To think it's no wonder people fly tip?

[QuestionableMouse]

Recycling day today - I put my bin out, along with a big cardboard box from a delivery that I'd flattened. It was too big to go in the bin, and thick cardboard which I couldn't break down. It's been left by the road, along with a bag of recycling from a neighbour who is waiting for a new bin. There's more cardboard been left across the street - looks like a microwave box that's filled with cans, judging by the few around it.

It's so frustrating - all of it could have been taken and recycled but now there's plastic bottles, cans and cardboard scattered all over the street! Can't get a skip appointment for love nor money so what are people meant to do?

My cardboard is going to work with me tomorrow - the house has an open fire so it'll be burned which I hate but there's nowhere to store it and it won't fit in the bin, especially not with another two weeks' recycling!

No wonder people resort to fly tipping when it feels so impossible to get rid of stuff through the waste collection!

I worked in our local recycling centre shop for five weeks - one woman who had moved here from another country told me she furnished her whole house from there.

Ours started doing it during covid and never stopped.

You also can’t just go to any tip. you have to register online with a council tax bill. The only one we can go to is a 25 min drive away. Slots get booked up fast. Dh booked one yesterday, first one was for a 8 days time.

Fly tipping is a huge problem here, no wonder.

Honestly it's shit I'm fortunate to live in an area where they will take extra cardboard from the side of the bin one week they didn't and it was chaos

Then leave it somewhere to dry before putting it in the bin - it really isn't that difficult!

Do you mean there’s a waiting list for appointments or something? My city council’s online booking system for the recycling system works well. You are allowed 26 visits per year. Never had any trouble getting a slot.

It does vary by council

As far as I understand if the bin workers are stretched to the limit then they won't waste time picking up extra things especially if that gives them a overfiull truck before the round is finished

Also the councils are charged for recycling and the more they have the bigger the cost so they won't mind

When we skimp on taxes we pay in other ways

Most areas do have a dump - find a friend with a car and take excess to the dump or buy much less stuff over the next 2 weeks and break the box up to fit

Fly tippers are generally not just dumping their excess recycling though m, it's big stuff like mattresses or stuff they don't want to pay the council to come and dispose for them. Honestly, there's no excuse for that.

Yes, I think the bin/refuse people should also pick up those bits of extra recycling but if they don't, just save the bag till next time or take it to the tip. I absolutely LOVE going to the tip, especially if I've got heavy stuff to get rid of. It's very therapeutic to chuck stuff into the containers and hear it smash to pieces.

It shouldn't be that difficult.

Where I live, the bin men will take unlimited amounts of recycling. If there is too much for the fortnightly collection, you can just leave it outside in a cardboard box. For non recycling, they will only take the one bin though, which is fair enough.

The tip works very well. It's open 7 days a week and there is no appointment system. We do need to prove that we are residents of the council concerned, but that's no problem.

Complain to your council.

I don't have anywhere to leave it to dry - I have a small flat with no private outside space!

I think people complaining about the cost etc should bear in mind it mind that the idea is everyone reduces waste. Councils used to get financially penalised if they didn’t.You want “stuff” you pay for the crap it comes in to be removed.
That’s mostly why fly tipping happens. Builders have given a cheap quote that doesn’t involve the extra cost of the tip.

Councils or charities remove sofas and mattresses etc, free if you get certain benefits.

Rubbish is expensive to get rid off. Did you ask on a free cycle page if anyone wanted the box? People moving, kids play, charity shop packing, loads of people want a big box if you ask around.

I don't think OP is advocating fly tipping!

Here the nearest tip is open 3 days till 4pm, the other nearest is an hour & half round trip. No vans unless you pre-register every trip. A taxi would be around £100 if you were mad enough.

Our bin collectors leave all emptied bins directly behind our car rather than in the space they go two feet away

Every week they leave recycling dropped on the floor from the floppy bags it falls out of

Council removed every single car-park recycling centre a couple of years ago so it's tip or roadside, no other option at all. No recycling bins anywhere in the county.

Soon moving to fortnightly rubbish & weekly recycling with strict rules which amounts to two black bags a week regardless of house size.

They've broken the lid off of every black bin we've HAD to buy (the proper ones, not cheapy little things).

It truly pisses me off, the rigmarole you have to go thru with all this stuff, it's never ending!

We've a high percentage of holiday lets which obvs massively impacts the amount of rubbish/recycling there should be vs the resident population but the council don't enforce the owners to pay for their own collections like businesses have to.

Completely agree that the system is set up on a way that makes recycling difficult.
You can compost cardboard though so maybe give that a go if you don't want to burn it.

I know! Our council is as shit as councils can be but we have a recycling centre open 7 days a week.

Yea you might queue down the street on a Sunday but you don’t need a slot. We even have a tip “shop” where the staff salvage good stuff from the skips and put them in the shop.

My (now reupholstered) oak dining chairs came from there @ a tenner each.

I find them not taking cardboard a bit strange. I thought they got money for it.

Round my way you put big boxes and bits of cardboard next to the bin and they will take them. My assumption is they will take anything cardboard and paper because it can get converted to cash.

Extremely anti fly tipping.

But I can see your utter frustration with them!!

Also the morons leaving rubbish down your street is beyond ridiculous.

Next time, let the box get thoroughly soaking wet in your garden. Then it will easily break up and fit in your bin.

When did you ever need an appointment to go to a recycling carntre?

When we don't all live where you do!

Appointments came in here during covid and never stopped. It's a total pain in the bum having to book - current waiting times here are around 3 days.

Since covid! Google HWRC booking and you'll see how many places need appointments!

They only take your recycling once every 2 weeks?

It's every three weeks where I live.
Cardboard/paper was collected before Christmas and not again until yesterday.
It's already half full again with stuff I couldn't fit in and I've had to just keep in the house.

Our general waste is every three weeks too. It's a nightmare.

I agree, OP. If the government wants people to recycle, they need to make it easy to do so. The harder you make a task, or the more steps involved, the less likely people are to do it.

If it’s cardboard presumably it could have been cut up with scissors and put in the bin? If it still wouldn’t fit you could have cut it up and stored it in the loft or a cupboard until after the bin was emptied and then put it in the bin?

To be fair, most of my recycling bin (cans, plastics, bottles) is filled up with air.

If you struggle to fit all your stuff in maybe a can crusher will help.

If cans are crushed you can fit tons more in.

Please go back and read my posts

I really dont believe there are NO slots ever... I like slots tbh as you dont end up getting turned away because they are full or there are too many people queuing on the road and you end up having to go home (with a car load of rubbish). Its only a small tip but by booking it means that I know I will get in even on a Sat or Sunday. They are only open in the mornings at the weekend but I dont believe people are bookig slots weeks and weeks in advance.

The fly tippers are just lazy buggers!

Sorry if this has been answered but what is a tip appointment?

I do get where you're coming from - we have a good tip but you HAVE to drive to it (so if you don't drive I don't know what you're supposed to do!!!). My mum's tip is REALLY fussy about what they will or won't take, even things you think would be fine like an old side table they will just refuse. Pardon the pun....

We have a huge issue with fly tipping here though, as people will post on Facebook that they'll come and collect people's Christmas rubbish and then will just tip it down the road!