Southwark Waste and Recycling Guide

[Sue]

We probably all got one of these guides, or soon will do.

I'm confused about two things.

First, food waste. It seems you are supposed just to empty food waste into the outside food waste bin without any containing (compostable) bag.

Is that right? Aren't you then going to be constantly washing the outside bin? 

Not that it matters much to me at the moment, as my  outside food bin  was just  thrown over the garden wall after emptying and the lid broken off (which then blew away). 

Second, rubbish. The guide says "the small amount of waste left after recycling should (sic) be placed in a black bag."

But it has a picture of both a black bag and a green bin.

Surely you aren't supposed to put your non recyclable rubbish into a black bag and then into the green bin?

And if not, why does it not mention the bin, when the recycling section clearly says bin OR bag?

Does nobody read this stuff through before it goes to print? Or is it just obvious to everybody apart from me?!

I've just seen in last year's guide that they gave away a one off free roll of compostable liners with it.

And also, that they said " You can also use newspaper to line your caddy."

When I did that, the bin men just threw the newspaper on the pavement and left it there 😭

[Pugwash]

We have 2 food waste bins. One is classed as a small caddy and it is lined with compostable bags. This is used on a daily basis and when full, bag removed and tied up and then goes into a larger caddy which is kept by the kitchen door. Each Tuesday we put out larger caddy for collection.  Recycling is blue bin - any small left over waste can be put into black bag and placed in green bin. Or you can pick up recycling waste and pit in blue bin for next collection.

[Sue]

  On 27/11/2024 at 17:42, Pugwash said:

We have 2 food waste bins. One is classed as a small caddy and it is lined with compostable bags. This is used on a daily basis and when full, bag removed and tied up and then goes into a larger caddy which is kept by the kitchen door. Each Tuesday we put out larger caddy for collection.  Recycling is blue bin - any small left over waste can be put into black bag and placed in green bin. Or you can pick up recycling waste and pit in blue bin for next collection.

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Have you seen the new guide?

It doesn't say  anything at all about food waste compostable bags. It says to put food waste directly as it is from the kitchen caddy to the larger outside caddy.

What do you mean by "small leftover waste"?  Recycling waste always goes in the blue bin?

Surely we aren't meant to be wasting black plastic bags every week by always putting non recyclable items into a black bag before putting them into the green bin?

Surely the whole point of the green bin is to avoid using one-use-only plastic bags?

I'm even more confused now 🤣

Edited November 27, 2024 by Sue

[Peckhampam]

I put my food waste into a compostable bag and it is happily collected every week

[alice]

Our waste collectors tip the food bins straight into garden waste. 

Edited November 28, 2024 by alice
Terminology

[KalamityKel]

  On 27/11/2024 at 17:09, Sue said:

We probably all got one of these guides, or soon will do.

I'm confused about two things.

First, food waste. It seems you are supposed just to empty food waste into the outside food waste bin without any containing (compostable) bag.

Is that right? Aren't you then going to be constantly washing the outside bin? 

Not that it matters much to me at the moment, as my  outside food bin  was just  thrown over the garden wall after emptying and the lid broken off (which then blew away). 

Second, rubbish. The guide says "the small amount of waste left after recycling should (sic) be placed in a black bag."

But it has a picture of both a black bag and a green bin.

Surely you aren't supposed to put your non recyclable rubbish into a black bag and then into the green bin?

And if not, why does it not mention the bin, when the recycling section clearly says bin OR bag?

Does nobody read this stuff through before it goes to print? Or is it just obvious to everybody apart from me?!

I've just seen in last year's guide that they gave away a one off free roll of compostable liners with it.

And also, that they said " You can also use newspaper to line your caddy."

When I did that, the bin men just threw the newspaper on the pavement and left it there 😭

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Sue, are you able to upload this guide to here? 

Edited November 29, 2024 by KalamityKel

[Penguin68]

The guide is being delivered to every household, I believe, mine arrived only today.

I think it's basically no change. But they are not requiring people to use compostible bags for kitchen rubbish, presumably not to impose costs on people, but you still can, and the black sack for dry non recyclables I imagine is for those without green bins. Hopefully foxes won't be interested, although they can contain baby and pet waste.

I imagine if there was a change they'd make more of it. But kitchen and garden waste are now being collected separately, even though Veolia doesn't have the plant locally to us to process them separately. So it's just for show (by Southwark, not Veolia as it just adds cost to them). Veolia does have anaerobic digesters to process kitchen waste into fuel at some of their UK sites. But I think for London it's all just composted. 

[Sue]

  On 28/11/2024 at 15:23, Peckhampam said:

I put my food waste into a compostable bag and it is happily collected every week

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Yes, mine has been, which is why the new guide confused me.

[Friernlocal]

Sue,

I received my leaflet today. I see that they don't mention a caddy liner, which as you say would mean the bin gets messy so I used the link on the leaflet to see what that said about food waste. The website says 'You do not have to line it, but you can buy your own compostable liners or use newspaper'. Pity that wasn't mentioned on the leaflet.

As for general rubbish the council website says 'If you have a bin you must put your waste in a bin bag first'. It's a pity the leaflet specifies black and the website doesn't. I assume they want it bagged as the examples of general rubbish on the leaflet such as crisp packaging and nappies would need bagging. Small items could fall out during rubbish collection and soiled items would need bagging to prevent contamination.

