refuse collection

[gooddadof3]

my wife and i have recently had our 3rd child so i contacted my council about a larger bin. I had informed my council that we recycle cardboard,plastic,tins,glass,textiles and newspapers etc, I also happened to mention my wife is a registered childminder and the councils responce to this is we need a commercial collection for the waste generated by the children in my wife's care (approx 10 nappies a week) as it is unlawful to place commercial waste in your black wheelie bin. Is it just me or does this seem crazy, send a big waste lorry out to empty 10 nappies out of a big commercial waste bin every week. I would like any feedback or advise on this matter from all you mumsnetters out there. (south derbyshire district council)

That does seem a ridiculous response from the council for ten nappies

yabu
your dw is running a business from her home so should pay

Presumably there is also waste food, packaging and craft activity stuff. At what point would she be creating waste enough for the rules to apply to her, according to you? Just put it in the boot and take it to the tip!

Did they say you could have a bin for 5 of you? My council says 6 people

Re childminding, I'd ask on the child minding board what they all do.

your quite right other waste waste is generated arts and crafts tends to be recyclable food waste goes in our compost bin is this too unlawful ?

yes 6 permenant residents here too

6 here too south norfolk

Absolutely reasonable that you/your DW should have to pay for a commercial collection. It's commercial waste isn't it? Why should you/she not pay for disposal of waste generated by your business when other businesses have to?

They won't send a big lorry out just for you, there will be other businesses in the area, or it will be collected alongside the domestic bin.

Why do you think you should get away with not paying?

i dont mind paying, it will be written off against tax anyway so it doesn't really cost us anything. I just wanted some advise.

Well I think separate collections sounds silly for that amount, I'd just filter in with my regular waste.
How big is your regular bin, OP? I'm surprised you really need another bin, childminding and all.

YABU to expect council tax payers to pay to take away and landfill your commercial waste! It doesn't matter if it's ten nappies or if it were tesco expecting their waste to be taken away free by the council. Why should we pay when you're running a business and making a profit?
How rude.

My council also only allows an extra bin for households of 6 or more people. OP, as you mentioned the childminding in your bid to get the larger bin, you can hardly complain at the council's response. If you recycle as much as you say you do, I am surprised that you need the extra bin if the only extra rubbish the childminding generates is 10 nappies.

I'd double check with someone else at the council that you have been given the correct info as in my experience childminders are usually exempt from having to have commercial waste collections.

If you run a small business from home, you wouldn't normally need a commercial waste collection if the waste you generate would fit in your normal domestic bin.

Do you pay business rates on your property?

FoofFighter good advise thankyou

CecilyP no we do not

As someone who pays for commerial waste there are advantages to it. Firstly several of the companies take all your plastic packaging for recycling not just the bottles. They do tend to come every two weeks and actually you would be amazed the business premises which are around you.
Away round it is to put your wellies on and jump on the rubbish in your balck wheelie bin so you can get more in to it.

You are wrong, Foofighter, the OP has the correct info and childminders are not exempt from having to arrange commercial collections. Most of them are bright enough to keep their mouths shut and not try to use their business as a reason they should be granted a larger bin, however. In reality no one minds childminders using their household bin, but asking for a large one is a big no no.

But should childminders have to pay business rates like a small office? Surely we want to encourage childminders as they potentially offer good-quality yet cheap childcare, which helps parents to work after having children should they want to/need to do so.

My childminder offers much better-quality, loving care than a large nursery would (IMHO), yet she only has one or two children in her care at any one time. I would prefer to encourage people like her to take the plunge.

I don't think childminders have to pay business rates - I think that business rates would only be payable should one have an exclusive 'childminding room' in one's home, which would seem unlikely.

parakeet my wife sounds like your childminder she earns less than the minimum wage and she went into childminding because we couldnt find care for our children at the hours required as we both used to work shifts and nurserys dont tend to offer child care at these times.
Lizcat that is interesting as we currently take are cardboard and plastic to our local recycling centre as are council dont currently collect these so this could actually benefit us.