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!

The Dolmio label usually covers most of it tbf

Thatcher

I just washed my recycling. I washed the dishes (the things that don't go in the dishwasher like water bottles and non stick pans) and then I stuck the recycling in the washing up water at the end. Zero extra water was used so no waste.

There’s always one 🙄

You don't have to use hot water just rinse the plastic with cold water so it is clean enough running cold water into a it is fine. Or just use your washing up water .

Was commenting to the pp who said to boil the kettle.

Mince is gross. It is dead bodies. I can't see how you think the packaging is too gross to wash but you are happy to eat the (gross) contents.

I prefer rinsing jars and packets or they sit in the bin and smell in the summer time anyway. Doesn’t take long. Stops flies and foxes etc.

You’ve partly answered your own question - because you ARE the consumer. We have choices on what to consume and if you choose to buy something you are also responsible for the safe and proper disposal of the packaging.

Its not the proper solution of course, which would be to implement strict producer responsibility schemes where all products have their waste (or preferably repair/reuse) costs and methods built in, but it’s currently what we’ve got.

In the climate crisis I completely believe we have to do what is in our power to do. Yes Shell/BP/Amazon are fucking things up on a huge scale, but unless you’re a major stakeholder your chances of materially changing their ways are non existent. So for most of us it’s consciously consuming and responsibly dealing with our waste.

Now, back to my washing up 😂🤣💚

I mean, why? Just why?

Surely that takes as much effort to do than it is to use the actual proper bin.

Not to mention it's just manky as fuck.

It is though . Knowing people who do have circumstances where they are able to buy food one week, and have to count literally every penny the next, I recognise that I am fairly privileged that I wouldnt have to think twice about using water and electricity to boil a kettle for something heading for the bin.

I mean, boiling water would get rid of everything, all germs removed. Make sure to polish the glassware so it pings before carefully inserting into recycling bin.

I think she was just ripping the piss!!😂

weve had it for years, no problem really. I sling absolutely all of it in the dishwasher before recycling , so including plastic food containers.

I'm with you. I hate washing chicken boxes and mayo jars. In Spain they pick up rubbish EVERY WEEK!!! what is it with once every three week collection????

Yuck

I dunno, it wouldn't surprise me if people did that.

I hope you simply give a quick squirt of detergent on the dog poo and rinse it out in your left over washing up water.

But - to add - if you move to WFPB diet like I have, it's no longer an issue. Plus your heart and veins will thank you for it!

Perfectly true! As anyone growing up rinsing milk bottles knows, cold water is much more effective than hot.

As to the water meter argument, that is laughable. Do these people going on about the cost of water ever wash themselves? How much water does it take? The water used to rinse a jar must take about as much as washing a toddler's face.

Anything "oily" in a jar (eg peanut butter and mayonnaise have been mentioned up thread) I use hot tap water and washing up liquid, lid back on and then give it a good shake, that usually works 😊

I only said to use kettle water for raw meat packaging if people were worried about splashing bacteria! I didn’t even say boil it specially for that. There’s always a bit left in the kettle when you’ve made a cuppa!
I rinse mine with cold water and we’ve never got sick from splashed bacteria, it was literally an idea to put people’s minds at rest who were worried about it.
Talk about making a mountain out of a mole hill in true mumsnet fashion 🙄

The attitude of people amazes me…can’t rinse a mayonnaise jar out nor a mince packet. Gawd help us 🤦🏼‍♀️

After I wash up I use the water to rinse recycling, I’ve been recycling for decades. I’m just glad I don’t have to lug it to a supermarket now (except for plastic wrappers)

I know. But its quite an amusing thread!!😂 well im amusing myself anyway!!