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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wish they'd reopen the recycling centers?

185 replies

feelinguseless78 · 18/04/2020 18:36

They closed the tips at the start of lockdown and fly tipping and bonfires have gone up massively in our area as a result.

I appreciate that they constitute a non essential journey to use them, but I feel they're the lesser evil!

AIBU?

YABU - they should remain closed
YANBU - yes they should reopen

OP posts:
Original poster
feelinguseless78 · 18/04/2020 19:56

@rosesandcashmere I'm not sure them having to deal with all the fly tipping is much better. Different risks- most is on the side of busy roads, railway embankments, riversides. Dangerous places for them to clear.

OP posts:
Original poster
feelinguseless78 · 18/04/2020 19:59

@ChicChicChicChiclana if you read my posts I'm very clear this is not for my use, but for the prevention of fly tipping. A) we have ample storage for waste and B) 2 full time workers and a baby and preschooler means we don't get time at the moment to create tip waste.

OP posts:
RhinestoneCowgirl · 18/04/2020 20:00

Our council has just announced that garden waste collection and bulky waste collection will restart next week. They say it's because they now have the staffing levels to deal with it, but I think it's also to tackle the increased flytipping and air pollution caused by burning waste in gardens.

Devlesko · 18/04/2020 20:08

I heard it was deployment to bin collection along with park gardeners.
But if there's a reduction in collections, why the extra staff.
Maybe it's a similar case as the delivery drivers, lots taken on but struggling for slots.
It must be people self isolating, going off on sick, catching the virus?

OmgThereAreNoPlanesAboveMeNow · 18/04/2020 20:10

I would argue that tips are essential. People being home WILL create more rubbish. It's April. There will be garden waste and so on.
Having rubbish around because collections are off or because you did create more rubbish will attract rodents. Rodents carry diseases.

Aridane · 18/04/2020 20:12

Regular refuse collections work welll enough for me. Never been to a tip before as don’t have a car - tips a bit of a luxury for the non car owning population

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 18/04/2020 20:13

So what are people (who don't have the service) to do with their garden waste? Burn it, apparently. So many bonfires recently.

Well, I suppose the fire brigade are still working as normal....

We pay for our garden waste bin and I would expect a refund if they stopped collecting it.

So do we. Our council website says that they'll reduce next year's cost to reflect the number of missed collections this year. Obviously, that's unfair on anybody due to move out of the area next year, but just a refund doesn't really make good, IMHO. If you have an agreement/contract with somebody, you will make plans and other arrangements in accordance with that, maybe incurring associated costs too, and one side can't just pull out at the last minute and say "Tell you what, we won't charge you".

WoodenTickingClock · 18/04/2020 20:15

We were just clearing our rubbish, and recently did 3 car loads full of rubbish, that included, unwanted kitchen chairs( chipped, and heavy) old carpet and underlay, an old falling to pieces bookcase, and so much more. I’ve also bags and bags of old clothes, that aren’t suitable for a second hand shop ( I took the nice ones)
And we have a cardboard mountain at the front door..

OneForMeToo · 18/04/2020 20:16

They need to be opened. Fly tipping has gotten stupid! People are using recycling and general as just general bins topping the recycling so it looks ok to get it removed. The whole lot then contaminated.

JanewaysBun · 18/04/2020 20:18

Obvs not now but normally Currys will take small broken electrical things. I bought a car for the first time 2 years ago and never really needed to throw anything both away before that.

Tinyhumansurvivalist · 18/04/2020 20:19

Yes!!!

The council have stopped collecting our garden waste, there are rumours that they will stop collecting the recycling... We are not allowed to burn anything in our gardens.... Where the hell am I supposed to put everything?

Our tip is well designed, social distancing would be easy, and considering the lack of other council services currently available... No libraries, no sports centre etc I am starting to wonder why the hell our council is still charging full rates.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 18/04/2020 20:19

tips a bit of a luxury for the non car owning population

Just because you personally don't go there, that doesn't mean that you don't use tips - it just means that other people take your waste there, be it the council with extra paid-for bulky waste collections (are they still running atm?), builders/tradesmen who've done big jobs for you or honest rubbish removal services who pay for dumping it and don't just fly-tip it.

