AIBU to think councils should do extra waste collections at Xmas, not fewer?

[Pyew]

Because regardless of what people "should" be doing, there's always extra to pick up at this time, and going into denial about it creates problems that last for weeks rather than days.

Eg I live in a block of flats, with a communal bin store for three blocks. It was last emptied 3.5 weeks ago and now it's so disgusting with both overflowing recycling and regular bins that the bin lorry came and went today just leaving it in that state. We are all now going to have to pay the management company an extra fee to clear it, and I'll be storing trash and doing tip runs with my own waste until that happens.

Obviously the immediate problem has been caused by people just dumping stuff in there once the bins got full, but it probably wouldn't have happened if we'd had an extra pickup over Xmas - the rest of the year it's fine, but every Xmas it backs up. It's not even solely caused by my immediate neighbours - I've certainly witnessed people driving into the estate and offloading their trash into our stores, presumably because their own collection schedule isn't adequate at this time of year.

AIBU to think that although yes it would be lovely if we lived in a waste-free world where everyone merrily composted their tiny output, simply pretending there isn't a problem actually creates a much bigger problem that could be easily resolved by just one extra waste collection, once a year?

Most people in my previous flat in London didn't have a car - which is what all these environmentally friendly people allegedly want.

I think councils see blocks of flats as an easy target - not just for paid extra collections, but in general I think they'll start charging us extra.

Councils don't seem to do the basic stuff anymore. I don't know if it's the fault of the weird rules that Westminster imposes on them. But getting councils to deal with basics like bins and potholes properly will be a real vote winner. Sad but true.

I would just quite like it if my bins had been collected even on the rescheduled date.

I've given up trying to predict 'when is bins?' and just resigned myself to the fact that they'll live on the drive from now until the end of January.

Fortunately, we live rurally, so they're not in anybody's way, and the weather is cold enough to ensure that the food waste isn't stinky.

Won't stop me raising an eyebrow at the inevitable CT raise this year, though...

My council does do all the basic stuff pretty well. What they can’t do is the extra stuff. Blame years 15 years of austerity for that as they have been starved of cash.

I generated no more waste over Christmas than I would any other time of year.

Wrapping paper and cardboard packaging goes for kindling.

There might be one or two extra bottles than normal but my recycling bin was only half full when I took it out.

We'd be cooking dinner anyway so there's no more extra food scraps than there would be normally. We also don't waste food and make sure to use up leftovers.

We're perfectly fine with normal bin collections, I don't see any need for extra ones unless you're generating a truly shocking amount of waste, in which case I would suggest it would be better to cut back.

Capitalism, consumerism and many other cornerstones of contemporary society. It's kind of a wide issue and not going to be resolved any time soon.

Disingenuous and unrealistic to pretend it's about individual choices made in splendid isolation.

Half the people replying here seem to live in houses with gardens and can put waste in composters and stuff

And have cars

Very different living in a block of flats. And you have no control over whether some muppet doesn't break down boxes, etc when they put stuff away.

@LVhandbagsatdawn "kindling"

😲😲🤣🤣

We are not the same.

we have a similar set up at our previous address and I agree OP!
I’ve also noticed that it is lower income areas it seems to affect more bevause they don’t necessarily have transport to take rubbish to the tip themselves, or the spare cash to pay for collection and so the areas get more unkempt with rubbish everywhere

I agree, there should be an extra round of bin collections after Christmas. It's not about depriving binmen of their breaks, it's about collecting all the additional rubbish that people predictably generate over the holidays.

I also think we should have weekly bin collections for both general waste and recycling.

Before someone asks, yes, I would absolutely be willing to pay more council tax for it. If it was an optional service I would pay for it, sadly it's not currently offered anywhere as far as I know.

I'm not in the UK but I reckon my local council has it right. There's a rota of collections, Monday to Friday, Some bins fortnightly, one is weekly.

This thing is, they are collected on the designated days whether a it's public holiday or not. I bloody hope the bin men get PH rates of pay. It seems to work. If people need an extra bin, they have to pay for it.

@GreenLemonade agree I would pay for it, more than welcome. The bill from the management company for clearing the store is going to be eye watering compared to the cost of an extra council collection. Especially now that the bin lorry has refused us - it's just carte blanche for every fly tipper in the area to offload.

I agree with you
it’s a joke!

Have people not clocked that the reason some households have more waste over Christmas and some have less is because the residents of the ones with less are probably away visiting or staying with the ones with more!?

How have you missed the fact that due to 14 years of Central Government cutting funding to local Councils a huge number of Councils are teetering on the brink of bankruptcy and even more are unable to meet their Statutory duties?
Some have actually had to declare themselves bankrupt.

Much as I sympathise with individual circumstances where individuals such as yourself can't control the actions of other people and you end up with your bins not being emptied, I don't think it reasonable to expect the Council to somehow acquire additional vehicles and staff to make extra collections.

Left my bin men a 10 quid tip and extra bin bags next to the bin. Didn’t expect them to be taken, but yeah, it did work!

Our rubbish has been collected weekly as per usual, along with the recycling. Just perhaps on different days. No complaints from here.

I live in a very small block of flats but we all have our own bins blue & black.
Our bins have been emptied twice so far but we dont have a lot of rubbish.

Sorry OP but I think you’re being massively unreasonable. I can’t speak for all areas of the country but our bin men work 12 hour shifts some days already. Our bin collections aren’t reduced at Christmas they’re picked up on a different day. The weather is awful at this time of year and I can’t imagine asking anyone miss out on time with their families over Christmas and work more overtime. As for companies bringing in more staff I doubt it’s feasible to increase your workforce for one week if the year.

Good luck staffing that.

Bin lorries and drivers are utilised as fully as possible. Getting people with HGV licences isn’t easy. Councils don’t just leave them lounging around the depot between runs.

In my area binmen collect extra bin bags left next to the bin on the first collection after Christmas. We can also put out extra recycling in clear bags next to the recycling bin.

It's a once a year service offered by the council after christmas. Potentially a good alternative to an additional round of collections in areas where people live in houses with individual bins.

While I dont think we need extra collections our bin men normally tale the extras bags/recycling after Christmas anyway. I can see how it would be an issue if they weren't taking extras and just leaving them on the side of the road.

Someone needs to start somewhere. I despair for the children of today and what they are inheriting.

Where i live there were special arrangements so that those of us that were due a bin collection on Christmas day and New Years day were given an alternative day. The grey bin( paper/ cardboard) uplift due Christmas day was uplifted on the Saturday 28th Dec and the green ( general waste) due 1st January was uplifted Sunday Jan 4th.

It was noticeable that hardly any body in my neighbourhood bothered putting their bins out on the alternative days provided. Those that didn't bother were the ones that generate the most waste. And their bins are now overflowing in their gardens.

So whilst the council made a point of keeping the service as near as good as normal people's lack of bothering to read the information that was readily available has caused a real problem.

My feeling is if people don't even use the service the council provide, and advertise, I can't see them bothering to use any extra uplifts if they did try and provide them.

My current council make some odd decisions

Hence the basics not being done, but a lot of other stuff being done that nobody actually wants or asked for. Mostly in the name of "investment". Be interested to see how that goes.

Also part of a a place where a pointless mayor + expensive officials will be appointed. Annoying. We don't need a mayor.