Ash
wibbled on Friday 13 November 2009 13:22

I can't understand why we have to have individual wheelie bins ... we've
now got three like I suspect the majority of the population and also a
nice little one for the kitchen where we can put our food scraps and then
empty them into the brown garden trimmings and food waste bin.

In Spain, for instance, at the top and bottom of each street (and the
middle if the street is fairly long) there are conveniently sited 1000
litre (or
so) wheelie bins. A green one for general rubbish and a yellow one for
cans, plastics, milk cartons, etc. About every other street there's a
paper bin and glass bin. The general rubbish bin is empty daily and the
yellow one weekly ... the paper and glass about fortnightly. If you have
anything which someone else may be able to use like a broken chair, TV,
car battery etc just leave it next to the bin and it'll be gone within a
few minutes by a grateful passing Spaniard/Moroccan.

The bins are cleaned regularly and even washed! All without the need for
messy individual wheelie bins ... so why do we have such a polluting and
unsightly system? Trying to negotiate the footpaths around our house on
wheelie bin day here is a nightmare ... especially after they have emptied
the bins and then leave them stewn all over the footpath without regard
for pedestrians.

Ah yes. Two problems:

a) It's far too sensible for any idiot local politician here;

b) They won't be able to tax you by weight[1] down the line when they chip
the bin.

[2] I don't have much of a problem with this approach. At the end of the
day, I live, I consume, I recycle and whats left has to go somewhere. I
want the last bit to be as painless as possible... I'm happy to pay my fair
share.

--
Tim Watts

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