Tulse Hill news, chitter chatter and gossip

[Maharani]

Yeah I get bit. My question is about process. If people still have the bags, then why can't they continue to use them to put their recycling in and place them in the bins. Other residents are just using bags so why are they considered contaminants when placed in the new bins. This doesn't make sense to me.

*I'm not expecting you to know the answers obviously.

Well, I do work in recycling so I should know! I guess it could be as simple as without the bags they can just tip the bins and sort rather than having to break open bags which is time consuming...might be too simple...I dunno.

 

[Maharani]

I dunno. Bags can't be that pricy compared to bins. Big investment but in the 5 year long run I suspect its about having foxes not throwing shit all over the place, so fewer fly tipping and complaints. But you might be right.

And I reckon it is also easier to deal with three flats' worth of shit in one bin that 6 bags where some of them have burst. Who knows. Wil be fun finding out though. We can discuss earnestly tomorrow night

I'm sooo excited about this prospect...spending my Saturday night talking about old bags and rubbish...

 

[Thimble Queen]

Well, I do work in recycling so I should know! I guess it could be as simple as without the bags they can just tip the bins and sort rather than having to break open bags which is time consuming...might be too simple...I dunno.

If that's the case, that's what they should say. Clear, honest communication isn't that hard, well it doesn't have to be

 

[Thimble Queen]

I'm sooo excited about this prospect...spending my Saturday night talking about old bags and rubbish...

Lol mate. I don't even live there anymore

 

[Maharani]

Lol mate. I don't even live there anymore

But you miss the high brow banter and in depth local politics. I can tell.

 

[Thimble Queen]

But you miss the high brow banter and in depth local politics. I can tell.

You got me

 

[quimcunx]

Yeah I get bit. My question is about process. If people still have the bags, then why can't they continue to use them to put their recycling in and place them in the bins. Other residents are just using bags so why are they considered contaminants when placed in the new bins. This doesn't make sense to me.

*I'm not expecting you to know the answers obviously.

Lambeth recycling bin bags are not themselves recyclable so are a contaminant.

 

[sparkybird]

I would imagine that the new bins will be collected by a vehicle like the ones that collect our black bins. Until everyone has got the green bins, the clear plastic bags will be still in use and collected as currently IE going into the back of a truck to be opened and emptied by staff at the recycling plant??

 

[colacubes]

So does everyone in Lambeth have recycling bins now? For some reason, I was under the impression some house holds still have bags?

A few properties will still have bags. For example flats above shops where there's nowhere to store a green bin.

 

[quimcunx]

Yep. We have a communal recycling bin at our flats where we are to put recyclables straight into and have had that for a couple of years at least. They gave us orange reuseable bags to fill to take down there but they are little bigger than bags for life so I just fill a bin bag and empty it in there. I get 2 or three uses out of it then use it for non recyclables. I guess they are changing everyone eventually and in the meantime there are fewer bin bags that the recycling centres have to throw in their non recycling bins.

 

[gaijingirl]

Did anyone else have what felt suspiciously earthquake-like rumbling about 30 mins ago? Our entire street is being dug up, so it may be related to that but it was very noticeable - and I've experienced quite a few earth tremors during my time.

 

[discobastard]

Did anyone else have what felt suspiciously earthquake-like rumbling about 30 mins ago? Our entire street is being dug up, so it may be related to that but it was very noticeable - and I've experienced quite a few earth tremors during my time.

Nothing down my end [emoji57]

 

[discobastard]

It's started already.

 

[gaijingirl]

Nothing down my end [emoji57]

talking to neighbours it seems like it's related to the works on our road... bit of a worry.

 

[Lizzy Mac]

You can't recycle the orange bags, simple as that.
And some poor bugger has to hand sift everything that goes in the bins, so try to be good : )

 

[iantldn]

Know this is Tulse Hill chat but you guys seem to be itk... I'm on Lambert Rd (off Brixton Hill) and have had the leaflet but no new bin yet. There are 5 flats in our building and on an average week there are 10-20 full recycling bags from those flats. We recycle far more than we throw away (which I understand is what we're supposed to do). I'm quite worried that we're going to have a lot more recycling than will fit in the green bin(s) they provide. Also as we're top floor seems it'll be a lot more hassle carrying recycling down, especially as at the moment I typically do it on my way out. Either I then have to take a reusable bag with me wherever I go or I just have to go down more often then go back up just to deposit the bag back in my flat.

Have a strong suspicion we're just going to end up with a street with unbagged recycling everywhere which I'm sure will be to the foxes liking. How's it working so far for those who have it already?

 

[Nanker Phelge]

You can't recycle the orange bags, simple as that.
And some poor bugger has to hand sift everything that goes in the bins, so try to be good : )

I have clear Lambeth recycling bags and it cearly states the bags are recyclable on them.

