New Bins u put mixed items in - rural kerbside recycling

[tracy ann]

If you live in a rural area you may well have your new grey bin with blue lid that we have to put various different types of rubbish in.

Does anyone know if the rubbish from these bins is actually getting recycled????????:confused

[Tilter]

HI.
I'm sure it is. Why else would the Council go to the bother?

As a country we've done quite brilliantly on the amount we're recycling in just a couple of years.

I was so glad to finally get our bin because I could hardly get into the shed for milk bottles and fruit cartons I've been saving for the day I get my blue-lidded bin. OH has phoned Council a couple of times to clarify what plastic we can and can't put in and they're very helpful.

[tracy ann]

Nipster Farm recycles the plastic for the recycling points but we are definatley not getting the plastic that is being put in the new bins - not sure what is happening - have heard the rubbish from these bins is shipped off to inverness - maybe it is recycled there????

As far as plastic is concerned Nipster can recyle all plastic waste including yogurt pots etc. The only segregation required is to keep the plastic bottles separate. At the moment the plastic we cant put in our new bins goes in the green ones and put into landfill!

Recycling is such an important part of the future and just hope the council is doing the best they can!

[Tilter]

Tracy,
It should be easy enough to find out where HC's plastic is going. You can ask them. They don't take yogurt pots or food trays though in case they've had meat in them apparently. (I don't understand all that. I would have thought plastic got sterilised somehow before recycling but what do I know?)

Where is Nipster and where do you get your recycling material from?

[tracy ann]

I definately plan to enquire to HC what is happening to the rubbish in this bins.

Nipster Farm is at Gillock, at present we get plastic waste from farmers, dounreay and the highland council. Quite simply instead of it going to landfill Nipster Farm bales it where possible and transports it for recycling.
We are going to roll out the option of recycling plastic to local business this month hopefully.

[Julia]

Here's the link to the original thread on this subject, the rubbish being collected is definitely for recycling purposes.

http://forum.caithness.org/showthread.php?t=60911&highlight=kerbside+recycling

[thebigman]

Tracy,
It should be easy enough to find out where HC's plastic is going. You can ask them. They don't take yogurt pots or food trays though in case they've had meat in them apparently. (I don't understand all that. I would have thought plastic got sterilised somehow before recycling but what do I know?)

Where is Nipster and where do you get your recycling material from?

I think you'll find it's because of the type of plastic not because of your mince flavoured yogurt :-)

[Bad Manners]

We are one of the lucky ones to have the new kerbside collection and think it is a very good idea. I can understand why they want some plastic and not others is that not all plastic is made the same and as such has to be recycled seperate. However I was talking to some neighbour and the topic of recyling came up and I was surprised at their attitude as far as they were concerned they were just going to keep putting the rubbish in the origional bin when asked why their answer was it gets collected every week and if the council wants to recycle then let them do it themself. When I explained that all general waste goes to landfill and that we are running out of space nevermind how much money it is wasting the resounding reply was when they start charging to to remove rubbish they will concider it but untill then they are going to use the one bin.
I find it sad at this attitude am I in the minority or is this a general feeling I do hope not

[crashbandicoot1979]

We are one of the lucky ones to have the new kerbside collection and think it is a very good idea. I can understand why they want some plastic and not others is that not all plastic is made the same and as such has to be recycled seperate. However I was talking to some neighbour and the topic of recyling came up and I was surprised at their attitude as far as they were concerned they were just going to keep putting the rubbish in the origional bin when asked why their answer was it gets collected every week and if the council wants to recycle then let them do it themself. When I explained that all general waste goes to landfill and that we are running out of space nevermind how much money it is wasting the resounding reply was when they start charging to to remove rubbish they will concider it but untill then they are going to use the one bin.
I find it sad at this attitude am I in the minority or is this a general feeling I do hope not

Thats a terrible attitude. Its not the councils responsibility to recycle waste, their only responsibility is to provide the service. Its the responsibility of each individual who creates the waste to ensure they dispose of it the best way possible. I've spoken to a few folk who live in the country and they're all very positive about the new service so hopefully this attitude is the minority.

[TanyaHorne]

Can anyone help me out here? We never got anything with our bin to say what we can and can't put in it!! I know you can put paper cardboard and milk cartons (without the lids) is that it or can i put in more!
And i also agree it is a great thing,will defo be using mine as much as possible!

[crashbandicoot1979]

Can anyone help me out here? We never got anything with our bin to say what we can and can't put in it!! I know you can put paper cardboard and milk cartons (without the lids) is that it or can i put in more!
And i also agree it is a great thing,will defo be using mine as much as possible!

You can put in paper, cardboard, plastic bottles and food/drink cans. There should have been a leaflet with the bin. If you contact the council they will probably send you one.

