Hurrah - Recycling's Just Got Easier :)

Our latest recycling leaflet with the dates for our fortnightly black box kerbside collection's just been delivered. Just as well, as the actual collection days for us over the festive period will be anything but our regular Friday, owing to various Bank Holidays.

I looked inside at the guidance on what can and cannot be recycled via our collection and was pleased to see the source of much bickering between myself and NAH has just been removed. We both agree that recycling is a good thing, but our main bone of contention has been over the relative difficulty with recycling paper. NAH believes it should be made easier for us, almost to the point of not recycling some paper on principle because the job of separating out coloured paper and the removal of windows from envelopes is rather time consuming and tedious. And don't get him started on the type of glue used for sticking down envelopes!

Luckily having an allotment means I've been able to shred our brown envelopes and paper of other hues, plus self adhesive envelopes to use as some of the 'brown' waste component in my compost making. And I have to say, it's mainly me who's been diligently removing any windows from envelopes on Thursday evenings prior to their collection the next day.

However, that's all in the past now as coloured paper and envelopes with windows will be collected from now on, as will our hefty Yellow Pages tome. Previously our old copies of the latter have lain idly around for months whilst we accumulate enough rubbish (i.e. recyclable items which aren't kerbside collected) until we have a full car load to take to the local recycling centre. Any staples in papers don't need to be removed either. Needless to say, NAH is now a much happier bunny about the whole thing.

It's also excellent timing, because of course our quotient of brightly coloured envelopes increases dramatically at this time of year. This change of circumstances applies to Wiltshire, but if you've had similar restrictions on what can be collected in the past, it'll be worth checking to see if your local authority has also changed its rules.

Comments

  1. Angie17 December 2009 at 10:03

    Like you I recycle most paper stuff, but the Yellow pages I have used as 'edging' around the veg beds. It contains the water in our sandy soil.

    ReplyDelete
  2. easygardener17 December 2009 at 10:32

    Windows in envelopes are a real irritation. I still have to remove them.
    BTW I am intrigued by the singing Christmas lights. I will mention them to my nearest and dearest - if only to watch the blood drain from their faces :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Helen/patientgardener17 December 2009 at 12:20

    We have been able to recycle all paper including the Yellow Pages for some time. They keep telling us that the system will improve in April but as yet havent given away how. There are all sorts of rumours flying around as you can imagine!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous17 December 2009 at 13:04

    Good news indeed, VP, as that sorting sounds like a good reason to just forget the whole thing. It should be made as easy as possible to get the most people to do it. Where I live, there is no pickup, but they accept everything at the recycling center. It is always crowded there with people bringing carloads of stuff. So gratifying to see. ALL plastics, no sorting. All cardboard, all paper, all aluminum cans, all metal cans and all glass. Our garbage can is nearly empty every week, and we are so proud of that.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Rose17 December 2009 at 13:50

    Good morning, VP! I've been catching up on some of your recent posts from your festive decorations to your Bloom Day post. You're the 3rd person to mention the "Fairy" rose; this is a rose I will definitely have to check out.

    You're fortunate to able to have such recycling sources available to you, though I don't think I would be patient enough to remove windows from envelopes. Our small recycling center here in town was closed down last year because someone was dumping trash there! Now to recycle anything I must drive 15 miles to unload it all. I always take in aluminum cans, and I use up much of the newspaper in ways here at home. But I would be much better about recycling if it were easier.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Susan Tomlinson17 December 2009 at 14:06

    Yay! "Easier for you," as we all know, really means, "Can't be bothered" for the recycling company

    Very glad to see them step up.

    ReplyDelete
  7. petoskystone17 December 2009 at 15:30

    we recycle most paper/cardboard here. the main bone of contention is what type of plastics are accepted. recycling varies so much by town--one town is so restrictive on what it will accept that many don't bother at all. another doesn't care what you put in so long as glass isn't broken( even though they break glass often by throwing it into the truck upon pickup. derby is picky over the size which cardboards are torn down.

    ReplyDelete
  8. The bike shed17 December 2009 at 17:44

    It's very confusing sometimes. In chippenham we have - obviously - same rules as you.

    Then in wales (where I am about half the year) it is a policy of anything goes - so long as it is not glass! No, that has to go to the bottle bank separately!

    ReplyDelete
  9. VP18 December 2009 at 16:11

    Angie - that's a good tip. I must start saving our newspapers so I can use them as a weed suppressant layer on the allotment now that carpet's been banned...

    EG - it's such a relief not to have to do that anymore! Have popped over to tell you where the singing Christmas tree lights are ;)

    PG - we've been able to recycle all paper, but not all of it kerbside! Our collection's due to change next year too as we are all one big happy county with each of the previous components having a completely different collection system. I suspect we'll be going fortnightly just like the rest are currently...

    Frances - that's exactly NAH's argument and whilst I can see where he's coming from, I still want to do my bit. I suspect we have a kerbside pickup because we're more densely populated than where you are, so it makes sense.

    Rose - I think you'll love that rose as it's a prolific bloomer and provides good ground cover. That's a real shame that one or two people's foolishness means that recycling's made much more difficult for everyone :(

    Susan - yes, though it amazes me how every single authority in the UK has a completely different system, especially on what can or cannot be put in the recycling bin.

    Petoskystone - that's just it. Plastics recycling is most confusing and variable. I wrote a couple of posts explaining what plastic can and cannot be recycled in our area a couple of years ago. It's surprising how much can be recycled and I suspect that mor eof it could be, it's just that some companies don't bother labelling what type of plastic they're using.

    Mark - I'm always amazed at how different things are all over our country. You'd think we'd be small enough to have a 'one size fits all' policy wouldn't you?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Diana Studer18 December 2009 at 20:14

    What happens to the glue on self adhesive envelopes in your compost heap? Is it a problem? Or do just ignore/accept it a minor part of the toxic world we live in?

    ReplyDelete
  11. VP21 December 2009 at 12:18

    Elephant's Eye - good question. I have lots of compost heaps, so the glue from the envelopes makes up such a small component that I'm not worried about it.

    ReplyDelete

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