Edited November 29, 2024 by Friernlocal

[Dulwichway]

Most of my neighbours just sling it all in the same regular bin, still gets emptied regardless. 

[Kathleen Olander]

The guide was another waste of resources and our money, why on earth didn't they incorporate it with the one they send each year telling us what days our collections are.  I wish they would give up on that Southwark Life as well, or at least ask if you want it.

[Dulwichway]

  On 29/11/2024 at 12:28, Penguin68 said:

The guide is being delivered to every household, 

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Ironically, with the rest of the junk mail, it will be straight in the bin for the vast majority! 😆👍

[Kay Lin]

  On 27/11/2024 at 18:39, Sue said:

Have you seen the new guide?

It doesn't say  anything at all about food waste compostable bags. It says to put food waste directly as it is from the kitchen caddy to the larger outside caddy.

What do you mean by "small leftover waste"?  Recycling waste always goes in the blue bin?

Surely we aren't meant to be wasting black plastic bags every week by always putting non recyclable items into a black bag before putting them into the green bin?

Surely the whole point of the green bin is to avoid using one-use-only plastic bags?

I'm even more confused now 🤣

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They stopped mentioning the compostable bags when they stopped giving them out for free. It doesn't say to"put food waste directly as it is from the kitchen". It understandably assumes every bin in the kitchen is lined.

This booklet is a reminder. There is no change. They have not said "Do not use compostable bags". For rubbish they don't say to put your black bag in the green bin. They assume we know this already.

This booklet is for new residents that might not be aware.

I'm so glad they also gave a booklet that shared community warm spaces and food support resources for those who may need help and not know where to go.

[Sue]

  On 29/11/2024 at 13:03, Friernlocal said:

Sue,

I received my leaflet today. I see that they don't mention a caddy liner, which as you say would mean the bin gets messy so I used the link on the leaflet to see what that said about food waste. The website says 'You do not have to line it, but you can buy your own compostable liners or use newspaper'. Pity that wasn't mentioned on the leaflet.

As for general rubbish the council website says 'If you have a bin you must put your waste in a bin bag first'. It's a pity the leaflet specifies black and the website doesn't. I assume they want it bagged as the examples of general rubbish on the leaflet such as crisp packaging and nappies would need bagging. Small items could fall out during rubbish collection and soiled items would need bagging to prevent contamination.

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That's just weird.

I mean, of course things like nappies would have to be bagged, but it never occurred to me to bag items for the green bin which were clean. 

In future, then, I will save it all until I've got a black bag full, which could take a very long time indeed and in my view still be a needless use of plastic and a pointless use of my space.

When I take things to the tip in a black bag, I empty the bag there into the appropriate place and bring it back to reuse it.

Also, how could small items from the green bin fall out during rubbish collection if they aren't bagged, if small items from the blue bin don't?

[hfoster]

Presumably so people don't leave biodegradable bags instead of compostable bags in their food waste bin, most people aren't aware there's a difference. 

As for the rubbish, it's terrible if plastic waste falls out the bin. Some cardboard or a letter? Not so much.

[intexasatthe moment]

  On 29/11/2024 at 12:28, Penguin68 said:

But kitchen and garden waste are now being collected separately, even though Veolia doesn't have the plant locally to us to process them separately. So it's just for show (by Southwark, not Veolia as it just adds cost to them). Veolia does have anaerobic digesters to process kitchen waste into fuel at some of their UK sites. But I think for London it's all just composted. 

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so can we put food waste in the brown bin ?

If it's all composted wouldn't cooked food spoil the process?

[Sue]

  On 06/12/2024 at 17:51, intexasatthe moment said:

so can we put food waste in the brown bin ?

If it's all composted wouldn't cooked food spoil the process?

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Cooked food can be composted. I think they use a  process which creates a higher temperature than the common or garden (no pun intended)  compost bins.

My replacement brown outdoor food bin has not arrived 😭 

[sebastiondangerfield]

It’s all bollo,  95% of waste goes into landfill even the incinerated stuff. The only reusable gear is cardboard.

[Penguin68]

Although the waste is combined eventually it's now collected separately, so you cannot put kitchen waste in the brown bin or it won't be collected. And it never was, I think. Just to show you. It's what it appears not what it is, that matters. 

[Sue]

  On 06/12/2024 at 18:19, sebastiondangerfield said:

It’s all bollo,  95% of waste goes into landfill even the incinerated stuff. The only reusable gear is cardboard.

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And you back this statement up with what, exactly? 

  On 06/12/2024 at 18:44, Penguin68 said:

Although the waste is combined eventually it's now collected separately, so you cannot put kitchen waste in the brown bin or it won't be collected. And it never was, I think. Just to show you. It's what it appears not what it is, that matters. 

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But the outside kitchen waste bin is brown.

 

[Penguin68]

  On 06/12/2024 at 19:14, Sue said:

But the outside kitchen waste bin is brown.

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Apologies, of course it is, but I tend to think of the 'brown' bin as being the one the same size as the blue and the green but for garden waste. The others I use location names for (kitchen and kerbside caddies). 

[Cancerian]

  On 29/11/2024 at 18:51, Dulwichway said:

Most of my neighbours just sling it all in the same regular bin, still gets emptied regardless. 

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Same with my street! Annoys me some weeks as I’ve always used a food waste caddy with green waste recycling bags as liners for years now but mine doesn’t get emptied but my street neighbours who just chuck everything in together do!