Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.
Childcare
Anyone with fortnighty collections tried to claim a larger bin?
becksmummy · 12/06/2007 12:45
I know this may be a silly thought but since I started childminding I seem to have a lot more rubbish, nappies etc... and am struggling with the fortnightly collections, I just wondered if anyone had tried to claim a large bin because of the amount of children they care for?
(I know you can claim a large bin if you have a certain no of people in your household just wonder if mindees counted?)
looneytune · 12/06/2007 13:04
Not sure but be careful as because you're a business, they may try charging extra. Silly I know as it's just like having a bigger family yourself but I know Katymac was/was going to be stung by charges for her waste.
Katymac - did this happen in the end? Is it just because you're much bigger than a normal childminder?
FioFio · 12/06/2007 13:07
This reply has been deleted
Message withdrawn
looneytune · 12/06/2007 13:11
I think it depends on how many mindees you have? I manage ok by just having sacks lined up by the gate. It's more than it would be with just ds but it's not unmanageable. Having said that, we have a weekly collection - big difference! Actually, the flies are doing my head in because of the nappies as it is - god, I couldn't wait 2 weeks!!
FioFio · 12/06/2007 13:11
This reply has been deleted
Message withdrawn
fifilou · 12/06/2007 13:32
heloooooooooo!
dont know if this helps, but i applied to my local council for a recycle bin, hey were rubbish and after 6 wks of waiting and still not getting one i wrote to my local mp! anyway, to cut a very boring long story short, i got 2 (yes 2!) recycle bins within the week!
Dont know if it would work but worht a try?
ayla99 · 12/06/2007 13:41
Don't tell them you are a childminder - they told a friend of mine she had to have a commercial refuse collection which isn't cheap! in our area you can buy a second bin if you can justify your need.
Our dustmen are really helpful - I can fill the green bin up with normal waste and they will empty it at the same time as the black bin. Then I put the boxes of paper/recyclables in the green bin for emptying the following week. They're not supposed to do that tho, i'm supposed to have bought a second black bin.
ayla99 · 12/06/2007 13:43
The problem I have at the moment is there is no access to rear of property except thru house and the only places to put the bins are by the house which is right underneath the windows!! I clean them every time they're emptied and squirt fly spray in the black bin when I put rubbish in it but still the flies keep coming.
OFSTEDoutstanding · 12/06/2007 13:46
Katy I am with NCC and I got an extra bin by saying that I had 6 people in my household they delivered it free of charge and take the rubbish with no probs. Mind you this was about 4 years ago and didn't really appreciate the extra space until I started minding
DominiConnor · 12/06/2007 13:50
In Epping Forest, we got a larger bin, and they insisted on giving us a smaller one as well.
We recycle more than average, but have a larger household. However there is an incentive to have a bigger bin since the witless fools who negotiated the contract for collection have it so that they don't have to take away any bagged rubbish, or bins that aren't closed.
Usually that wouldn't be an issue, but like everyone else we occasionally have surges, and given that they are getting powers to fine, didn't want the grief.
amother reason for using the term "witless" for our councils management of refuse is that they contractor went bust, and given their general competence we can easily assume that the 2-weekly collections will sometimes drift to 4.
AskABusyPerson · 12/06/2007 13:58
We have fortnightly collections and have for years. I have no problems with it, we recycle and compost loads and throw very little rubbish away. It's my green recycling bin that gets full to the brim!
Where I differ from you ladies is I ask mindees parents take their nappies home...why should my bin get stuffed full of nappies and theirs be empty?!! The parents are all fine with it!
becksmummy · 12/06/2007 14:02
I might try enquiring about a larger bin without telling them I am a childminder and see how it goes?
our council is very strick wont take bags of rubbish and once refused to empty it because the lid wasnt closed so I have had to start filling a black bag ready to put straight in the bin once it is emptied but then that is sat there for over 2 weeks, not pleasant!!
Katymac · 12/06/2007 15:28
I am a little concerned with the implication that childminding (ie working by yourself with the standard amount of children) is not business
I know I C/M on a larger scale and I accept that it is not quite what people expect (although it does have lots of advantages) but both I and other childminders working alone are all in "business" - and that size isn't important
ayla99 · 12/06/2007 16:53
We are most definitely businesses, however we operate from a domestic property and are not commercial premises (unless you have a playroom or part of the property that is solely used for childminding and not for any other reason).
the problem my colleague had was that, once the council knew she ran a business from home, they didn't want to take her household waste at all. An element of the council tax we pay funds the domestic refuse collection and so she was still entitled to a household collection service but the council told her they would stop taking her rubbish if she didn't pay for a trade refuse collection. They will look in the bins you see, and if they see anything they think is from the business they CAN LEAVE ALL OF IT for you to dispose of. There was no way she could prove to the council that nappies in her rubbish were her own children's.
Strictly speaking, we should not be putting any waste derived from our business into the household bins and should be disposing of it by taking it ourselves or employing a trade refuse collection. That would mean a 3rd bin for my front garden and I would have to pay £37 per quarter to have it emptied by the council.
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.