On Mon, 9 Aug 2010 13:19:50 -0700 (PDT), Matty F
wrote:

On Aug 10, 2:53 am, "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:
On Fri, 6 Aug 2010 21:47:55 -0700 (PDT), Matty F wrote:
It takes less than 8 seconds for my bin to be emptied.
See pictures of the process here, taken last Friday:
http://i36.tinypic.com/2dt6bzk.jpg

They don't have machines like that over here, at least not that I am
aware of. How precisely does the bin have to be positioned on the
pavement for the machine to collect it? What happens if it's facing
the "wrong" way?

It doesn't matter which way around the bin is or where it is.
The top of the bin has an overhang so that the bottom of the bins
don't touch, leaving clarance for the grab arms. There is a problem
with parked cars, but I think they know the best times to pick up the
rubbish when most cars have gone.

Only _most_ cars? In my (shortish) street there must be at least half
a dozen cars parked at any time, day or night.
Then there's the problem of grass verges to contend with. Around here
at least, you're supposed to leave your wheelie bin (WB) just inside
your curtilage so this machine would have to reach around many parked
cars (and visiting cars parked on the highway), across the grass verge
(with some trees) and the footway... :-)
Quite a challenge!

I'm reasonably happy with a driver and four or five operatives
dragging WBs to the rear of the truck. Especially just before
Christmastide they make a reasonable job of puttiing the bin back
where it should be ;-)

Shortly 'we' are to receive a new (blue (dark; almost navy)) WB for
recyclable stuff to replace a very basic box into which you're
supposed to dump newspapers, 'tin' cans and (unbroken) glass jars and
bottles. Apparently the new WBs have a sort of basket insert for
certain items and they'll accept some sorts of plastics - an insert
sounds like an awful lot of trouble with broken/missing bits.

Just to confuse everybody the original WB for general stuff is green
in colour; the second one, for garden ("green") waste like grass
clippings, overgrown things, weeds et. al. is actually brown in
colour.

I usually dump all my recyclable stuff (apart from cells/batteries
(which I just dump in general waste (at the advice of the LA)))) in
designated receptacles in JS' carpark.

--
Frank Erskine
Sunderland