It's been over a year..

cormie

I moved to Panda in January last year and as I had just moved to a new place, there was quite a bit of crap to get rid of. So I had to put out the black bin mid April sometime. Since then, I've been recycling and composting and it's now been over a year since I put my black wheely bin out. It's almost full, mainly with bags of ashes from the fire, but it just goes to show how much waste you actually acquire that can't be recycled in some way, hardly any

For a laugh, I rang up Panda to see if there was a prize for having not put my black bin out in more than a year

They rang back and gave me 13 months for the price of 12. Whooo!!

ircoha

cormie wrote: »

I moved to Panda in January last year and as I had just moved to a new place, there was quite a bit of crap to get rid of. So I had to put out the black bin mid April sometime. Since then, I've been recycling and composting and it's now been over a year since I put my black wheely bin out. It's almost full, mainly with bags of ashes from the fire, but it just goes to show how much waste you actually acquire that can't be recycled in some way, hardly any

For a laugh, I rang up Panda to see if there was a prize for having not put my black bin out in more than a year

They rang back and gave me 13 months for the price of 12. Whooo!!

Why do u need to dump the ashes if u are composting or are they full of residual dioxins/pcbs etc from all the recycled stuff that (accidentally) got burned:eek:

cormie

Well I burn coal so the ashes contain sulphur and shouldn't be composted. According to what I googled anyway. Would be dead handy if they could be but I think it contaminates the compost?

OTK

cormie wrote: »

I moved to Panda in January last year and as I had just moved to a new place, there was quite a bit of crap to get rid of. So I had to put out the black bin mid April sometime. Since then, I've been recycling and composting and it's now been over a year since I put my black wheely bin out. It's almost full, mainly with bags of ashes from the fire, but it just goes to show how much waste you actually acquire that can't be recycled in some way, hardly any

For a laugh, I rang up Panda to see if there was a prize for having not put my black bin out in more than a year

They rang back and gave me 13 months for the price of 12. Whooo!!

That's very impressive. Can you help me with some questions about recycling?

What do you do with-
-cooked food waste?
-expanded polystyrene
-lightbulbs / neon tubes
How do you sort plastics?
eg how do you differentiate between plastic bottles, yoghurt pots, plastic packaging etc? and what do you do with them all? I know panda take plastic bottles.

cormie

Panda takes all plastic types, not just bottles.

I eat all my food and don't buy meat or anything so I never have bones or any scraps or anything.

Haven't had to dispose of a lightbulb yet, I use the energy saving ones which last years.

wazzoraybelle

HAve you thought about burning wood and doing away with a refuse collection altogether, the extra cost of the wood would be offset by your savings!

cormie

See if I did away with refuse altogether, then I'd have nobody to collect my recycling and the black bin is always handy to have there just incase.

Also, I think the amount of wood I'd need would be far greater than the amount of coal I use. Even a highly condensed hardwood only burns for about 20 minutes in the open fire and once it's burnt, it's burnt, you don't get an ongoing heat like you would from a piece of coal. I don't use a lot of coal anyway, I'll only put coal on the fire when the coal already on is almost out.

Húrin

If I were you I would just abandon paying for the hardly used waste collection business altogether, and put your trickle of rubbish in your neighbour's black bin on the sly!

One trip a year to the landfill site would be much cheaper.

bonkey

Húrin wrote: »

If I were you I would just abandon paying for the hardly used waste collection business altogether, and put your trickle of rubbish in your neighbour's black bin on the sly!

I'd offer my neighbour 25-50% of my annual recycling charges rather than doing it on the sly.

cormie

My neighbour is one of my best friends I even get my wifi off him, but it's my router in his house. May do that indeed

Glowing

Panda have now started to accept electronic items in the green bins - how sure can we be that this stuff is actually recycled and not just dumped in landfil somewhere?

prospect

I am pretty much the same, I have a small garden shed dedicated to seperating my waste and once every 6 weeks I bring it to the collection centre in Kilcullen. Although, I still end up with two bin bags of waste.

Can I ask how you deal with used hygiene products?

cormie

prospect wrote: »

I am pretty much the same, I have a small garden shed dedicated to seperating my waste and once every 6 weeks I bring it to the collection centre in Kilcullen. Although, I still end up with two bin bags of waste.

Can I ask how you deal with used hygiene products?

What kind of hygiene products? Can't think of any I use that don't come in plastic bottles that can be rinsed out and recycled. What type in particular are you talking about?

prospect

cormie wrote: »

What kind of hygiene products? Can't think of any I use that don't come in plastic bottles that can be rinsed out and recycled. What type in particular are you talking about?

Well, I suppose I am assuming there is a Mrs Cormie;
feminine hygiene products,
contraception products,

Also,
Used plasters and wound dressings etc.

I am sure theres a few more but thats all I can think of right now.

To answer OTK,
I use a Big Pig composter which takes all food stuff, incl cooked & uncooked and also meat & fish.
The collection facility at Kilcullen takes Aeroboard, foam wrapping, bubble wrap and cling film amongst all the regular recyclable products.

cormie

There's no "resident" Mrs cormie so no need to worry about that on a daily basis but all that type of thing is quite small anyway so wouldn't make any difference at all really

cormie

Ah yeah, I can imagine nappies being quite a space taker alright, I'm 23 myself so hopefully wont have to deal with them any time soon

Have you tried cloth nappies?

prospect

cormie wrote: »

Have you tried cloth nappies?

I am leaving that decision to d'wife
We are starting to potty train, but I think she is going to give the cloths a go for the next one.

sarahirl

feminine hygiene products, bah humbug! use a mooncup instead

cormie

I was talking about all my toiletries

ART6

Glowing wrote: »

Panda have now started to accept electronic items in the green bins - how sure can we be that this stuff is actually recycled and not just dumped in landfil somewhere?

Try http://www.ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/01/high-tech-trash/carroll-text.html

cormie

I still haven't put the bin out since April this year when it was "almost full". Put about 2 bags in it since then but with winter coming I'll be lighting the fire and putting more ashes in, which is the bulk of what's in it at the moment. So that's 18 months I'm at now without the black bin being collected :eek: Be interesting to see how long it would have taken if there were no ashes at all!