[TanyaHorne]

That's brill thank you, i will contact the council. My OH's parents got a leaflet and a sticker on the bin saying when it will be collected we got nothing!!! Lol will go see them today
Many thanks

[badger]

Can anyone help me out here? We never got anything with our bin to say what we can and can't put in it!! I know you can put paper cardboard and milk cartons (without the lids) is that it or can i put in more!
And i also agree it is a great thing,will defo be using mine as much as possible!

I don't think you can puit milk cartons in (if you mean the non-plastic Tetrapak type ones). As far as I know only the recycling centre in Thurso takes those and last time I looked the bins were all overflowing. It's a private company initiative and they seem not to collect up here as often as they might.

[Bad Manners]

When you are recycling platic bottles etc usually on the bottle there is a little recycling triangle and in it is a number the council are recycling number 1 and 2 only in the bins the rest has to be at a recyling centre

[Tilter]

I think you'll find it's because of the type of plastic not because of your mince flavoured yogurt :-)

Hi, No - OH phoned the council and he was asking about the plastic fruit cartons (which do have a recycling 1 or 2 sign on them) and the leaflet we got said no plastic food trays (as far as I can remember). The girl definitely said they didn't want them because they may have contained meat but then decided fruit ones were OK. Maybe she didn't know either.

[Dreamweaver]

Its a pity we can't put glass in the bin :(

[tracy ann]

I now have a mtg with council on monday so will ask for clarification about the rubbish in the blue and grey bins and will let you know what response I get

[Tilter]

I now have a mtg with council on monday so will ask for clarification about the rubbish in the blue and grey bins and will let you know what response I get

Tracy Ann,
Thanks very much for doing that and please let us know. I think we're all confused.

[badger]

Leaflets with calendars telling you when bins would be emptied were supposed to be delivered with all bins but I think some went astray. I saw one stuck to my neighbour's bin so emailed the council and they're going to send me one. You really need the calendar as bins can get blown all over the place up here so probably better not filled until just before collection (me having rescued a pile of newspapers from a wet ditch [disgust] )

[Bobinovich]

Can I advise using a bungee cord with the hooks on the ends - pass it through the lid handles and hook either side of the bin. Has saved my rubbish on numerous occasions when others' is flying everywhere :confused.

[wifie]

Can I advise using a bungee cord with the hooks on the ends - pass it through the lid handles and hook either side of the bin. Has saved my rubbish on numerous occasions when others' is flying everywhere :confused.
Do you leave this on when you put the bin out Bob? If yes do the bin men put it back on or how does your system work?

I am not surprised that some people are not going to try to recycle as the infomation seems to be so confusing. Different things collected by different parts of the county and only some things at recycling centres! I think this whole country has to have a wee bit of a think and come up with real solutions instead of this half-hearted attempt at being green!

[badger]

Can I advise using a bungee cord with the hooks on the ends - pass it through the lid handles and hook either side of the bin. Has saved my rubbish on numerous occasions when others' is flying everywhere :confused.

Well I would but I fear wifie is right, it would never be put back on. They don't even put the bins back where they found them but just leave them lying all over the place and there's no chance they would put elastic thingies back on.

[tracy ann]

I had a mtg with HC today.

To confirm all rubbish from the new blue and grey bins gets shipped down to the central belt where it is then sorted for recycling.

Nipster Farm at Gillock can take all plastic waste. If you would prefer to take your plastic waste to Nipster instead of segregating into your various bins then please feel free. We will accept it in Black Bin Bags.

We will be approaching all local businesses within the next month with a pick up collection for their plastic waste instead of it going to landfill.

You can pm me for further info.

[Bobinovich]

Do you leave this on when you put the bin out Bob? If yes do the bin men put it back on or how does your system work?

I am not surprised that some people are not going to try to recycle as the infomation seems to be so confusing. Different things collected by different parts of the county and only some things at recycling centres! I think this whole country has to have a wee bit of a think and come up with real solutions instead of this half-hearted attempt at being green!

I only leave the bungee hooked if its sufficiently windy to lift the lid - otherwise I take it off when putting my bin out.

Those times I do use it, sometimes it is left hooked to the handles, sometime put in my blue recycle box and, once or twice, has been on the ground nearby. Either way the bin, by that time, is empty so I don't really care! So long as it's not far away then it's worth doing...

[Tugmistress]

well i rang the council today to ask for one of these new wheelie bins for plastic and cans, i am not allowed one :(
i don't live in the right area because it will be a different lorry than the ones already round for the boxes and the normal bin! i didn't get the boxes, and to be honest i wouldn't use them anyway as i am not a buyer of papers and don't fancy carting them down the lane whereas a wheelie bin i just make a tow hitch so it goes on the tow ball of my car :)

i shall just keep using my one green wheelie bin and ditch everything into that.

[TanyaHorne]

At the moment only the country people are getting the grey bins with blue lids.
The highland council rent out their lorries so the lease on the one for the brown bins and blue boxes isn't up for some time yet. I have been told that when that lease is up the council aim to give everyone the grey bins with blue lids then!