 

[Nanker Phelge]

Know this is Tulse Hill chat but you guys seem to be itk... I'm on Lambert Rd (off Brixton Hill) and have had the leaflet but no new bin yet. There are 5 flats in our building and on an average week there are 10-20 full recycling bags from those flats. We recycle far more than we throw away (which I understand is what we're supposed to do). I'm quite worried that we're going to have a lot more recycling than will fit in the green bin(s) they provide. Also as we're top floor seems it'll be a lot more hassle carrying recycling down, especially as at the moment I typically do it on my way out. Either I then have to take a reusable bag with me wherever I go or I just have to go down more often then go back up just to deposit the bag back in my flat.

Have a strong suspicion we're just going to end up with a street with unbagged recycling everywhere which I'm sure will be to the foxes liking. How's it working so far for those who have it already?

I tend to create one wet waste carrier bag of rubbish and one full recycling bag a week. There is only me and my son here.

I would hope they will monitor the role out over time to ensure there are enough bins per block/row/street of properties.

 

[discobastard]

I have clear Lambeth recycling bags and it cearly states the bags are recyclable on them.

Doesn't say that on mine, just that they are made of recycled material (bottom right).

 

[Nanker Phelge]

it has the recycle logo on it.

I am going to research further and come back.

It would seem daft to give people bags for recycling....with the recycle logo on it, which they then empty and send to landfill...

 

[discobastard]

it has the recycle logo on it.

I am going to research further and come back.

It would seem daft to give people bags for recycling....with the recycle logo on it, which they then empty and send to landfill...

It's not exactly clear, though the circle/arrow label says 'recycle for Lambeth' rather than that the bag itself is recyclable (though it is made of recycled material) - so just a corporate message maybe.

This is the symbol that means an item is recyclable (though given it is made of recycled materials you would have though it might be):


Recycling symbols explained | Recycle Now

Though I agree everything would be easier if the bags themselves were recyclable as part of the recycling process - though I think that's down to people putting all kinds of unrecyclable waste in them.

I have just spent time clearing up the shit on Probyn Road that people have left in burst recycling bags into the new bins. In that I found used nappies and food containers half full of curry etc. Some people simply don't care - a nappy is made of tissue and therefore recyclable and so some fucker can deal with it even if it full of human waste. The system could work very well if only people actually read up on what is and isn't recyclable and could be bothered to just take a little more care. But I also understand many people have a lot more on their plate and it's pretty low down on the list of priorities.

I'll admit I only went to look for the leaflet and read it in full because of the conversation on this forum.

 

[Nanker Phelge]

Wot I has learned...

single-use biodegradable bags and oxo-degradable plastic bags do not yet provide a comprehensive solution to the issue of single-use bags. This is because:

They still present a litter problem.

Until they have fully degraded they still pose a threat to animals that ingest them.

They are not suitable for recycling in mainstream recycling systems as they contaminate the recycling process.

If biodegradable bags are sent to landfill, they break down without oxygen to produce methane, a greenhouse gas with a warming capacity 21 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.

The environmental impact of oxo-degradable plastic after it has fragmented to small pieces or powder has not yet been determined.

 

[CH1]

it has the recycle logo on it.

I am going to research further and come back.

It would seem daft to give people bags for recycling....with the recycle logo on it, which they then empty and send to landfill...

I don't think they send stuff to landfill nowadays. There is a mighty incinerator next to Millwall Football ground. It has a massive ramp leading up to the waste hopper which contains the reservoir of waste for incineration.

The ramp is chocker-block with Veolia vehicles waiting to dump their loads. If find it implausible that Veolia only incinerate their waste from Southwark there. Surely Lambeth and Lewisham get to share?

BTW if you can wait until this years Open House Weekend in September you can go on a guided tour of their recycling facility (on Saturday) and the incinerator (on Sunday). All facilities operate best practice European EPA regulations. The control room is a thing to behold - like a 1970s TARDIS - analogue meters and all.

 

[Nanker Phelge]

I've been to recycling plants for work. Most exciting....

 

[discobastard]

Know this is Tulse Hill chat but you guys seem to be itk... I'm on Lambert Rd (off Brixton Hill) and have had the leaflet but no new bin yet. There are 5 flats in our building and on an average week there are 10-20 full recycling bags from those flats. We recycle far more than we throw away (which I understand is what we're supposed to do). I'm quite worried that we're going to have a lot more recycling than will fit in the green bin(s) they provide. Also as we're top floor seems it'll be a lot more hassle carrying recycling down, especially as at the moment I typically do it on my way out. Either I then have to take a reusable bag with me wherever I go or I just have to go down more often then go back up just to deposit the bag back in my flat.

Have a strong suspicion we're just going to end up with a street with unbagged recycling everywhere which I'm sure will be to the foxes liking. How's it working so far for those who have it already?

Hi iantldn, we have only received our bins on Friday and so we will have to see how it goes over the next few weeks. A straw poll of three bins this evening as I walked past (with our collection being tomorrow morning) was one empty bin, one correctly filled with what looked like clean recycling and one and one that had a recycling bag placed in it (the owner of which happened to be standing outside smoking and to whom I explained that the bags weren't to be used).

