhaps you ought to work on your fitness levels.

kepler10b · 04/02/2011 10:59

@oldraver - tetra pak milk cartons can't be recycled (mixed materials) and have to go in the normal rubbish to the landfill.

MackerelOfFact · 04/02/2011 11:00

I don't wash out any kind of cleaning product bottle - what's the point, it's only held cleaning product. It's not going to smell or make other things dirty.

Rinse out tins, jars and some bottles if the contents are likely to smell or go sticky (eg. milk) in the water left over after doing the dishes. Don't rinse cans.

GetOrfMoiLand · 04/02/2011 11:05

Christ, I don't rinse out bottles. I just put the lids on, it still gets collected.

I do rinse out cans of tomatoes and soup wtc, as otherwise it would leak and make the recycling box all smelly, but that is it.

You can't recycle tetrapak round here anyway, so that goes in the bin.

I recyle everything I can - but I don't bother with food because it made me feel sick to wash out the pig bin in the summer.

LaWeaselMys · 04/02/2011 11:06

Tetrapax can be recycled. There is a specific collection point for them at our tip/recycling centre.

I am aware you can't in most places though.

Why are some people saying recycling doesn't make a difference to landfill? Of course it does!

NickL · 04/02/2011 11:07

When they melt down the glass for recycling any crap gets burned off anyway. Same goes for metal.

mumeeee · 04/02/2011 11:11

It only takes a few seconds to rinse out a washing up bottle. In our city they say things don't have to be perdfectly clean to put in recycling just have to have had a qick rinse,

MoonGirl1981 · 04/02/2011 11:13

They don't collect plastic or cardboard round my way.

If we put any out the recycling men chuck it back onto our drive.

They only take cans and glass.

I don't wash stuff out either. I assumed they do that.

CrispyTheCrisp · 04/02/2011 11:14

A quick slosh round here but no actual washing. Never had anything 'rejected'

FindingStuffToChuckOut · 04/02/2011 11:44

I use the rinse water of the washing up bottle to actually wash up with. It's a no brainer surely?

Anything more mucky (tins, jars etc) gets washed up last when I'm doing the washing up - easy peasy.

loonyrationalist · 04/02/2011 11:45

tetra paks can be recycled

Ours are collected from the kerb with the rest of our recycling.

firstforthought · 04/02/2011 18:53

now if you had of said peanut butter jars then I would have agreed with you...

mousymouse · 04/02/2011 18:57

thats one reason to use powder...
tbh, I dont bother with rinsing, I leave containers of liquids upside down in the sink for a while and them put them in the recycling bin. the stuff will be washed for recycling anyway...
nutella glasses go in the dw if there is room.

moonstorm · 04/02/2011 19:01

wash????????????/