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 agree with this. This is what should happen and they should put the non recyclables to be incinerated in an energy recovery facility.

An educated population benefits you as well as the children involved. People don't have to have a green bin, they can just have a compost bin in their garden or take it all to the dump. But children do actually need to be educated.

I can’t believe this is only just being introduced. We’ve been doing it for years. I always wash bottles and cans, partly because I don’t want the local cats and foxes sniffing around the bins when they smell tuna.

Same. Everything gets chucked as it is. Simply do not have the time.

One minute into this video, that is exactly what is happening in Manchester

We’re all busy! How much time are you saving by not giving a yoghurt pot a quick rinse? 🙄

FFS! You just give it a good rinse under the tap. I’ve always done it and nobody has died!

I sort and recycle but I'm really not sure about using significant resources to wash out containers.

It uses clean water, that I pay for (metered) and energy (also metered) to clean these items. It also takes up time. All of these costs I pay for. I also pay for the council to remove rubbish and deal with it. I pay for any items I buy which use recycled materials.

Does it reduce my council tax bill by me doing this? Is it actually making any difference at all or is it all just being transported somewhere to be dumped in landfill?

Sometimes I think we're just being taken for mugs and it's not actually doing anything useful for the planet either.

Just rinse it. Its enough & fine. We've had this system for bloody years. My house doesnt stink, i dont have rodents lodging with us. Do you think you are maybe being a bit precious and dramatic?

You’re being ridiculous. Just get on with it. If you don’t want to pay for garden waste then start a compost heap. Or take it to the dump for free 🤷‍♀️

She has a DOG you know, how can you possibly be more busy than her?!

Really depends where you live. Each council has contracts with various depots/recycling businesses and it depends on the availibility and proximity of the post-collection recycling facilities as to what or how recycling is first collected at household level.

For example I put glass, metal and plastic in one container and glass in a different one. Food in the kitchen caddy then larger 'outside caddy' and cardboard and paper go in separate bags and all is is collected by hand once a week. Black bag rubbish every 2 weeks. I recycle my soft plastic at local supermarkets. Because of the very steep hills and lack of 'bin-keeping' front space any lorry-loader bins are out of the question.

This is very different to another place I lived in 15 years ago where we had 3 large lorry-loading bins - 1 for all general recycling, 1 for black bag rubbish and 1 for compostables. It was flatter and had plenty of space for the bins.

I still rinsed out my jars and anything with a 'residue'.

or ideally 1! - step forward the Ford recycling facility in West Sussex

I wonder if any of the minging animals that don’t wash their recycling or indeed recycle at all, are among the ones on the competitive cleanliness threads? Washing towels after every use, and using gallons of synthetically scented fabric softener?

Well yes. Some day you'll need a doctor or a nurse, someone to repair your car, to understand your financial needs, to advise you on legal matters - so it is right that you should contribute to the costs of education.

I have paper and cardbourd bin.
Blue bin and black bin.
I had a food bin that went in a black sack in the bottom of the black bin its now gone, however i did keep the little indoor food bin, im using it for my washing powder.

Sure then the best option is it goes though the dog washer.

I am with you OP. No dishwasher either.

Actually, I don't mind the jars but I have to empty them into the toilet as we have a very sensitive macerator. That's probably wrong too.

But chicken packaging - never. It's impossible not to splatter.

I agree. Just how hard is it to do this at the end of a washing up session? We have a dishwasher but we wash pans, chef's knives and wine glasses by hand.

Wrf you can’t wash up a jar?

Well this thread has thoroughly depressed me. I can’t believe how few people will do the bare minimum to help us live in a functioning society. The entitlement is shocking. Extrapolate this and no wonder the planet is screwed

I also wash everything that's had food in it before putting it in the recycling. It's gross otherwise.

Shame on you for adding a used mayonnaise jar to landfill because you can't be arsed to wash it.
And yes it does make a difference, because if you are not part of the solution then you're part of the problem.

Instead of moaning about inadequate bin collection services you should be modifying your consumption and playing ball with reasonable requirements for a complex and necessary system.
If you don't want to do that then don't buy the stuff in the first place.

I couldn't agree more.

Absolutely this. I’m generally really negative and lacking in hope about the future and people wonder why. It’s because it’s so obvious that millions of people don’t give a single shit.

We have massive mixed recycling bags and we keep them indoors until they fill. So if I don't wash the chicken packets or jars, the house stinks...since we eat fish, sea food and chicken daily