DDiva · 18/04/2020 20:22

Large electrical items of course may be hard to store but most people seem to be talking about stuff they have de cluttered or green waste. If you have that much green waste how come you dont have room in the garden to compost or store.

If general waste collections have been reduced I dont imagine they have the spare manpower to open the tips.

Cremebrule · 18/04/2020 20:23

My bin collections are operating as normal. Councils should be making sure those are running before opening the tips. I’m quite shocked some people aren’t getting any bins collected. Our garden bin is vulnerable as the council has already said it would prioritise waste and recycling but it wants to keep it going if possible to avoid bonfires.

veryboredtoday · 18/04/2020 20:26

I'd like them reopened as our road is frequently used to fly tip and we've had more than normal. The last one just threw out a black bag full of grass cuttings and drove off. Seriously can't they just make a small pile of grass cuttings in the corner of their garden?!
Normally the rubbish is not so hard to get rid of and it costs the farmer a fortune to have it cleared when they drop it on his land.

I have been impressed with our dustmen as they've taken a couple of items that I would normally save up and take on a trip to the tip, but they said it was ok and just chucked it in with the rest of the rubbish.

PotholeParadise · 18/04/2020 20:28

all retailers offer a take-back solution so they'll pick up your old appliance when they deliver your new one. It's costs about £30 (AO). We had to do this two weeks ago.

I thought there was a thread that descended into abuse of the (disabled) OP in the first week of lockdown because she was upset that the store she bought her new washing machine would no longer disconnect and remove her old washing machine.

flowerycurtain · 18/04/2020 20:29

I do agree with you but I don't think the solution is to open tips.

Just if the police just sat at the end of our farm drive for a couple of hours a night they'd catch the fuckers.

3 separate dumps this week.

Blibbyblobby · 18/04/2020 20:29

I put YABU because if they open the tips but reduce capacity to allow distancing a percentage of frustrated people who have a car full of crap and find a huge queue will either kick off or dump it.

It would be better for councils to offer free bulky waste collections. Perhaps central government can fund that.

Lellochip · 18/04/2020 20:29

They're not all shut, must depend on which council. Ours are all apparently opening with reduced hours and limited cars allowed in

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 18/04/2020 20:31

PotholeParadise, that's true. Since COVID, retailers will take your old appliance but it has to be left outside, already disconnected. You also have to plumb in your new one yourself. We had to do this - and our machine lives upstairs, so that was fun.

They will take and recycle though.

DrCoconut · 18/04/2020 20:31

Ours is still open with social distancing measures in place

Original poster
feelinguseless78 · 18/04/2020 20:35

No libraries, no sports centre etc I am starting to wonder why the hell our council is still charging full rates. I can answer that - the cost of adult social care has gone through the roof. This paid for locally through council tax, not centrally.

OP posts:
londonrach · 18/04/2020 20:36

Yes totally agree but in area they closed due to lack of staff who have cv and are vvvvv ill. This was happening before they totally closed. They were struggling. Ive loads of bags back of our tiny courtyard garden waiting as dh is sorting house out finally. Im happy to wait.

Frouby · 18/04/2020 20:36

Ours is shut.

It's absolutely digusting that they have. It's easy to social distance at a tip, Tesco manages to do so. Private businesses are still operating like manufacturing and construction so it's a case.of council workers thinking they are worth more than everyone else that is keeping the country ticking over.

It's easy to say 'oooof it's too scary, please furlough me' when you work for the council.

Melroses · 18/04/2020 20:37

Our council stopped the green waste collection after closing the recycling centres, so there are a lot of full green bins.

We have managed by rearranging the mummified compost heaps at the bottom of the garden and are now alternating their remains with kitchen waste in the garotta bin that sort of worked.

Next door however have resorted to a smoky bonfire Angry.