I don’t want to wash up chicken packets and jars of mayonnaise!!

[ChristmasBaby2026]

My council like many have recently changed our recycling. We now have:

• a bin for paper and card
• a bin for “mixed recycling”
• the food bin
• the black bin
• the garden bin (which I have to pay extra for 😡)

The only substantial change other than the number of bins to put things in is they will now collect glass whereas we previously had to go to the bottle bank.

But it now means they are now only collecting our black bin once every THREE weeks (and currently not for 4 because the new system has stupidly started on a recycling week).

How are families supposed to only have rubbish collected once every three weeks? There is simply no way.

I do recycle but I have always drawn the line at washing up gross things like packets of mince and jars of mayonnaise. But apparently the council have decided people have nothing better to do. I wouldn’t resent it so much if I thought it was actually making a difference but my landfill mayonnaise jar is not the main problem here!

I can confirm that. I was surprised to see when renting during a house move that all the rubbish went in one bin. General rubbish, recycling. The lot.
But once in new house bins for food, rubbish, recycling etc. Bizarre.

Or dump it in the used washing up water before it's emptied. Anything's better than a smelly kitchen bin.

BTW anyone else just bought a scraper?

Jar Scraper Flaschenschaber £4.99 on Amazon.

Why?

But washing your recycling makes no difference to that. They wash it at the plant anyway - and as pp have said, the information given to users is that washing it beforehand is unnecessary.

If for some reason you prefer it being clean after you throw it away, fine. I personally put it straight out in the outdoor bin every night where its uncleanliness makes no difference to me. But either way, it's got nothing to do with the environment.

I give a quick rinse to jars and meat packets if they're bad, just to get the worst out. But i agree, you dont need to wash them.

Obviously MN random peeps may know better but according to this you need to wash them.

In case my previous comment got lost, IF THINGS ARE OILY OR GREASY, WIPE THEM FIRST

www.derbyshire.gov.uk/environment/rubbish-waste/waste-myth-buster-information/waste-and-recycling-myths-busted.aspx

I wash jars! I just put a litthe bit of detergent in, half fill with water ,screw the lid back on and give it a shake. I find it quite satisfying! 😄

I thought we were short of fresh water and it needed to be conserved - so to save the planet with clean recycling we have to increase the use of scarce water resources instead?

Because that’s what you need to do - see my link above.

I am stunned that intelligent people aren’t able to research.

Again, see my link debunking most of the myths on here

Well I think this nails it. I keep my dirty jars until I have a sink of hot water on the go anyway and then wash them.

I would still like to see a link to something confirming that the presence of dirty recycling results in the whole lot going to landfill please as plenty of people have said this but, I don't think, have offered any proof. Apologies if they have, as I said, I haven't had time to read the whole thread.

If my council requests that I rinse stuff out why wouldn't I do that?

I'm not a lazy, self entitled arsehole.

https://www.glassrecycle.co.uk/How-Can-You-Help/index.htm

Don’t be daft. Someone’s posted a page written by some spod at Derbyshire County Council. So that’s the end of that. 🙄

I live in reservoir country in South Yorkshire, and our reservoirs are much higher than they were at this time last year.

Rinsing out stuff at the end of a washing up session doesn't use extra water anyway.

Well how 'bout that. I just looked up my local council (nowhere near Derbyshire) and their advice has changed, now asking people to rinse out jars and packets before recycling. So I'll do that.

It's not lack of intelligence, just that there seems to be a variety of systems in operation across the country, and then some of them change.

I bow to your superior knowledge obviously…

Given most of you have children (which has environmental impact) I’m surprised so few people can be bothered to do their bit - you can wrap it up as ‘it doesn’t make a difference’ but it’s laziness.

Why wouldn’t you do something so minor on the offchance that it increases the chance of your children and grandchildren have a decent planet to inhabit?

It might be time to stop blaming boomers for not giving a shit about the planet…

Also to check before claiming others are wrong without any thought of rules being changed or areas being different

You use the washing up water once you've finished washing up.

People like you sum up everything that's wrong with this country.

Can't even manage to wash a jar of mayonnaise without moaning. God help us.

And of course, everything is someone else's fault or job- the government, the council etc.

Get a grip.

I posted a quote this morning from N London council.

I am sure you are able to do some research on that point

You put unwashed meat packaging in your inside recycling bin? Doesn’t it stink?

I dont live in Derbyshire.

And no, not wasting kitchen roll on wiping jars and/or getting my hand stuck in one.

This change seems similar to the ones just introduced in my area. It’s going to take some getting used to but I am trying.
Im pleased we can now put glass in the recycling, but think it’s a real shame that the only option for used batteries is taking them to a recycling facility. They are not supposed to be put in with general rubbish.
I am not sure if you near me OP, but I have to say that the recycling issue is a lot less of a worry to me than the melting main road!

People like you always find an excuse not to do something - it’s okay to admit you can’t be bothered 🤣