Trouble is that the energy and chemicals (especially phosphates) used for washing negate any environmental gains.

Exactly, and while I like the bi-weekly collection which saves methane-genic bio-degradables going to landfil, the pooh-problem must be addressed.

There's the cat-litter and nappy issue already discussed, and there's the dog pooh problem too: Our dogs pooh in the garden, and we bag it up and put it in the black bin. It has to be picked up because otherwise it would be a health problem, and we don't have bio-degradable pooh-bags so it can't go in the green bin. It can't be flushed down the loo because again the bag isn't biodegradable and it would cause a blockage to the sewage system somewhere, and there isn't a satisfactory way of picking up the pooh in the garden and carrying it through the house to flush down the loo (and in any case flush toilets are not the most environmentally-friendly way of disposing of pooh).

Pooh will become insnitary after two weeks in a hot wheelie bin, so it is necessary for WBC to find an answer to this problem.

Yes... what will we do with our poo?


"Where does phoo come from dad?"

"Food passes down the oesophagus to the stomach, where digestive enzymes induce a probiotic reaction in the alimentary canal; this reaction extracts protein before waste products descend via the colon and rectum to emerge as poo."

"And what about Tigger?"

No. Crush cans flat, flatten plastic bottles and put the lid on. Loads of room

Just a thought,wasn't green bin collection stopped during the winter ?

During the winter there was a time where many people's bins weren't collected, but it wasn't a seasonal decision, more because of extraordinary weather conditions.

Like I said, I crush and flatten everything as much as I can and still there is not enough room in the infernal green plastic sack.
Lid??
I do put all plastic and metal for recycling in the bag and fill it twice over in 2 weeks..

Perhaps you need a vasectomy, or a diet?

Thanks for that piece of wise, invaluable advice!

Without wishing to question the nappy threads or even the vasectomy. Are there no recycling bins at supermarket carparks?
OK I understand we should all walk to our local shop....& carrying 50 cans of empty Strongbow is not everyone's cup of tea.

Someone mentioned a French system of major bins that all members of the commune used. I am not sure if that would work
in mainly urban areas. There is a lot more space in France.
ce

What am I paying my bl**dy council tax for?
To have it collected, that's what for!

They do this in Spain too. Perhaps it's worth considering here too.

Yep. Biker I agree. The night collector man has long gone. Slops and stuff are the new world.

But does'nt one think about the number of Stella cans in your bucket as neighbours pass.
Mine is an open topped green bin and the only thing I deposit is the last copy of the Telegraph.
I am lucky with a chain of small recycling bins along the highstreet.
ce

Actually, green bin collection did cease around our neck of thr woods at the turn of the year, reason given was lack of garden waste, just at the time I was planning to trim some of the bally old trees ! **** inconvenient.

A new factory has open in Birmingham. They collect disposable nappies and turn them into roof tiles.

Marketing spin from the makers of disposable nappies.

Sorry, I was saying I don't find it an issue. That was your question

Oh I see, sorry.
It might have avoided confusion if you had quoted the question you were replying to.

I have a very small garden and hardly ever put my green bin out least of all in Winter. This means we have to wait a fortnight for our food waste to be collected - smelly, inviting rats and not making good use of my Community Charge which grows annually! And that's apart from having to trundle round the block to put the green bin out anyway. What a U turn for the Council. Unimpressed.

So why not make use of your green bin and put your food waste in that, where it won't go to landfill?