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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to want to throw my recycling bin full of rotten food at the council offices??

18 replies

Lulumama · 05/02/2008 12:12

I won't . Obviously.

just spent 28 minutes on hold to the council, as my food waste bin was left half emptied, with the lid missing and lying on its side after collection this morning.

have virtually lost my voice too, so that made the conversation harder!

I was told it would take 21 days or longer for my bin to be replaced

I asked for it to be fast tracked, as it is the council who have broken it... 'sorry, it is a standard time ' I did say I knew they could fast track it as that is what happened when I requested a food bin initially... and waited 6 weeks.

so I try to recycle, and am now going to have to go to the tip to throw away this broken bin of manky food, and wait 3 weeks for a new one

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

OP posts:

SorenLorensen · 05/02/2008 12:21

Oooh, I'll have a rant with you.

We have a bag for paper and a sack for cardboard and a box with a lid for glass/tins etc. A month ago I put my paper/cardboard out and someone pinched my paper bag. I had a spare paper bag so that wasn't so bad but when I put cardboard/paper out a fortnight later someone pinched my spare bag and the sack. The next week someone pinched my farking box (it has my address painted all over it...grrrr)

Dh popped into the town hall where they gave him a spare paper bag - but they have discontinued the cardboard sacks and are "currently investigating alternatives in a number of focus groups" (it could be years!). We can't have another box, they don't have any left and don't know when they will be getting any as there is a problem with the supplier.

And don't even get me started on the time I got the wrong cardboard sack back with a used sanitary towel in the bottom of it.

Nbg · 05/02/2008 12:24

Oh I share your annoyance LM.

We've had a major Rat problem and its only started since the council have done fortnightly pick ups.
I'm actually calling them today to beg for a bigger bin, although last time I did they said no and only families of 6 or more could have a larger bin. Theres 5 of us

Original poster

Lulumama · 05/02/2008 12:27

yeargh ! that is disgusting

the council want us to recycle, but make it really quite hard. my bag for paper is often left loose to blow down the street. the green box for tins left half in the road , they don;t take card or plastics, so have to store those and go to the tip. and the only collect non recyclable waste every fortnight.

it is the total lack of care or forethought that irritates me

OP posts:

Original poster

Lulumama · 05/02/2008 12:28

I recycle

paper, card , glass, tins, food waste and plastics.

but my non recycable bin still seems to fill up very quickly...

it is going to be hellish and stinky in the summer

OP posts:

Indith · 05/02/2008 12:55

gross, honestly I remember when the bin men would go round the back of your house, empty your bins properly and leave you with a new bag.

At least your recycling is better than ours. We have a lidless box emptied fortnightly for paper, cans and glass. We can't recycle plastic or card. I'd have to collect it til I had a carfull and take it all to Sunderland.

Nbg · 05/02/2008 13:03

I've just called them and been told that its now familes or 7 or more that can get a larger bin not 6. They have put it up!

But I have to write a letter and ask

We have stinky Rats FFS!

Kathyis6incheshigh · 05/02/2008 13:06

Ah, the council will rue the day - people will start having more children just to get a bigger bin

Seriously, it's crap, isn't it? I wonder how much more rubbish is being taken to the tip now (surely a high-carbon option compared with collection by a dustcart.)

PippiCalzelunghe · 05/02/2008 13:12

I don't know how they think collecting non reciclable every fortnighty is viable. in the summer even a week is foul (had maggots in the past [yuk])!

councils are a joke at times (and I used to work for one so I know...)

kayzr · 05/02/2008 13:24

I will also join in. We live in a first floor flat and they wont let us have one of those boxes for glass as we have no where to keep it as the front garden is unsafe

izzybobsmum · 05/02/2008 13:29

Just in defence of all local councils, they are set strict targets by central government for waste and recycling which is why these fortnightly schemes have appeared all over the country. Yes there are problems, but I have to say that my local council's recycling and waste collections are great, and whenever we've had a problem it's been sorted out promptly.

You can all have a go at me now!

bitofadramaqueen · 05/02/2008 13:29

At my old house we had fortnightly recycling and had no problems at all .

However, we did have great recycling facilities and I think that makes a big difference.

Councils need to make it easy for people to recycle as much as possible - lulu, I understand why your so hacked off with the Council. My recycling box get nicked all the time but the Council normally replace it in a day or so.

My parents weren't sold on the idea of recycling at all, but when their council introduced it there was just one recycling wheely bin for each house and it can be used for all recyclables so minimum hassle for the residents. Now they re-cycle loads.

TsarChasm · 05/02/2008 13:30

And when you think how they come down on people like a ton of bricks for minor infringements of their lists of regulations concerning bins...it makes me so

mumclaire · 05/02/2008 13:35

Oh YANBU - don't get me started on this....
Our council are always wombling on about how we need to recycle more and be greener but we have a fortnightly collection with one wheely bin and ONE small open topped box for paper and tins.The rest - cardboard, plastic, glass etc. I have to do a 5 mile car trip to recycle (how green is that??). We compost our own uncooked food but there are NO general composting facilities near us at all. The council refuse to start a real nappy incentive scheme (I pester them every few months to no avail) and on top of all that they have just announced that their leisure budget for this year is being cut because of the cost of their recycling services (WHAT SERVICES???) ARRGGHH it makes my blood boil - I don't know what my extortionate council tax is being spent on....

etchasketch · 05/02/2008 13:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bitofadramaqueen · 05/02/2008 13:45

oh that's disgusting marmaduke!

Original poster

Lulumama · 05/02/2008 13:46

ooooooooh ! i have started something !

it is a bit of a joke, council tax goes up, services go down

i will have to make another trip to the tip this week, thus expending petrol i don;t need to and further destroying the environment i am trying to conserve by sodding recycling in the first place

seemingly, all councils nationwide are just as inept.

OP posts:

etchasketch · 05/02/2008 13:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

blueshoes · 05/02/2008 14:23

Actually my borough is pretty good - Greenwich, SE London. Just started separate recycling for food waste (weekly), nappies (weekly), paper/plastics/glass (weekly) and others (fortnightly). That means a whole lot more collections that they have to do and their rubbish trucks are up and about almost the whole day, whereas previously just in the morning.

I know some people have complained about the complexity and more sorting/bags they have to do. But hey, it is not difficult to get your head around once you have a system going. A step in the right direction.

Flip