Fortnightly bin collections

[Lorrymac]

Is anyone else really struggling with this?? We had to leave some rubbish in our house last week before going on holiday and came home to maggots all over the kitchen. we have called our council and said that we recycle everything we can but because we have pets (cat litter & dog faeces goes in the bin too) we always fill more than one wheely bin in 2 weeks. The council said that there's nothing they can do about it - it's our responsibility and at the moment we're having to go to the tip every week to get rid of surplus rubbish. i can't see how this is a good idea - i can only imagine we're encouraging maggots and rats to our houses. is this really how things are going to be??? i went to madrid last week and their rubbish is collected DAILY! anyone else have any thoughts on this? i feel like we have nowhere to turn and we can't recycle anything else at all that goes in our bin (unless we had a compost heap which we don't)

Lorraine

[wildwood]

Could you not arrange a fortnightly pickup with a commercial rubbish collector for those weeks inbetween?

I am afraid on this very rare occasion I agree with the council (I can't believe I just said that), you accumulate more rubbish than average so it is your responsibility.

[spudqueen]

When going on holiday I always ask the neighbours to put my bin out. I do the same for them when they are on holiday.

[chelsea78]

we have same problem i have been keeping rubish in my flat because bins full already and if i leave them out side the fox's open them and i came home today and place stinks, i also have cats and smelly litter, i think these new bins r horrible they make the streets look worse coz outside every house you find two big wheely bins and they are no where near big enouth to hold two weeks worth of general waste

[LuBlu]

We also have fortnightly collections, and we have found no problem with it. We struggle with our recycling bin, often having to use sticks to push it down for more space, but the general waste bin rarely is ever more than half full each fortnight. Admittedly, we are just a couple and I can imagine it would more difficult if you have a large family.

[Twenty20]

wildwood I thought it was the Council's responsibility to collect the rubbish? Isn't that what we pay our Council Taxes for? I don't think it's right to halve the service but still charge the same, do you? Maybe if they'd reduced the cost by half people could understand it more.

[Louisa 69]

I live in an area where , fortunately we still have our rubbish collected weekly. I only throw out 2 bags a week so if fortnightly collections was ever introduced , i would be ok. But having said that there is many a time i've went to put out the rubbish only to find that some of my lovely neighbours have decided to fill up my bin for me, so sometimes i can't even put my own out. I dread to think how bad it would be if they only collected every 2 weeks.

I agree with Twenty20, we pay our council tax and part of that money goes towards refuge collection. Fortnightly collections may well work for some, but not all .

Wildwood how does a council define what is the average amount of waste per week???

[Loosehead]

This was feautured on watchdog last night. They had footage of a bin with maggots everywhere! It'll be worse in a long hot summer! This story will grow and grow I reckon.

[EngTeach]

I must create an extra large amount of garbage, In NYC we get our trash picked up 2x per week and recycling once per week. Unless we are talking about extremely different bag and bin sizes, i put out a kitchen size bag every two days just for myself!!!!!

[tufty7]

We are a family of four living in Derbyshire, we have 1 general wheely bin , 1 wheely for garden stuff and 1 wheely for plastic, tins and glass, I wrap up any foodie type stuff so that flies cant get in and we have no problems at all, if you dispose of carcasses and food direct and openly then you will suffer with flies and maggots, just wrap them up ,

If it is tight I get in the bin and compact it myself to make more room , that always works ( i believe you can buy a hand compactor for wheelie bins)
You could always ask the council for a larger bin of course so that could help you , failing that perhaps there is a neighbours bin you could slip some in ?? pensioners dont make much rubbish , not on there pensions anyway ....