Recycling

The answer to most of our waste problems is incineration, and use the heat produced to drive whatever. But we're a nation of NIMBYs so it won't happen and we'll continue to have a multitude bin waggons drive up & down our streets consuming fuel at 5 or 6 mpg (at best) and as above send our plastic pop bottles to China to be made into pastic 'stuff' & then shipped back here. The rest of the recyclable stuff that doesn't go to land fill counts as credits to your local council

The main problem I see is one of complexity and inconsistency. In our area we only have two main bins, one for General rubbish and one for recycling, everything bar glass and green waste. Glass is collected separately by a charitable organisation and you can have a green waste bin if you pay extra, or take it to the centre yourself. At my mums they have 5 bins, one for general, one for glass, one for card and paper, one for plastic and cans and one for food waste. They are all different colours but not the same colours as ours in this part of the world. 

The current rate of recycling where e live is 57% which we are informed is among the best in the UK i put this down too the system used by our council of 3 bins only.  All recyled items go in one bin and are sorted at the recycleing plant.We have one bin for landfill and one for garden waste which goes too a locol farm to be made into fertiliser.The bins are on a 2week emptying cycle.

peter.

When I looked at the details for our area, the highest general refuse weight came from "struggling families" and "prudent pensioners" and it was sadly mostly food waste. 

.....  All recyled items go in one bin and are sorted at the recycleing plant. ....

A 'clean MRF' 

Our Council gives a figure of 70% being recycled. We have four bins, green, black, blue and brown. Our Cul de Sac has about 35 houses so on the week when three bins are being collected there are over 100 bins blocking the pavements.

We have 4 bins plus one white plastic bag (for paper) which are collected fortnightly - grey general water one week and the recyclables the following week.

Except the green bin for garden waste which is not due to be collected until March 8 as nothing grows during the 'cold' winter months! Hmmmm....

I am staggered to be honest just how much we do recycle and I hope it is recycled correctly. The bottles and tins should be really easy as should the cardboard (Aldi boxes!)

I did a quick calculation and 75% of what i throw out goes into my recycle bin which just shows how much can be recycled.I do make sure that everything that can be recycled is recycled.

peter.

We recycle everything we can and in our area we have a good record of recycling.  Mind you it is a tricky business putting out rubbish, as you have to REALLY concentrate. 

Black bin general rubbish very little for us, green food waste bin always full, not because I waste food but things like melon skin etc takes up a lot of room.  These bins collected weekly.

Brown bin, we have 2 for garden compost certain times both can be full depending on the amount of hard wood pruning going on.  Green box for cans, bottles and textile, this must be bagged for some reason, and we can also place small electrical items in there too,  A sack for cardboard, a sack for paper and a plastic bag to place plastics in, this includes all plastic bottles, lids, yougurt pots, flora type containers, fruit cartons and plastic bags.  These ones are collected alternate weeks, week one brown bin(s) cardboard and cans and the following week plastic and paper.  Our brown bins are collected through the year, good job this year with grass cutting still having to be done and there's always plenty of cutting back going on.

I would say we recycle 85% or more of our household waste at home.  However, because one is never sure about recycling whilst out and about this probably drops.  I always feel that details of what is recyclable on sites should be included clearly in site info leaflets so that you can get to grips with what is and isn't required asap as how you collect and store whilst on site is vitally important before your first trip to the bin area.

Forgot to add that at work paper and cardboard is recycled.  In the staff room we operate a recycling system as per our home collections and those who drive in, and are lucky enough to have a car parking space take it home and put it with their household recycling.  So I'd like to think we try our best.

Good to see our area is in the 50% plus sector

I do agree with cyberyacht about club sites and people not bothering to make an effort.