Green bins/bags-why can't people use them properly?

We are in an area in which Dublin City Council don't provide refuse bins but they still collect bagged household refuse for a reduced charge. Recently we received a roll of green bags for the Oxigen collection. Printed on the bags are clear instructions on the types of waste that they will collect (paper, light cardboard, aluminium drinks cans, tin food cans, tetrapak but not glass bottles, plastics etc.). Also provided was a little calendar listing the dates on which the green bags would be collected (about once a month and not necessarily on the same day as the usual waste collection). So what do most people in my estate do? They fill the bags with the wrong sort of recyclables (which the Oxigen people remove and leave on their driveways anyway), they leave the bags out on the wrong days (often simply sticking it out on the normal bin day regardless of what the little calendar says) and/or they simply fill the bags with normal household waste for collection by the DCC bin men (which I think they will not collect due to it being in a green bag). Are these people just ignorant, stupid or lazy? :rolleyes

Are these people just ignorant, stupid or lazy?

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Sounds to me like a particularly nasty combination of all 3.

My green bin was emptied and the same day (before I got home from work!) it was filled with all sorts of other perople's rubbish. That's why mine contains "non-green" waste.

Re:Temptedd

It sounds like your neighbours are scum bags...

Re:Temptedd

As expected the DCC binmen ignored the green bags (whether filled with household waste or recycleables) as they are supposed to. Some of the neighbours haven't bothered their arses taking them back in and they're sitting outside since last Monday with a collection not due until next Monday. Even the students renting one of the houses had the good manners to take theirs in. Time to knock on some doors I guess... :\

Who needs them?

We have neighbours who never take their bins in for several days after they are emptied. We have neighbours who leave their bins right in the middle of their footpath ensuring pedestrians have to walk around them. These are usually the same people who park their cars on the footpath, seldom cut their grass, allow weeds to grow everywhere, leave the curtains in their windows closed, never paint their house, have continuous barking dogs etc.

It has got to the stage where I don't even acknowledge them anymore. Why bother?

Do you take the plastic cap off the tetra paks.

This morning I noticed that the green bin collectors were checking the contents of the green bins before tipping them on to the truck. Long may it continue.

Re: Do you take the plastic cap off the tetra paks.

Hi Grizzley,

Funny that, I too noticed them checking the contents of the Green Bin this am. Of the 30 or so houses on our road there were only two bins out. Dont you find Monday is difficult enough without thinking about putting out your Green Bin.

The oxigen web site could be better in terms of telling people the days and dates to put the bin out. And also instructions on what can be put in the bin and how to 'squish' it would be useful.

ajapale

Re: Do you take the plastic cap off the tetra paks.

> Re: Do you take the plastic cap off the tetra paks.

I think you're supposed to. I do anyway and dispose of them in the dedicated receptacle in the Bring Centre (because the green bags don't take plastics). However I's say most people probably leave them on and they are dealt with when recycling TetraPaks.

> This morning I noticed that the green bin collectors were checking the contents of the green bins before tipping them on to the truck. Long may it continue.

Yeah - in our area if any green bags are left out full of garbage rather than recyclables they don't take them. If recyclables of the wrong type (e.g. glass bottles, plastics etc.) are included they root them out and leave them behind. These situations would not arise if people read the clear instructions printed on the bags themselves.

> The oxigen web site could be better in terms of telling people the days and dates to put the bin out. And also instructions on what can be put in the bin and how to 'squish' it would be useful.

The bags we receive have clear instructions on what can go in (basically paper, light cardboard, TetraPak, tin cans etc. - no glass, plastics, aluminium cans, batteries, clothes etc.) and they also came with a little sitcky backed calendar (handy for sticking inside a cupboard door or whatever) stating the days on which they would be collected. I suppose it would help if they restated these on the website too though.

I think people in my area are finally getting the hang of it now so perhaps the problems I mentioned at the top were merely teething problems? Note that, at least around our way, they do the collection quite early so it's best to put the bags out the night before to ensure that you don't miss out.

!

Of the 30 or so houses on our road there were only two bins out. Dont you find Monday is difficult enough without thinking about putting out your Green Bin.

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These people (who don't recycle) obviously don't pay to get their rubbish collected.

Re: !

These people (who don't recycle) obviously don't pay to get their rubbish collected.

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XXAnother PersonXXX,

We live in a part of the country that has been paying bin charges for the best part of ten years. All of my nieghbours pay to have our bins collected.

The reasons for such a low turn out are as follows.
1. Monday is a difficult day (people away for the week end, havent got into the routine of the week etc.)
2. Summer Holidays
3. Oxigen sent out the wrong shcedule earlier in the year (never apologised either).
4. Some people only fill their green bin every second or third month. (Reducers and Resusers!)
5. The come very early some mornings (ie this am at 8:30). Some people only realise that its green bin day when they see their neighbours bin out.

ajapale

Re: Do you take the plastic cap off the tetra paks.

> no glass, plastics, aluminium cans, batteries, clothes etc.)

Oops - sorry - aluminium drinks cans are IN after all (alway read the bag carefully! )...

www.oxigen.ie/faq.html

Wash your jam jars.

I have a utility room off my kitchen where I separate items for the green bin, bottle bank etc. This requires a fair bit of work and can sometimes leave the area untidy and cluttered. Bottles/Jam jars to be washed. It also involves planning trips to dispose of these.
I do get annoyed when I see some neighbours not bothering to do the same.
I do get annoyed when my annual fee does not take account of the work involved. I am charged the same whether I separate or don't bother.
I have even seen neighbours leave plastic bags in their green bin containing their separated items when no plastic is allowed. The collectors should leave a card in the persons house saying something like "Sorry, we were unable to collect your bin today for the following reasons.....

Wash your jam jars.

> I have even seen neighbours leave plastic bags in their green bin containing their separated items when no plastic is allowed. The collectors should leave a card in the persons house saying something like "Sorry, we were unable to collect your bin today for the following reasons.....

In my experience they do around our area. Anyway Oxigen say that this is their procedure:

www.oxigen.ie/faq.html

3. Should I Place The Materials Into Separate Bags In The Green Bin?

No, the materials have to be placed loosely in the green bin as we do not accept plastic bags.

...

6. Why Was My Bin Rejected?

A Green Bin is rejected when a material such as plastic or glass which is not accepted has been placed in the bin (see question 3). The bins are checked by a waste inspector before they are collected. If the waste inspector decides to reject a bin, as a result of unwanted materials, a yellow reject sticker will be placed on the bin. Please be sure to remove the unwanted material before your next collection.

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Bring bank removed at Lucan.

The locals were dumping boxes of trash near a bring bank at tescos Lucan. Signs were put up threatening prosecution if people didn't stop littering. Now the people in charge have removed the bring bank.
Some people never learn.
I also hear that rats are increasing in numbers due to dumping in Dublin. The authorities will have to make some concession on pricing and ease of use regarding bins before we have a plague on our hands.