Bin woes

[JRK]

I am new to living in East Dulwich and I do love it so! I just wondered if anyone else got as infuriated by the look of our bin lined streets? Is it just the size of our terraced houses that makes the bins such an eyesore or are Southwark council a bit excessive with their bin offerings? Some houses have 6 or more full size wheelie bins lined up outside. I am starting to see bin hedges, all I can see is bins! Surely some flats/half houses could share bins. I wish we could have some sort of underground bin system like they had going on in Florence when I went a couple of years ago. At the end of most roads they have these manhole covers that you can drop your bags of rubbish down and then a bin truck comes by and sucks it all up or something. I personally prefer a little stroll if it means keeping all those god forsaken bins out of sight.

I shall go and think about something more important than bins now.

[intexasatthe moment]

You are not alone in your despair re bin blight .I'm practically obsessed by this terrible urban travesty .I'm forever looking at front gardens for succesful examples of disguise .

I agree ,I think there is overprovision . Do we need such large green/household waste bins now that we have recycling bins ? Would be great if people could/would share .

And as for abandoned bins full of the wrong stuff ( often on the pavement ) after a dwelling has been cleared or had the builders in ....

What can we do to improve the situation ?

[dirac]

we have three in ours, and each week the green and blue one is completely full, so very useful. IMO its better than the old black bin bags being torn up by the foxes strewn all over the place. And people are way to lazy to walk to the end of the street in this country, it would end up like Naples.

[JRK]

I am glad I have at least one comrade in my quest to better the bin situation! I am not sure what to do though . . . obviously we all need them, but I am definitely going to invest in some sort of bin house & wish that more people shared this desire. - I am also constantly looking for the best bin disguiser in peoples front gardens!

I was studying them again this morning and I think my main problem is the blue one - why bright blue?!

I am happy to share bins with my neighbour & do share the garden waste one. Our recycling one full at the moment but that's only because we recently moved in.

I agree that foxes getting into the bins is a pain, but generally they are only interested in the smelly food bags - I still don't think it's necessary for the sheer number of them on our streets.

If any one else has some genius ideas for how to disguise/reduce/decorate our bins to make them as beautiful as our flowers and hedges then please let me know. I am not looking forward to hot sweaty bins in summer - last year when we were looking around the area I walked past a few bins that were swarming with blue bottles and gagged at the smell.

Have a happy bin free friday everyone!

[intexasatthe moment]

Well...I think it very much depends on the existing space but I quite liked these http://frontyardcompany.co.uk/products/bindock_new.html

but thought too expensive .

Or...I wondered if something built with hollow concrete blocks and planted might work https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/355643701804501795/

but again probably not cheap

As I say ,depends on your space but I reckon planting bushes round the ghastly things probably the way to go .

[nxjen]

"Some houses have 6 or more full size wheelie bins lined up outside."

That's nothing, there are some houses in Barry Road that have nine! I see you share the large brown bin but it can be got rid of altogether by getting a small external food waste bin and using brown paper sacks (available from libraries and garden centre) for garden waste. There are also smaller, slimline versions available of both green and blue bins.

There were a couple of threads on the subject when the blue bins were introduced in 2011

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,757080,page=1

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,741940,page=1

I think I may however have been brainwashed into accepting the garish colours. Walking around Streatham the other day where all the bins are a dark grey I thought how dull and boring they were!

[Nigello]

The artist who painted the electricity substation near the Herne Tavern and the bollards further up FHR also painted the bins that belong to some properties near to the Herne. Morganico is the name, I think.

If the number/size of bins was not enough then those householders who leave them on the (already narrow) pavements instead of housing them in the garden should be pulled up over it: I've seen some people (with dogs/children/shopping trolleys) struggle to get around them.

[steveo]

There are very few bins on the street in Ken/Chelsea. I assume they have to be kept out back and wheeled through on collection day.

And doesn't it look prettier

[womanofdulwich]

In Lambeth you only get plastic bags for your recycling and for garden waste you have to pay extra and they give you large fabric type bags.SO we only have one bin.

[JRK]

I just moved from Lambeth and miss my bin haha. But seriously, they do really get on my nerves! I'm hoping I too, get brainwashed by the blue, so that I don't get so visually irate about all the bins. I've been searching for some rather fetching bin covers - we should all get these! http://i66.tinypic.com/21n08x1.jpg

[uncleglen]

Some streets have massive communal bins at the end of the road in West London. The 'houses' that have more than 3 bins are converted into flats- it can only get worse!

[intexasatthe moment]

JRK - very nice .Is it custom built ? Do you know the price ?

[JRK]

@intexasat themoment, I found it on Pinterest but think it is custom made as couldn't find price. I reckon it would be easy for a builder to make. I'm going to buy the wood I need and get our builder friend to make one for us. I think you have to have even surface on floor to make one of these work so going to crack the uneven concrete where our bins currently are and even out first.

[intexasatthe moment]

Thanks JRK .Reckon your builder friend could have a sideline there if price is right ...

[Rosetta]

By bin lined streets, do you mean bins in general or the ones left outside the property boundary on the pavements? The latter are the real eyesores imo.

[Seabag]

I googled #BinPorn and thought better of it

Oh the filth you find online

*washes tongue, says Hail Mary's*

[JRK]

When I've got it done I'll post a pic on here and share info of price and builder friend's detail should you want one to match. Wouldn't it be great if we could make our bins something that we love looking at instead! (Maybe that is going a bit far but I'd be proud if my bins had a cover that snazzy).

Def not a good idea googling #binporn I hate to think what came up! I have spent many an hour perusing bin covers on pinterest though. In reply to Rosetta, bins on pavements are more of an inconvenience but bins lined up the full width of terrace house disturb me more visually.

[Seabag]

JRK

You're bin 'thing' is both worrying and fascinating me in equal measure

[intexasatthe moment]

That would be great JRK - looking forward to further details !

[Jennys]

Wouldn't that design (though really attractive) mean you would need to pull the bin right out of the cupboard every time you wants to put some rubbish or recycling into it and then push it back? Quite difficult, specially when the bin gets full, and therefore heavy.

[mancity68]

I have something a bit like this but without the doors. The growing roof is a nice touch. The only problem us that it's been up for a few years and is now falling apart....

[mancity68]

http://www.gardenstreet.co.uk/rowlinson-kanny-bin-store-p3861

Kind of like this

[intexasatthe moment]

That's one of the problems ..a lot of them do look quite flimsy .I suppose screening walls of painted beeze blocks might work . But would that be even more expensive ?

[Earl Aelfheah]

You can disguise it as a plastic hedge: http://www.hidbin.ie/the-hidbin.php

I like the idea of a giant lace dressed doll, like the ones people used in the 70s to hide toilet rolls, but bigger.

[JRK]

Jennys, I definitely see your point, I'm not sure how plant roof will work when it comes to easily accesing the bins, though I think I could get used to pulling bins out if they looked so pretty. Having said that, I do also like this one and it looks quite robust plus vents would be good to stop the stench:

http://i65.tinypic.com/30w2rr6.jpg

Mancity68, I can see that the elements might make things a bit rickety, maybe you could grow creeper all over it so it looks 'rustic' and floral instead.

I am not adverse to novelty bins though I want classy bins!