Jump to content

Recommended Posts

As I have noted in another thread, the binmen in my street (and I suspect many others) work by a forward man pulling bins into the road, consolidating bins (turning two half-empty bins into one full one) and so on - up to 5 minutes later the lorry pulls through, the bins are emptied and returned, broadly but often not exactly to where they were taken from - the lorry men not seeing this part of the collection to exactly where they originated. If your bins have the street number painted on, then you get your own bins back, if not, then it's possible you might get another bin, particularly where houses are very close together, and there may not be a lot of road space for the pulled-out bins. When a bin is emptied during consolidation it will normally be replaced pretty close to where it was left. That's particularly true of the brown bin collection - the green/ blue bins (in my road) have forward men much closer to the lorry. When the men have time (i.e. the lorry is stalled in traffic) they can be much neater, but they have a lot of work to get through. If there are 'obvious' places for bins then they are more likely to be returned there (i.e. special enclosures). Some houses will pull bins from the back of the house to the front, for collection, so returning bins into the front garden or area may be the best the binmen can do anyway. They (normally) try not to leave them out on the pavement, unless there's nowhere else to go with them.
Ours are often left blocking the front door of the house making it extremely difficult to get out, especially for a heavily pregnant mum-to-be and very frail elderly neighbour. I have reported this to the council but it makes little difference.

I have also contacted the council about this as ours is left on our path nearly every week and I get home carrying a baby and have to try to move bin with my foot or squeeze past (neither easy) and I can't put baby down as she's not walking yet.

Council replied and said message has been passed on so we'll see.

I'm actually home today so may get to see them in action so could speak to them if it's done again.

I pointed out in my email that there are other people out there who wouldn't be able to move their bin at all so some consideration is needed. A couple of inches to the side and the path is clear. I don't think I expected them to be put back exactly where taken from but if they wanted to it's obvious as there is always one bin type not collected each week so you can see where they all "live".


We're in Ondine Road.

In my road there is often a gap of 1-2 hours between the guy who sorts and the actual collection. The sorter also has an unpleasant habit of chucking on the ground anything he doesn't think should be in the bins. As I'm usually around during the day and these are shared bins, I generally end up tidying up after them and recovering the bins that have ended up over the road. All a bit boring, but as long as they manage not to scatter broken glass all over the place - a real problem when the bigger bins started and the cause of many a puncture on my bike - I'm OK with that.
When Southwark Council first distributed wheelie bins, I guess over 20 years ago now, a leaflet was also distributed that instructed residents to wheel their bins to the boundary of their properties on each collection day. Clearly this turned out to be a bit of a lost cause but as regards returning bins to their proper places, the refuse collection service outline http://www.southwark.gov.uk/a_to_z/service/357/refuse_-_household_waste_-_collection states "collectors will put your bin back within the boundary of your property after emptying it", nothing about returning it to their correct places. It's reasonable to expect though that they are not left in such a way to cause an obstruction.

nxjen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> When Southwark Council first distributed wheelie

> bins, I guess over 20 years ago now, a leaflet was

> also distributed that instructed residents to

> wheel their bins to the boundary of their

> properties on each collection day. Clearly this

> turned out to be a bit of a lost cause but as

> regards returning bins to their proper places, the

> refuse collection service outline

> http://www.southwark.gov.uk/a_to_z/service/357/ref

> use_-_household_waste_-_collection states

> "collectors will put your bin back within the

> boundary of your property after emptying it",

> nothing about returning it to their correct

> places. It's reasonable to expect though that

> they are not left in such a way to cause an

> obstruction.


Or advertise that there is no one in all day to one and all.

I think we're actually fairly lucky that in Southwark we have a service whereby binmen come and collect bins from our properties in the first place. They are under no obligation to do so and most other councils across the country require you to present the bin for collection. In addition, they are not your bins; they belong to the council so does it matter which bin you get back? Again, the council is under no obligation to provide waste containers and a lot of other local authorities either don't provide them or charge residents to buy them. I sympathise with people that need assisted collections but really I think we're expecting too much of the service here!
Can I just point out that prior to the provision of "wheely bins" most of us in Southwark had our own bins. It was the council that decided to issue these new bins for their convenience of emptying once per week and at the same time decline to empty any other type of bin or plastic bag. At that time we all had the use of our front yard, however small it may have been and didn't have to put up with the eyesores of streets of wheely bins of assorted colours. And yes, as I have put No. stickers on my bins and pay to have them cleaned, I do expect to get the same ones back everytime and not to have to go down the street swapping with neighbours. This is after all a paid for service included in our rates and taxes not something provided out of the Council's goodness of heart.

Mustard Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Someone with a baby can't move her bin or her elderly neighbour's bin? Seriously?


The post actually said "heavily pregnant mum-to-be". So clearly should not be pushing full bins around!


willow Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> they are not your bins; they belong to the council so does it matter which bin you get back?


Yeah it matters, when you've spent time cleaning your own one, only to be given someone else's stinking filthy bin in return!

