View Full Version : Waste Disposal Council Style
frank ward
30-Oct-06, 13:04
Here’s a daft example of bureaucracy from our Highland Council….
I have refurbished my kitchen and need to get rid of some old kitchen units. They’re a bit big for a car trip to the skip.
So I phone to find out when the next bulk refuse collection is. Eventually I am routed through to a receptionist. I have to give my postcode, then house number. Fair enough so far.
Then I’m asked, what am I throwing out?
Old kitchen units. Sorry, not acceptable. Eh? Why not?
Yes you can throw out a washing machine, or 3-piece suite, that’s household goods, but not units, they’re part of the house.
So I ask if I smash the units up into bits, is that OK? Yes, that’s acceptable. And if I chop up a good door, will that be taken away? Yes, but not the door.
Then I’m asked for more personal details, which I refuse, what more do they need than my address?
they still won’t tell me the next date of bulk uplift. I must tell them what I’m throwing out.
I say that If I knew the date of uplift I could gather some stuff. I get shirty, I’m asked to hang on, then after a while and consultation with a supervisor, I’m finally told the date - over five weeks away.
All this is apparently because of ‘competitive tendering’ for waste services. Little wonder there‘s so much fly-tipping!
willowbankbear
30-Oct-06, 13:09
We had similar problems with the same outfit last year, we got a new kitchen, they were phoned, they werent very forthcoming so we got a chap with a transit van to take 2 loads up to the recycling centre at the drome.
It wasnt worth the hassle to bother with the council but your circumstances may be different to ours?
Here’s a daft example of bureaucracy from our Highland Council….
I have refurbished my kitchen and need to get rid of some old kitchen units. They’re a bit big for a car trip to the skip.
So I phone to find out when the next bulk refuse collection is. Eventually I am routed through to a receptionist. I have to give my postcode, then house number. Fair enough so far.
Then I’m asked, what am I throwing out?
Old kitchen units. Sorry, not acceptable. Eh? Why not?
Yes you can throw out a washing machine, or 3-piece suite, that’s household goods, but not units, they’re part of the house.
So I ask if I smash the units up into bits, is that OK? Yes, that’s acceptable. And if I chop up a good door, will that be taken away? Yes, but not the door.
Then I’m asked for more personal details, which I refuse, what more do they need than my address?
they still won’t tell me the next date of bulk uplift. I must tell them what I’m throwing out.
I say that If I knew the date of uplift I could gather some stuff. I get shirty, I’m asked to hang on, then after a while and consultation with a supervisor, I’m finally told the date - over five weeks away.
All this is apparently because of ‘competitive tendering’ for waste services. Little wonder there‘s so much fly-tipping!
Break the things up over a period of time and put them in the bin for the Skaffy men.
I had a good bit of plain ordinary sheet glass to get rid of. In an attempt to ease my conscience because I need in excess of five Earths just to sustain my lifestyle, and that's just me, not if everybody lived like me, I took it to the recycling depot because it go through the holes in the bottle bank.
What do I find? A skip for disposal of glass? Not on your life, it goes in the skip for landfill along with the other non-recyclable materials.
I'm tempted to dump any more glass off some remote cliff somewhere so it can be recycled naturally and become sand again. :lol:
I'm no expert but I would think plain glass is one of the easiest things to recycle which requires any sort of processing.
Break the things up over a period of time and put them in the bin for the Skaffy men.
I had a good bit of plain ordinary sheet glass to get rid of. In an attempt to ease my conscience because I need in excess of five Earths just to sustain my lifestyle, and that's just me, not if everybody lived like me, I took it to the recycling depot because it go through the holes in the bottle bank.
What do I find? A skip for disposal of glass? Not on your life, it goes in the skip for landfill along with the other non-recyclable materials.
I'm tempted to dump any more glass off some remote cliff somewhere so it can be recycled naturally and become sand again. :lol:
I'm no expert but I would think plain glass is one of the easiest things to recycle which requires any sort of processing.
Jaws,
I noticed that our local council also will not recycle sheet glass - it has to go to land-fill (I presume that there is some little-known bacteria that breaks it down?). Is sheet glass made in some special way that renders it useless for recycling?
After watching the news about the "Stern" report...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6096084.stm
I feel the council should get its act together. If people had the options to recycle on their doorstep more recycling would be done.
A large bin with 4 options for say glass, paper, plastics and tins etc would mean more people would recycle out of habit. I am in disbelief that there are plans for less rubbish uplifts especially if they are geared towards recycling.
Another thing that puzzles me, especially in view of the fuss the Government makes form time to time, is why there is nowhere to recycle plastic carrier bags.
I would guess that they are all mostly made of the same type of plastic so I would suspect the plastic could be reused in some way.
Or is this just another case of “Lets talk up a problem and make people feel guilty so they won't mind when we slap a new tax on it”?
Buttercup
30-Oct-06, 17:55
I, for one would gladly recycle glass if the council would collect it. We used to make wine and over the years amassed a large collection of demi-johns and bottles (and I do mean large!) which were made redundant owing to lack of time etc. I decided to have a clearout but this has had to be done over months as the only way to get rid of them is in the bin every week, I don't have my own transport and draw the line at carrying 1 demi-john down town let alone dozens of them! Still, almost there now, no doubt I'll soon find something else to take up the loft space. [lol]
Have you tried Homeaid in Thurso. They collect unwanted household items and furniture. Im sure they would take kitchen units and a door. What we need is another auction hall. We all seem to be missing it and needing it. Im surprised no one has opened up a second hand furniture shop. there used to be one in Wick,
I notice the former auction hall at Watten is now sold. Does anyone know what it is going to be?
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