Thursday, 28 August 2008
No, this is not a health hazard. By handling your rubbish responsibly and wrapping food waste you will prevent smells and soiling. You can place newspaper in the bottom of the wheeled bins before use and after they have been emptied, this will help soak up any moisture and will fall out when the bin is next emptied.
There should be no environmental health problems arising from rubbish left for two weeks, providing basic precautions are taken. Only a small proportion of your rubbish will start to rot during this period, and when contained in a wheeled bin with the lid closed there will be no problem with flies or smells. It is always a good idea to double-wrap in carrier bags any rubbish that is likely to rot and thereby avoid dirtying the bin unnecessarily.
Smells can be minimised by:
· Rinsing out milk cartons, yoghurt pots, etc.
· Tying rubbish up securely in plastic bags and double-bagging things like meat rubbish.
· You may wish to occasionally use disinfectant or a bin deodoriser product. By taking the basic steps outlined above your bin can be kept clean with only very occasional attention. To clean the inside of your wheeled bin just lie it down and swill out with water.
· If possible, store your bin out of direct sunlight and away from open windows
Over 50% of your household rubbish can be recycled. By sorting your rubbish into dry recyclable materials in your green box and garden waste/cardboard into your green wheeled bin, there will be more space in your black wheeled bin for any rubbish left over.
The Council will assess cases on their merits, larger families who are concerned their black wheeled bin will not be large enough should register their concern and they will be visited by a waste advisor who will discuss your situation and assess the rubbish you are placing in each bin and green box. Where appropriate an additional bin may be provided on a short term basis. (This may incur a small charge).
The wheeled bins are actually designed to last for two weeks before being emptied, and when they were first introduced across the UK, large rural areas had their rubbish collected every two weeks.
Our research tells us that the vast majority of homes will be able to get all their rubbish in the wheeled bin we provide. By making sure you flatten any large items and recycle as much as you can you should have enough room in your bin. If you have a large amount, make sure that you put anything that may rot into your bin and keep the remainder until your next collection or take it to the nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre. A waste advisor can also visit you to discuss your situation and assess the rubbish you are placing in each bin and green box.
We will normally collect it as there is no contamination risk. However, we lose the garden waste for our composting scheme, and you may not have enough room for the rest of your rubbish that cannot be recycled In these circumstances, we might attach a sticker to your bin asking you to make sure that you keep your green waste separate in future. Remember we will not take extra rubbish, (rubbish in bags next to your bin or piled high under the lid).
Please flush/sluice all solids down the toilet and securely wrap nappies in plastic bags, all disposable nappies must be placed in the black wheeled bin. You may be interested in modern alternatives such as laundry services or home washable nappies which fasten with Velcro or poppers. Please call 01302 736000 for more details.
If you have to put your animal waste in a bin, then it should be wrapped up (double-wrapped is best to avoid any smells) and put in your black wheeled bin. Better still would be a “doggie loo” in your garden. Flies usually occur if flies have laid any eggs in the faeces. If faeces are put in the bin, please ensure it is picked up straight away and double-wrapped.
A - H Wheeled Bin Collections