Our problem on Probyn Road (and I imagine elsewhere where there is shit everywhere) isn't the volume of recycling as far as I can see, it's mainly:

1. People putting food waste or items that have not been properly cleaned into the bags - and so the foxes rip the bag open, which is massively exacerbate by...
2. The fact that people will leave these bags out on the street on Tues/Weds/Thurs/Fri meaning that it is several days until they are collected and so much more chance of being torn open and strewn all over the pavement
3. Those people not being bothered to tidy up their recycling that is strewn all over the pavement (yes, including dirty nappies), which attracts more foxes (and let's face it, if it's your waste all over the pavement you know it's yours)

And it is always the same households.

So we don't have a capacity problem, the leaflet says the bins should hold five or so recycling sacks' worth, but then on our road each house is only made up on three flats. If you have five flats in yours and only one bin I can see that being a problem (and then again it also depends on the number of people in each flat - there are only four people in my three flat block but next door there are at least eight). Time will tell. But I imagine at least, the fact that there should technically be no longer bags on the street - food and human waste will at least be in a bin that the foxes can't get to.

 

[discobastard]

Wot I has learned...

single-use biodegradable bags and oxo-degradable plastic bags do not yet provide a comprehensive solution to the issue of single-use bags. This is because:

They still present a litter problem.

Until they have fully degraded they still pose a threat to animals that ingest them.

They are not suitable for recycling in mainstream recycling systems as they contaminate the recycling process.

If biodegradable bags are sent to landfill, they break down without oxygen to produce methane, a greenhouse gas with a warming capacity 21 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.

The environmental impact of oxo-degradable plastic after it has fragmented to small pieces or powder has not yet been determined.

I imagine (though I have no facts to back this up) that biodegradable bags are also more expensive to produce. I was pretty shocked to see in the leaflet that Lambeth up to now have spent £600,000 a year on the recycling bags

 

[discobastard]

I don't think they send stuff to landfill nowadays. There is a mighty incinerator next to Millwall Football ground. It has a massive ramp leading up to the waste hopper which contains the reservoir of waste for incineration.

The ramp is chocker-block with Veolia vehicles waiting to dump their loads. If find it implausible that Veolia only incinerate their waste from Southwark there. Surely Lambeth and Lewisham get to share?

BTW if you can wait until this years Open House Weekend in September you can go on a guided tour of their recycling facility (on Saturday) and the incinerator (on Sunday). All facilities operate best practice European EPA regulations. The control room is a thing to behold - like a 1970s TARDIS - analogue meters and all.

That sounds awesome - hopefully there will be Bakelite dials and stuff?! (boohoo )

It is also a CHP plant so they create energy from the waste it seems SELCHP - Wikipedia

 

[boohoo]

I actually don't think it's that easy to recycle disposable nappies hence the existence of this company:

Green Bottoms - Who we are...

There is a lot of plastics (like film on cold meat packaging) that can't be recycled and then plastics that can only be recycled once.

If you want to do the world a favour reduce your plastic use and encourage others to do that.

*gets off soap box*

 

[boohoo]

Thornton Heath Community Action Team has been challenging the littering/fly tipping.

Here is something I was working on:

Hotspots to Beautyspots | Thornton Heath Community Action Team

All the little icons say what the problem is and in some cases you can see the actions taken.

I am not quite sure how successful it has been because to stop people dumping you need to persuade them that it's not a nice thing to do. However it has seemed to work with problem businesses and shops. And those who have managed to leave personal information with their rubbish. I would just like to understand a bit more about why people do it.

 

[iantldn]

Hi iantldn, we have only received our bins on Friday and so we will have to see how it goes over the next few weeks. A straw poll of three bins this evening as I walked past (with our collection being tomorrow morning) was one empty bin, one correctly filled with what looked like clean recycling and one and one that had a recycling bag placed in it (the owner of which happened to be standing outside smoking and to whom I explained that the bags weren't to be used).

Our problem on Probyn Road (and I imagine elsewhere where there is shit everywhere) isn't the volume of recycling as far as I can see, it's mainly:

1. People putting food waste or items that have not been properly cleaned into the bags - and so the foxes rip the bag open, which is massively exacerbate by...
2. The fact that people will leave these bags out on the street on Tues/Weds/Thurs/Fri meaning that it is several days until they are collected and so much more chance of being torn open and strewn all over the pavement
3. Those people not being bothered to tidy up their recycling that is strewn all over the pavement (yes, including dirty nappies), which attracts more foxes (and let's face it, if it's your waste all over the pavement you know it's yours)

And it is always the same households.

So we don't have a capacity problem, the leaflet says the bins should hold five or so recycling sacks' worth, but then on our road each house is only made up on three flats. If you have five flats in yours and only one bin I can see that being a problem (and then again it also depends on the number of people in each flat - there are only four people in my three flat block but next door there are at least eight). Time will tell. But I imagine at least, the fact that there should technically be no longer bags on the street - food and human waste will at least be in a bin that the foxes can't get to.

Thanks for the response. Glad you can fit a few recycling bags in the bins, there are a couple of families in our building so probably why so many recycling bags are produced per week. Hopefully they have the foresight to provide a couple of bins for our building. Suppose we'll have to get used to going down more often too.