Lay My Hat Forum

[jenboyle1959]

As the Scottish system of bin collection becomes increasingly complex, with a new waste food one being added to the mix, how do other rental owners manage to persuade guests to recycle correctly? We're in a small tenement building, with two other neighbours, and I'm constantly having to guddle about in the bins, as guests put the wrong thing in each one. I've put a whole page in my guide about it, and pinned up the council leaflet about what goes where in the kitchen, but to no avail!!
I also have problems getting the correct bin out- our collection day is a Wed, and as it's a different selection of bins each week, I feel churlish asking guests to pull one out on a Tues nigh that they may not have used.. It has to be left out on a narrow section of pavement. We usually end up putting it out on a Sunday before we leave, after welcoming guests in,but then guests have no bin to use for themselves! Bring back the weekly collection!!!

[Greenbarn]

Welcome to the wacky world of LMH!

I can't offer any useful advice on persuading, forcing, encouraging or threatening guests to recycle and put bins out (we don't even have a collection here), but I love the word "guddle" which is new to me. I shall use it forthwith.

I have now learnt not to guddle (there, I've used it already) in bin bags despite the certainty that guests have mixed recyclables in there, which take up valuable space in bags I have to drive down to a collection point. Ever since an encounter with used nappies, I no longer guddle.
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[HelenB]

I get confused with our own bins. Until recently, we had a weekly bin collection, and fortnightly recycling (box for glass, bag for plastic and paper), and fortnightly brown bin for garden waste.
Now suddenly we have-

Black bin -fortnightly food waste.
Blue bin- paper,cans and plastic recycling, alternating with black one.
Green box- glass recycling.
Brown bin- fortnightly garden waste.

I'm running out of space for them all.And god knows if my son will remember to put out the right bin when we go on holiday.

[Marks]

The UK has gone bin crazy. My aged parents have some complex computer programme that they are constantly updating with data to ensure the correct coloured bin/box/bag is put out on the correct day within the correct time frame. OK, it's a bit of paper but they still get confused.

I've just been to the 4 communal bins here: cardboard & paper, plastics, bottles and the one for the rest of the cr@p. Gets picked up about 11pm six nights a week. It's so simple it requires no thought whatsoever.
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[HelenB]

I have the same arrangement in our village in France, but it gets picked up in the morning. No fuss, no bother. MIL can't even manage to put her bins out, someone has to go and do it for her each time. She has a different local authority to us, ours will put them on the pavement for disabled and elderly.

[ccazes]

If I were a guest I don't know if I would want the responsability of remembering to put bins out. I expect as a guest in self catering to have to deal with my own rubbish but on my own timescale:)

Can you not find someone outwith your guests to do it for you? What happens if your flat is empty on any given week - who does it then?

[Wonkeye]

[Nemo]

On holiday in Florida, the waste bin was out on arrival, but was pulled back in by the managing agent. However the house notes asked us to put it out which we duly did on the correct day. We saved all our recycling (old habits die hard and I haven't thrown a glass bottle away for more than two decades now ), but struggled in vain to dispose of it. Some of the neighbours had a recycling box but as we didn't, we were forced on departure day to throw large quantities of heavy duty plastic and glass bottles.

In Norfolk, the recycling is collected by a private company, but there are very few bins on site for collection.

At home we have two wheelie bins and three boxes, with rubbish collected one week and recycling the next. As I have been indoctrinated, firstly by my parents who lived through the war, and secondly by the govt/local authorities to recycle, I cannot bear to throw away recyclables unless there is no alternative.

I alos don't understand the mindset of so many holidaymakers who create mountains of waste (esp on holiday in the UK when travelling by car; I understand the issues of those travelling by plane etc).
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[Wonkeye]

[Val]

We now take all the kitchen waste and the recycling as a matter of routine to our lovely Municipal Tip (which must be the best tip in the Uk, in fact I'm considering adding it to the Cottage notes as a day out ).
We just drop by there after doing the changeover and sort , recycle and tip. Not many of the guests ever get the hang of what you're supposed to do with the waste, as there are three bins and plastic sacks to contend with, and I suppose it's different in each area of the country so it's quite confusing.

[Wonkeye]

[Val]

We are on Business Rates but as we're also on 100% exemption, it's swings and roundabouts and we don't mind doing it.
The thing is, also , where the bins are meant to be collected from is down the end of quite a long farm track and I can't really blame people for not trudging up and down there with the bins. Not really a priority for people on holiday!

[Wonkeye]

[Speyside Steve]

Just had some notes from guests saying that our instructions re bin collection and recycling are a bit confusing. I had copied the Council documents verbatim! Not sure how else to say what goes into which bin and when they are collected. The Council recycling is really difficult: plastic bottles but NOT the lids; paper but NOT envelopes; recyclables loose, refuse bagged. That kind of thing! Confusing at best.

I think the bottom line is that recycling is too complicated for people on holiday. Give them a bin, some bin bags and weekly collection and they will be happy. Give them 4 bins and fortnightly timetables and they will give up! Who can blame them?
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[Marks]

Who can blame anyone for giving up. From what I see at my parents house it is hopelessly confusing. How come it got to this state?
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