Jeremy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Mustard Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Someone with a baby can't move her bin or her

> elderly neighbour's bin? Seriously?

>

> The post actually said "heavily pregnant

> mum-to-be". So clearly should not be pushing full

> bins around!

>

> willow Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > they are not your bins; they belong to the

> council so does it matter which bin you get back?

>

> Yeah it matters, when you've spent time cleaning

> your own one, only to be given someone else's

> stinking filthy bin in return!


|I was referring to Ginster's post.

Wow thanks Mustard, so understanding(!)

Moving a large wheelie bin (even an empty one) one handed while holding on to a heavy baby with little room to manoeuvre is no mean feat! Clearly if it was easy I wouldn't have bothered posting in the first place!

And if you read my post correctly I was commenting about other people in general who might have mobility issues or not be very strong having a problem. Clearly if I had an elderly neighbour with this problem I'd help them when I could.


Not sure your post added anything. No wonder so many posts on the EDF descend into arguments!

But just because you choose to put a sticker on the bin and clean it doesn't make it your property. Council tax is for the collection and disposal of waste, not the provision of receptacles. We get a service above and beyond what the council is obliged to provide. Think a bit of perspective is needed.

Jeremy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Recently returned from holiday to find ours

> exceptionally neatly lined up in the front

> garden.


I've always applauded people who always take their holiday in early December. A sure fire way to a month long piss up.

Speaking of holidays, the bin men provide a wonderful visual incentive to potential burglars by not returning bins to their proper place. One may as well hang a sign saying 'we're away, fill yer boots!' Same goes for postpersons and flyer droppers who don't push the mail right through the letterbox.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • The issue must be everywhere at the moment. I was visiting a friend last week in Bermondsey, think we were walking  down Linton Rd & we dodged 7 dog poos. It was disgusting. 
    • Thanks for your message — I actually took the time to look into what CityHive does before posting my original comment, and I’d encourage anyone with questions to do the same. Yes, the Companies House filings are overdue — but from what I’ve gathered, this seems likely to be an accountant or admin issue, not some sign of ill intent. A lot of small, community-based organisations face challenges keeping up with formalities, especially when they’re focused on immediate needs like food distribution. Let’s not forget CityHive is a not-for-profit, volunteer-powered CIC — not a corporate machine. As for the directors, people stepping down or being replaced is often about capacity or commitment — which is completely normal in the voluntary and community sector. New directors are sometimes appointed when others can no longer give the time. It doesn’t automatically mean bad governance — it just means people’s circumstances change. CityHive’s actual work speaks volumes. They buy most of the food they distribute — fresh produce, essential groceries, and shelf-stable items — and then deliver it to food banks, soup kitchens, and community projects across London. The food doesn’t stay with CityHive — it goes out to local food hubs, and from there, directly to people who need it most. And while yes, there may be a few paid staff handling logistics or admin, there’s a huge volunteer effort behind the scenes that often goes unseen. Regular people giving their time to drive vans, sort donations, load pallets, pack food parcels — that’s what keeps things running. And when people don’t volunteer? Those same tasks still need to be done — which means they have to be paid for. Otherwise, the whole thing grinds to a halt. As the need grows, organisations like CityHive will inevitably need more support — both in people and funding. But the bigger issue here isn’t one small CIC trying to make ends meet. The real issue is the society we live in — and a government that isn’t playing its part in eradicating poverty. If it were, organisations like CityHive, The Felix Project, City Harvest, FareShare, and the Trussell Trust wouldn’t need to exist, let alone be thriving. They thrive because the need is growing. That’s not a reflection on them — it’s a reflection on a broken system that allows people to go hungry in one of the richest cities in the world. If you're in doubt about what they’re doing, go check their Instagram: @cityhivemedia. You’ll see the real organisations and people receiving food, sharing thanks, and showing how far the impact reaches. Even Southwark Foodbank has received food from CityHive — that alone should speak volumes. So again — how does any of this harm you personally? Why spend time trying to discredit a group trying to support those who are falling through the cracks? We need more people lifting others up — not adding weight to those already carrying the load.
    • Well, this is very disappointing. Malabar Feast  has changed its menu again. The delicious fish curry with sea bass no longer exists. There is now a fish dish with raw mango, which doesn't appeal. I had dal and spinach instead, which was bland (which I suppose I could/should have predicted). One of my visitors had a "vegetable Biriani" which contained hardly any vegetables. Along with it came two extremely tiny pieces of poppadom in a large paper bag.   This was embarrassing, as I had been singing Malabar's praises and recommending we ordered from there. The other mains and the parathas were OK, but I doubt we will be ordering from there again. My granddaughters wisely opted for Yard Sale pizzas, which were fine. Has anybody else had a similar recent poor (or indeed good!)  experience at Malabar Feast?
    • Another recommendation for Silvano. I echo everything the above post states. I passed first time this week with 3 minors despite not starting to learn until my mid-30s. Given the costs for lessons I have heard, he's also excellent value.
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...