Changes to Recycling

[Joby]

Joby, thanks for the link, but this has been superceeded by the leaflet stuck on the bins in the past week !!! This is the point... So its not worth referring to.... Sorry

I couldn't see anything on the list that is contradicted by the new leaflet.

[Drama Queen]

Some of the leaflet you attached states we can put the plastic film into the blue lidded box.. we cannot it now has to go entirely into the black bin to go to the landfill.. this is the whole point of this thread, its changed how much we are able to recycle. The date on your leaflet says 2013, unfortunately the leaflet on my bin is April 2014 and this is the reason its so confusing it appears that half of what we used to be able to recycle is no longer accepted in any form .. thus totally defeating the object of recycyling in my opinion... If you haven't seen the leaflet or got one yet, have a good read of it.. it makes quite a worrying read and even this week my black bin rubbish has doubled as I am unable to put my film wrap from around my hot cross buns nor my Horse riding magazine.. all has to go into the black bin and ultimately to landfill... ludicrous!

[dutch knight]

The reason why the plastic wrappings have to go into the black bin is because they quite often contain food residue. EHDC claim that the changes(stated in opening post) will make recycling easier

[Joby]

Some of the leaflet you attached states we can put the plastic film into the blue lidded box.. we cannot it now has to go entirely into the black bin to go to the landfill.. this is the whole point of this thread, its changed how much we are able to recycle. The date on your leaflet says 2013, unfortunately the leaflet on my bin is April 2014 and this is the reason its so confusing it appears that half of what we used to be able to recycle is no longer accepted in any form .. thus totally defeating the object of recycyling in my opinion... If you haven't seen the leaflet or got one yet, have a good read of it.. it makes quite a worrying read and even this week my black bin rubbish has doubled as I am unable to put my film wrap from around my hot cross buns nor my Horse riding magazine.. all has to go into the black bin and ultimately to landfill... ludicrous!

The list in the leaflet does not even mention plastic bags or plastic film. I have seen the new flyer and still don't believe anything has changed. But whatever, I'm sure we both have better things to do than argue about it .

[Darcy Sarto]

It is the unimportance attributed to recycling by many that makes the regular issue of apparently (if not actually) inconsistent advice so dangerous. The less we feel we understand the more we will feel able to not care. "If in doubt stick it in your black bin" (or next door's if it's less full and they don't mind) becomes the mantra.

The more "guidance" they produce the less we want to recycle

[Kateg28]

The more "guidance" they produce the less we want to recycle

Completely agree! I am committed to recycling but find some of it so confusing. I am still cross that they refused to empty my bin because they objected to the plasticky bags I sued for food wate (the compostable ones).
Stevenage accepts those bags...

The guidance is annoying though. Can we recycle all the guidance notes?

[Marilyn]

We had a sticker put on the bin this morning "whoops you put plastic bags/ film in your bin.............." or words to that effect and if we do it again it won't be emptied. Whats really annoyed me is we are very careful NOT to put bags of film in so why they thought we had I have no idea. We carefully wash all bottles etc so no feed residue is left on anything as far as I know everything we are supposed to. It makes you tempted to just put everything in the black bin!

[mdja]

The more "guidance" they produce the less we want to recycle

Completely agree! I am committed to recycling but find some of it so confusing. I am still cross that they refused to empty my bin because they objected to the plasticky bags I sued for food wate (the compostable ones).
Stevenage accepts those bags...

The guidance is annoying though. Can we recycle all the guidance notes?

The literature is dreadful, they hide the important info way deep in lengthy paragraphs and then sticker anyone who hasn't read it.

For what it's worth, you can now put compostable bags in the food (brown) bin. This is new.

You can no longer put recyclable bags in with the plastics. Film bags (non-recyclable) were never permitted because they are not recyclable. I can only imagine they decided to ban all bags because so few people bother to segregate between the recyclable and non-recyclable versions. Not to mention the food waste on film bags (doubly non recyclable).

I for one used to dutifully sift out all the film (non recyclable) from our recyclables every week after my OH put them in there. Now I dutifully sift out all recyclable bags as well, and recycle them separately when I happen to be going to the dump. Except last week, when I forgot and hence got stickered.

If they spent more time communicating effectively they might spend less time stickering, but based on my experience I'm the only one who reads the leaflets anyway, so probably not. None of my neighbours ever read them.

[newcomer]

If they spent more time communicating effectively they might spend less time stickering, but based on my experience I'm the only one who reads the leaflets anyway, so probably not. None of my neighbours ever read them.

I haven't even seen this mythical update leaflet...Thank Crunchie for the forum!

[Kateg28]

I am so dutiful that my son and partner like to watch. I even sift through our living room bin as they insist on putting cans and plastic bottles in it despite me telling them, forcefully. Even monkeys learn but not apparently these two!

Anyhow, I remove the plastic from food trays and wash the trays, I take lids off milk cartons, I put my food waste in a brown paper bag, I am a good citizen!

I recycle plastic bags by using them for other tasks around the house, usually my partner's packed lunch.

And, as an aside, my partner runs a business and pays for his waste to be taken away in one of those small commercial skips. He also pays for his cardboard to be recycled. The cardboard colelction is more expensive by volume than the rubbish collection and it would make commercial sense for him not to bother (Luckily he does).

Where is the incentive there?