Fortnightly blue bin collection not enough?

[Mrs TP]

We had our blue bin recycling collected today. The bin was full plus the old blue box plus two blue recycling bags. Thankfully all was collected.

We are a family of 5 with two pets and so perhaps do have a lot of recycling. However nipping to the local shops this morning, I saw that loads of nearby houses had also put out overflow recycling boxes / bags for collection as their blue bins were also full.

Is it just me that thinks fortnightly collection is not enough or, heaven forbid, do we need two blue bins? We barely have room for the one.

[the-e-dealer]

What if I can't fit all my recyclables in the blue bin?

You can request an additional bin by emailing [email protected] or calling 020 7525 2000. We will also always collect any recycling that won't fit in the blue bin, in an untied carrier bag or open cardboard box and put beside your blue bin. If you still have concerns about fitting your recyclables into you blue bin, please contact us as there may be other ways we can help.

[vicki08]

i also emailed southwark to ask if they can do weekly collection of blue bins we are a family of 7 and i fill blue bin and three boxes not heard back from them yet

[ClareC]

We are a family of 4, 2 just babies yet our blue bin is already nearly full and won't be collected for 6 days. The brown bin never as barely anything in it 90% of the time.... Seems to suffer with tiny fruit flies though :(

[prickle]

Have you crushed all your plastic bottles? That can make a lot of difference in volume.

Also perhaps need to start shopping with a view to minimising the packaging (which is really what this is all about!)

[the-e-dealer]

Didnt know about crushing. How does one do this?

[prickle]

the-e-dealer Wrote:

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> Didnt know about crushing. How does one do this?

Take the lid off and press down from top until it concertinas into a flat blob then put the lid back on. Don't have to be superman to do it ;-) Obviously you can't crush shampoo bottles and such-like but you can also crush drink cans too.

[WrightC]

the-e-dealer Wrote:

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> Didnt know about crushing. How does one do this?

E-dealer, I purchased a Can crusher from Dulwich DIY, it's very handy. It can also crush bottles too.

[the-e-dealer]

I cant find any reference to crushing on the Southwark website. Are the Elderly expected to do this ?

[WrightC]

No nothing mentioned about crushing cans, just bottles. However I find if I don?t crush my cans my bin gets full too quickly.

[peckhamboy]

the-e-dealer Wrote:

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> I cant find any reference to crushing on the

> Southwark website. Are the Elderly expected to do

> this ?

Since the elderly don't tend to live in houses of 5 or more people, one bin is probably sufficient notwithstanding the uncrushed nature of their recycling. But then, I think you probably knew that already.

[the-e-dealer]

Mind Reader?No I was just wondering if I was following the rules. No letter arrived with the blue bins and I am unclear whether I need to crush everything and what arrangements are in place for those who have difficulty crushing stuff.

[peckhamboy]

No you don't have to crush everything. But someone suggested that if you have trouble fitting everything in, crushing plastic bottles and cans can make quite a lot of difference. As far as I know the only rules are about what you can put in there in the first place. Details on Southwark website if you're not sure.

[Dodo1]

You can request an additional blue bin- we did. To free up space they also took away one of our green bins.

[the-e-dealer]

Thanks.But I have now found something about squashing tins on their website. I'll have to buy a crusher. How much are they?

[g-rant]

?12.99 here.

www.plascan.com/index1.htm

However, if you are doing no crushing, folding or squashing, at the moment, maybe give that a go the old fashioned way.

Perhaps a stamp, or brick, on the cans, a slow squeezing step on the plastic bottles, and the slightly trickier, 'pull apart and fold flat' for the cardboard boxes. (these can then be slid down the sides of the bin - taking up minimal space)

I know these moves aren't suitable for everyone, e.g the Elderly, but they sure do free up some space.

Another move, with a folded box on top, is to simply push down to lower the level.

Let me know how you get on.

I think the bins are here to stay, so let's dig deep and make it work!

G-rant

Here to Help

the-e-dealer Wrote:

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> Thanks.But I have now found something about

> squashing tins on their website. I'll have to buy

> a crusher. How much are they?

[the-e-dealer]

Thanks Grant. Not sure why someone would think I would ask a question I already know the answer to?

[The Minkey]

Seeing as the new blue bins have more than double the capacity of the old boxes, how did you manage before?

Crushing cans doesn't require an extra bit of kit. Turn the can on its side and press down onto the middle with your foot, then press down on each end and you have a perfectly flattened can.

For anyone who finds the large brown bin too large for food waste on the weeks you have no garden waste, you can request a larger brown caddy which makes things a bit easier especially if you have to wrestle the bins out of and back into a small space each time.

[the-e-dealer]

Bags of Tins next to bin.

[Penguin68]

Seeing as the new blue bins have more than double the capacity of the old boxes

The blue boxes (together with similar volume blue bags for papers) were collected weekly - we are now using double the space (slightly less taking account of papers) for half as many collections.

[intexasatthe moment]

I used to rather enjoy tessellating and ordering my recycling stuff so that it was nice and tidy and fitting neatly into the bin and bag .

But now I lob it all into the bin - much greater volume .

[Gubodge]

My 78 year old father has been crushing cans and bottles to fit in the bin for decades. Be reassured that the weight of even a fairly frail pensioner should be sufficient to squeeze all but the most robust cans flat.

[The Minkey]

And I'm a lightweight 49 year old - if I can..

[louloulabelle]

I don't have time to crush cans really but in times of us being expected to recycle so much I do agree fortnightly is not enough and the amount of bins we now have I would have to knock the corner of the house down to make room for a 2nd blue bin!!!

[spark67]

We have 1 blue bin for a building that contains 3 flats, the overflow has been going into the remaining old blue boxes. But today they took away our old boxes so the one bin is going to be nearly nowhere near enough now !

Had originally requested an extra blue bin and suggested they take one of the 3 green ones as now the food waste goes in the brown we can do without one, didn't get a response