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Original poster

Plastic carrier bags - Shock horror, I'm not against them

153 replies

mumtosam · 26/03/2008 11:44

I'd love to agree with the current line of thought that they're evil but I don't. So before we get rid of them / tax them to oblivion has anyone come up with a half decent alternative.

I'm happy to recycle - what the difference to me which dustbin I put my rubbish in.

My driving is enviromentally friendly -I drive a hybrid vehicle and walk plenty.

I reuse my carrier bags at home as bin liners so don't have any to take with me to the shops.

So please tell me why I should start paying 5-10p a bag.

OP posts:
Joash · 27/03/2008 15:52

not being awkward, I really do want a practical alternative for baggin rubbush up.

perpetualworrier · 27/03/2008 15:59

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BRAND-NEW-80-LITRE-BLACK-PLASTIC-DUSTBIN_W0QQitemZ310032861460QQcmdZViewItem?h ash=item310032861460 here !! assuming you are in UK.

I'm stuggling to imagine a house " in the middle of nowhere" that has no space for a dustbin.

perpetualworrier · 27/03/2008 16:00

Sorry I'll try again dustbin

Joash · 27/03/2008 16:07

Try to imagine a house that has no front garden (straight onto a public road) and has a space at the back that is 5 foot wide by about 10 foot long - and in that space is a coal bunker (3ftX3ft) standing on a platform approx 2 1/1 ft off the ground, a rabbit hutch (5ftX2ft); bench (4ftx 2 1/2 ft); a path with an inwardly opening gate at one end (3ft wide gate) and the door to the house at the other end. We cross the road to get to the garden - which is open to the elements and we are not allowed to build anything on it - can't even have a shed.

perpetualworrier · 27/03/2008 16:10

What do your neighbours do, if you have any?

If not, just outside the back gate?

Joash · 27/03/2008 16:12

the back gate - private land only have a right to access. No neighbours

Joash · 27/03/2008 16:14

All I want is an alternative to bin liners that will stand up to the elements (and the seagulls). Oh and I should add that we get fined (£50)if the rubbish isn't bagged securely - even if it's bagged up properly before the bloody seagulls get at it.

terramum · 27/03/2008 17:43

Mmmmm...was wondering if the bunker could be used itself as not many people use coal these days...but obviously if you are using it still that is no good. Could you put a bin outside the front of the house? Most terraces in the next town that has wheely bin collections do that as they don't have any access to the back.

Are there any other households in a similar situation in your council? Might be worth actually contacting them & asking for suggestions, especially if they are fining you for not keeping the rubbish contained.

The only thing I can think of that you could do to stop the gulls ripping through the bin liners is to cover them with a tarp that might stand up to them...

IorekByrnison · 27/03/2008 19:06

Joash, maybe you should sort your rubbish into two lots:

one odourless lot to go in the bin bag for the bin men containing nothing of interest to seagulls

a second lot to go in a small, stinky but discreet pile for the seagulls containing fish heads, icecream cones etc

Everyone wins!

Califrau · 27/03/2008 19:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

IorekByrnison · 27/03/2008 19:14

No? Ok, you could always get a bokashi bin to deal with seagull attractors.

BoysOnToast · 27/03/2008 19:18

phone the people at the coucil refuse dept. they seem to have you between a rock and ahrd p[lace here... you cant keep getting fined and youre trying your best... maybe they can come up with a workable suggestion? and how about the people who own the private land you only have access over... are they approachable? could you ask them if maybe youd be allowed to put a big wheelie or metal bin just outside your gate?

IorekByrnison · 27/03/2008 20:05

Was serious about the bokashi bins - do you think this could be a solution? Surely the gulls won't go for your bins if there's nothing in it for them.

IorekByrnison · 27/03/2008 20:08

As for the OP and the plastic bags: did I mention this before?

BoysOnToast · 27/03/2008 22:07

actually i think those bokashi bins look amazing. anyone actually got one? id love to know if they work as well as it says... (should start another thread)
i did get a wormery to deal with lots of my compost waste... but only when id been trying to get the damn thing established for about 5 months did i realise it could take up to a year before it consumed even a modest amount of food waste and i couldnt be arsed with it tbh. i bought a normal compost bin and tipped the contents into that. they seem to have thrived...

BoysOnToast · 27/03/2008 22:09

theres also the green cone, though if youve no room for a bin i doubt youve room for one of these either...

Greyriverside · 27/03/2008 22:13

IorekByrnison, I looked at that link. It's interesting, but a bit inconclusive when you consider all the 'maybes' and 'risk ofs' in it. Also I think it could be read another way. If all the pollutants in the water (and maybe we shouldn't be putting pollutants in the water in the first place) are concentrating on the surface of the plastic particles then they are effectively cleaning the water.

IorekByrnison · 27/03/2008 22:34

It must be wonderful to be such an optimist, greyriverside.

So you think that these plastic particles are somehow kept out of the food chain?

Greyriverside · 27/03/2008 22:54

Oh I don't know if my idea is correct. Just that it could go either way given that it's taking it from the water (leaving the water cleaner) in order to coat the particles. What would be better I suppose is if the particles then became heavy enough to sink to the bottom, but that's too much to hope for.

The truly awful thing is that there is enough DDT and other poisons in the ocean to be measurable.

Joash · 27/03/2008 23:13

Firstly they are seagulls - they automatically tear open any bags, regardless of whether there is anything 'edible' in them or not.

Secondly, We are not allowed to put anything on the private land (especially rubbish bins).

Can't have a bin outside the front of the house as it would be actually on the road.

We have asked the council for suggestions - they simply send a letter reminding us that the rubbish can only go onto the road on a particular date at a set time - and not before and without being covered in anyway (they see this as a barrier to the rubbish being collected).

BoysOnToast · 27/03/2008 23:23

nope joash. looks like youre screwed.
what on earth do they expect you to do?

Joash · 27/03/2008 23:49

I have absolutely no idea!

IorekByrnison · 28/03/2008 11:26

Joash, you're right it sounds pretty bad.

But are you sure the seagulls will go for an odourless bag? Surely it's the smell that interests them?

Joash · 28/03/2008 11:48

No - there is no smell!!! They are so used to scavenging from bin liners that as soon as they see one - they automatically rip them apart. I take it you don't live near seagulls then?

IorekByrnison · 28/03/2008 11:52

No. But I know they are bad news. Sorry - I've run out of ideas.