Recycling help?

Hells_Belle

Hello hello...

So we've just moved in and our very nice landlord said something rather vague about recycling. He mentioned we need to buy clear recycling bags at the supermarket for paper, plastic, and I think tin cans?

One, I cannot find these at Dunnes or Tesco - where do I actually buy them, can anyone tell me?

Two, what can I actually put in them?

Three, do I put all the paper, plastic and cans into one bag, or do I keep them apart?

I want to recycle, I really do, and I promise I will if someone can lend a hand getting me straight on this

Thanks!

dahamsta

Hells_Belle wrote:

One, I cannot find these at Dunnes or Tesco - where do I actually buy them, can anyone tell me?

If you're in an "enabled area", the council should supply them, or at least they do around here (or at least they would if we didn't have private waste collection that doesn't do recycling which is pissing me off don't get me started mutter etc etc). Going by dudara's recent rant I reckon it's active in your area, but if she's not around tomorrow you could try ringing the Environment department on 4924299.

Two, what can I actually put in them?

It says on the bags, but the main ones are paper, plastic bottles, cans. No bottles or batteries.

Three, do I put all the paper, plastic and cans into one bag, or do I keep them apart?

All in one bag. It's one of the more convenient features of the current system.

My recycling needs doing now, so if you feel like repaying me for the information...

adam

dudara

The council should be delivering them to your doorstep. But if your landlord is paying the bin charges, then I think his name should be used to get the bags delivered.

the current system is a joke. As it stands, you place all clean paper, cardboard, tetrapacks, tins, drink cans and plastic containers into the bags. They must be clean and dry. No glass bottles, styrofoam and foil allowed.

Then you place your bag out on the street for collection, whereby it's rained upon and all your effort to keep things dry and clean is wasted. I'm so peed off with this stupid system. But anyway....

If you look at the Cork City Corporation website, there might be more information on recycling centres where you can drop off paper etc. Also across the way from us is a back entrance into the Tyndall Institute which has a set of glass recycling bins. Handy

nesf

dudara wrote:

the current system is a joke. As it stands, you place all clean paper, cardboard, tetrapacks, tins, drink cans and plastic containers into the bags. They must be clean and dry. No glass bottles, styrofoam and foil allowed.

It's very annoying. I think a system of different collection runs for different material types would work better. But then they would have to hire more trucks and personnel....

dudara wrote:

Then you place your bag out on the street for collection, whereby it's rained upon and all your effort to keep things dry and clean is wasted. I'm so peed off with this stupid system. But anyway....

Really? I found the biggest problem to be putting them out at night. Once muppets come down our end of the Mardyke and rip open bags and spread it on the street. Other times they've just tossed the bags about, bursting some of them. It was very annoying.

The fad seems to have stopped though, thankfully

dudara

nesf wrote:

Really? I found the biggest problem to be putting them out at night

I gave up on that, and just put them out in the morning instead. The recycling truck doesn't come until after 9 at the earliest

nesf

dudara wrote:

I gave up on that, and just put them out in the morning instead. The recycling truck doesn't come until after 9 at the earliest

I put out the bins and bags for the OAPs nextdoor nowadays. I'm usually late returning on a Sunday so I put them out at 1am or so, they are usually fine then.

I forget stuff in the morning so it's best not to leave it till then tbh.

parsi

dudara wrote:

the current system is a joke. As it stands, you place all clean paper, cardboard, tetrapacks, tins, drink cans and plastic containers into the bags. They must be clean and dry. No glass bottles, styrofoam and foil allowed.

It is a considerable improvment on what was there before - the trip to Kinsale rRoad to recycle your plastic and paper which could only be done during working hours or early on Saturday.

I'd love glass to be done as well but maybe at some stage. As regards bags getting wet - we keep ours around the side of the house and they seem to stay dry enough even after the heavy rain last week. TBH I think the requirement for cleanliness is to prevent the bags getting totally infested with creep-crawlies and the like and maybe also makes them less attractive to dogs...

Polystyrene seems to be a big bugbear for a lot of the recycling crowds...

solice

My brother iis living in Douglas and they were given a wheelie bin for waste, a wheelie bin for recycling and a box for recycling glass. They come around every so often to get the glass.

Living out in the country we have two wheelie bins, one for domestic waste and one for recycling, they get collected every different week.

Its the same situation in mallow, although i did hear something about compost makers. Whether or not you have to apply for tehm or are just given them i dont know (either way a charge would apply). I think its a great idea and would cut down on alot of the waste going to the super dump in bottlehill (which can be seen from our living room, when it will open anyway)

dahamsta

I agree with parsi, it's a big improvemnt on no recycling at all, or saving up recycling and travelling to Kinsale Road or other recycling station (most of which are rubbish, pardon the pun). I don't get why your recycling would get wet either dudara.

adam

dudara

It doesn't seem to matter how well you fasten the bags, moisture always seems to get in. I'd rather see a set of dedicated bins for each household or groups of households, rather than this ad hoc system.

LilMrsDahamsta

Is it just me that puts them out upside down (knotted first, obviously)?!

parsi

LilMsMelodrama wrote:

Is it just me that puts them out upside down (knotted first, obviously)?!

I suppose not noticinhg that they were not knotted would be a mistake not to make more than once... ;-)

SparkyLarks

I think the system is great.

Wash the containers, put them in the bag. Put the bag out. easy peasy

Dimitri

Out here in the sticks we have two wheelie bins, collected at the same time once a forthnight. We had the bags for a while but it was a disaster. If you didn't have many cans they would blow away on windy nights. Private service though the council wont collect our rubbish and it costs a hell of a lot to get collected.