I’m sure I’ve mentioned somewhere along the line that I don’t recycle much around my house, but I do recycle paper.
Now I’m a lazy person, and it’s all about convenience for me. Truely the only reason I recycle the paper is because it’s so damn easy. Once a week, the Mondi guy comes around the area and collects his Ronnie paper pick-up bags, and he leaves refill bags for the coming week. Every household in the area gets one back for his purpose.
So, then last week, I got a mail from the community news people saying that the recycling service is being extended. So now, they’ll also collect tin, plastic and glass. The instructions were to leave a bag filled with the new type of a waste on the kerb, and they would leave a seperate bag for it.
So I duly did that.
It seemed like a perfectly brilliant idea. No hassle. Easy.
Except there’s one BIG flaw in this plan. The orange paper pickup bag that works perfectly well, is useless for other waste for a number of reasons:
- Until you start recycling properly you actually have no idea how much of the stuff you collect in one week, and one bag is simply too small.
- The instructions say to rinse your waste before putting it in the bin. All very well and good, except it’s still smelly. Paper doesn’t smell. Other waste… well… it smells!
- I have huskies… the smelly tins and empty milk containers are just so very tempting. No matter where I put the bag, the dogs smell it out.
So, there’s goes my recycling initiative for the moment… I don’t have time to phaff around with this stuff. I need a proper bin… not a silly bag!
Comments
Louise
This is one thing I really enjoy about the UK, the ability to easily recycle. We have a plastic recycle bin for bottles, a bin for garden waste and bags for paper and cans. They come once every 2 weeks. It works pretty well and absolutely no fuss whatsoever. I am the recycle fundi in our house.
The motivation to it is that you could get into a lot of trouble if you put glass in your normal waste so it is a real motivation to make sure your glass goes into the recycle bin. You don’t have to wash it though and we are fortunate enough that our dogs don’t really worry about the bin. I am less likely to use the recycle bags, that is more a fuss than the containers.
Another thing that is really big here is the paperbags you get through your post box for recycling clothes, shoes, bedding and towels that goes to charities. They even have a clothes recycle bins at the shopping centre which is really cool.
I once went to the TIP where you can take your rubbish and that was quite an experience. They have loads of massive bins and everyone takes some sort of waste: Small appliance, wood, plastic, carton,etc etc. It was a bit overwelming as I have never seen anything quite so organised.
I do enjoy recycling and I think it is the compulsive cleaner in me that makes it something I really enjoy doing. Not something everyone will enjoy..
Natalie G
Ja, that is a fail, alright
I have 2 covered bins in my kitchen. One for regular trash and one for cans, plastics and bottles (which are all rinsed before putting them in there – no issues with smells). I also have a large cardboard box for paper. On recycling day, I remove the bag from my recycling bin and place outside. It’s not an entirely elegant solution, having all these receptacles in my kitchen, but I guess I’m willing to make a concession for the planet – just about
Cheryl Becker
Buy a plastic wheelie bin!
Angel's Mind
I am ashamed to say that I don't recycle at all, but I am going to be getting myself some proper bins.