Neighbours complaining about the size of my binbags

[OKMorty]

AIBU to think that I have the right to use 15 litre bin bags? I mean what difference does it make? 2 x 8 litres bags v 1x 15 litre.

Surely it’s more environmentally friendly to use one bag than two for equal amounts of rubbish?

Anyway this all kicked off because a neighbour complained about the size of my rubbish bags.

For context there are 2 normal sized bins and 1 large one between 4 flats. I usually fill 1/2 of 1 normal sized bin (being just me) wheras the other flats have at least 2 occupants per flat.

Your neighbours sound strange and should be ignored.

Yes I think so too. But they seem to think that my 2 bags occupy more than my “quota” allowance just because they are more obvious amongst the other normal sized bags.

What was the basis of the complaint?

It’s a bit of a strange issue to risk pissing off your neighbours with

I’m not sure what the real issue is TBH. I was so taken aback at the complaint in the first place that I mumbled something along the lines of “its only 2 bags”. I wish I’d had the presence of mind to have been more articulate. I wish I’d pointed out that the size of my bin bags is irrelevant, that I pay council tax and have the right to use the communal bins!

Tell them to fuck off and mind their own business.

They lead charmed lives, if that's all they've got to complain and worry about.

Depends on how often the bins are emptied.
My bin is emptied weekly and I barely have enough to warrant putting it out most weeks.

How does it depend on the size of the bins?! That makes no sense. If OP were to put two bin bags of half the size in the bins it’s the same amount of rubbish!

All of that was a typo because it was how does it matter how often the bins are emptied she’s still putting the same amount of rubbish as other people out every week. And god I need some sleep!

I’m not sure what you mean @AngelsOnHigh

Do you mean how often do I empty my bins into the communal ones?

The communal bins are collected every 2 weeks (annoying as it used to be every week) and I put one 15 litre bag per week in them, so 2 bags per collection.

You only take the rubbish out of your flat once a week? Won't that get quite unpleasant over summer?

OKMorty, I meant how often do the communal bins get emptied.

It does matter how often the bins get emptied. I imagine that by the end of 2 weeks they would be pretty full. Whereas if they were emptied weekly they would only have one week's rubbish in them and not two weeks.

The communal bins are collected every 2 weeks.

I put out 1 bag of rubbish every week.

Comparatively, I put in at least 2 bags less than each flat per collection.

I’m not sure what you’re getting at by mentioning that after 2 weeks there’d be more bags to collect. I mean of course there are, it’s simple maths!

So your bags are double the size of the other residents' bags? (These bags sound tiny btw, like waste basket capacity?) When you say you are putting out 2 bags less than the other flats do you mean that you put out 1 X 15 litre bag and they put out 3 X 8 litre bags ? Because in that case you are generating more per person than the couples in the other flats, which is maybe why they are complaining. It maybe it's just the rubbish fits better into the bin in smaller bags?

If the rubbish all fits and is all taken away, then I would say that perhaps YANBU, but if you are actually putting out more rubbish per person than the other residents, then maybe they've got a point?

Also is it more environmentally friendly to use a bigger bag instead of two half the size? I would have thought the quantity of plastic used was virtually the same (though your 15l ones are slightly less than double their 8l ones, so perhaps you're right).

Are they suggesting you should recycle more?

How bizarre.

Are they putting in two smaller bags each? Do any of them have children - I'm thinking of the number of bags nappies would generate!

Is there even such a thing as a rubbish quota?

And really, who has the time or inclination to police what people are putting in their bins!!

15l of rubbish per week for one person sounds a lot, and seems more likely this is what they are complaining about. If I've read this correctly, over the course of 2 weeks you are entirely filling 1 wheely bin and 6 other people's waste has to squeeze into the rest?

Is there anything you could do to cut down on how much landfill waste you are producing? Recycle more, take glass to the bottle bank etc?

Do you recycle fully op?

It sounds to me like you have lot of rubbish full stop. There are two of us and when I our bins are collected once a fortnight I never have more than half a standard wheelie bin full in there.

For context there are 2 normal sized bins and 1 large one between 4 flats.

I suggest you change these for four equal sized bins and then have one bin per flat.

Sounds like it’s not the size of the bags it’s that you generate more rubbish than your share of the bin space.

For context there are 2 normal sized bins and 1 large one between 4 flats. I usually fill 1/2 of 1 normal sized bin (being just me)

4 flats, 7 people. You’re using half of a ‘normal’ bin. If everyone did that per person (not per flat) then would you all run out of bin space?

How big is the ‘large’ bin - double the size of the ‘normal’ bins? Or a dumpster-type? Perhaps your jumbo bags need to go in the biggest bin not a normal one?

Do you recycle?

Sounds like it’s not the size of the bags it’s that you generate more rubbish than your share of the bin space.

4 flats, 7 people. You’re using half of a ‘normal’ bin. If everyone did that per person (not per flat) then would you all run out of bin space?

I don’t agree with this. We have five people living in our house and the rest of my road (eight houses in total) have between one and three people living there but we don’t work out the rubbish allocation based on the number of people; it’s all done based on the household.

Yep, I think it's a lot for one person.

We have a tiny kitchen bin, I'd say it's not much more than 8 litres. We empty it approx every 5 days, so quite often there's only one small bag in our bin. That's for 2 people and a dog (dogs generate a surprising amount of rubbish lol).

Atm, we're not composting (relocating the compost bin) and I don't separate out food waste because the council-supplied container is impossible to open with my arthritic hands. If we did both those things, our rubbish would be significantly less.

OP, are you sure that you're not putting recyclables in with the general waste?

Isn't 15 litres tiny...? But that also means your wheelie bin is only 30 litres which makes no sense..

Either way, it's a ridiculous thing for your neighbours to complain about. Just ignore them and crack on.

And regarding the previous suggestion that bin space should be allocated per person, that just seems silly. Two people don't produce twice as much waste as one surely? There's a certain amount of 'household' waste that's generated regardless of the number of people. In my council area we have a limit on the number of bags you can put out which is the same for all households of 8 people or less.