Forum Topic

Using Your WEEKLY Food Waste Bin Collection

http://www.hounslow.gov.uk/news_mod_home/news_mod_year/news_mod_month/news_mod_show?year1=2015&month1=10&NewsID=70941This will remain weekly!Take a look at where it goes and what happens to it.

Philippa Bond ● 3758d12 Comments

Yes, Vanessa is happy with this arrangement but a lot of houses don't have an alley.  Also some houses have been turned into flats and the space allocated for bins has not been retained once permission has been granted.  Some bin space for all the flats should be a H&S requirement.  Blocking the pavement and chucking waste straight out of windows into the street should not be acceptable.  Not to mention unregistered HMOs.

Philippa Bond ● 3750d

Philippa.  Dustbins were always to be hidden away, which is why many houses have back footpaths for bin collection.  No reason why some bins could not go to the back of houses at the end of the garden.

Sarah Felstead ● 3751d

We had similar problems with our compost bin, Ray.  It attracted rats although none actually took up residence.  We gave it to a neighbour to use and they did have rats!

Sarah Felstead ● 3751d

Sorry - rushed edit of last para.  We need to remember how many wicker baskets we took shopping (or our mothers and grandmothers took shopping) and how many metal dustbins stood outside our houses.We need to learn or learn again how to manage our food buying, storing, cooking and eating better.  Thank goodness that cookery has returned to the school curriculum because many parents now don't have those skills to teach their children or don't have or make the time to. There are some very useful websites.

Philippa Bond ● 3751d

It is difficult to imagine when you think of it like that, isn't it?  If you read the award-winning essay "The Perils of Plastic Amnesia" by Matthew Carmichael which was published by The Economist and which you can find online it gives an amusing run-down of how we have got ourselves into this position. We need to remember how many wicker baskets we took shopping (did our mothers take shopping)and how many metal dustbins did we have outside our houses?

Philippa Bond ● 3751d

I find it very hard to believe that there are many people who throw one in five bags of food shopping in the bin. Apart from not being one of them, I have never known of or known anybody who carries on in that way. Where on earth do people get those figures from?Further, from the site and talking about general waste: “When you lift your bin lid to see such a little bag after two weeks it’s absolutely a joy.  I never ever thought that the size of my rubbish bags would put a smile on my face.” Graham Heap, Southport - precisely and all the more reason to not be subjected to a big general waste bin sitting outside one's house for 365 days of the year to be emptied on a fortnightly basis = all of 26 times a year.

Anne England ● 3751d

http://www.therubbishdiet.org.uk/love-your-food-take-the-food-challenge/Karen reckons she saved herself £4,000.  How can it be that one in five bags of food shopping ends up wasted and in the bin?

Philippa Bond ● 3751d

Building works make them change their runs.  They are always there.

Philippa Bond ● 3757d

In over thirty years of living in Brentford, I have seen one rat and a dead one at that - my cat's birthday present to me about eight years ago was to throw a dead rat about the kitchen (nice).Where are people seeing rats and at what time of day? There was quite a lot about rats near the court house or some such recently but where else have people seen them?

Anne England ● 3757d

I changed my under sink bins in the kitchen replacing one of them with the larger food waste bin.  I've never kept it outside and have luckily not had the problem you've had. It is also in a cool place and one of the problems people have is caused by their food waste bins sitting in the sunshine.  I also ignored the caddy and put any food waste straight into the bigger bin - although I've a pint pot with a lid that I sometimes use. We have a lot of teabags (I know I should use leaf)and I always put these into a small glass pot to cool down.  Then they are easy to squeeze and we don't get such a soggy bin. Being much more aware of what we are throwing away makes us more conscious of what we can avoid wasting and consequently we've made some changes to what we buy and how we store food. I've actually got to the point now where I resent the amount of space the food waste bin takes because it is nearly empty for weeks on end and am wondering how to re-tweak the system.The website below is useful - it shows different ways in which people make their food waste bin system work for them.  I think they also have some trouble shooting on composters - I'm sure there are others who on brentfordtw8 who will have constructive help as well.I remember there being discussions about what they don't suggest you put in so as to avoid rats and also whether or not it is a good idea to have a solid base.  Also I believe people often put them in a quiet out of the way place and that actually is just what rats like.  Being able to walk past often and thump the composter disturbs them.  http://www.recyclenow.com/(Recently updated website. The food recycling tips are here:  http://www.recyclenow.com/recycle/food-recycling)You have a to find systems that suit you - and continue tweaking as anything changes.  Good luck!

Philippa Bond ● 3757d

People with limited space simply won't do it anymore. Something will have to go to make space for the wheelie bin.We compost most food but now have a problem with rats nesting in the compost. So do have another problem to deal with. They also chewed through the plastic food container that we do use out front.Very recent this as I've not seen so many rats locally for quite some time. And I really don't like them!

Raymond Havelock ● 3757d

Yes, that is what the letter from Hounslow Council says (WEEKLY) and will no doubt be the case.

Anne England ● 3758d