"No Food Waste In Black Bins."

[sandyRoe]

I saw that sign on the side of a bin lorry this morning. In these straitened times is it likely that much food waste will find its way into the wrong bin?

[naomi24]

We don't have a separate bin for food waste.

[youngmafbog]

We have had a separate food bin for years.

It's not just 'food' but food associated. So bones, peelings etc.

[Atheist]

All our food waste goes into the compost bin i the garden. Fortunately, we are vegetarian, so don't have chicken bones etc to get rid of. They seem to attract foxes and the bags end up being torn open.

[Buenchico]

I had to work out what your post was about because
(a) different councils use different coloured bins ; and
(b) most councils probably introduced separate food waste collections yet (unless they were already doing so), as required by the Environment Act 2021. (They've got until the 2024/25 financial year to do so).

A link for anyone who needs it:
https://www.localgov.co.uk/Changes-to-food-waste-collection-and-recycling-What-actions-do-councils-need-to-take-/54208

Around here, in Mid Suffolk, we've currently still got just a green bin for recyclable waste and a black one for everything else (with brown bins available for garden waste upon payment of an additional charge). Our council hasn't yet introduced separate collections for food waste.

While some people might now be taking extra care to avoid wasting food (either due to environmental concerns or just because of budgetary constraints), I'm sure that a lot is still being wasted.

[cashier]

We don't currently have a separate bin for food, we did but they stopped it years ago. I don't waste a lot of food but do have peelings, bones etc and they go in the main bin bag.

[vulcan42]

My council supply three bins, black for waste, blue for recycle and brown for garden waste and food. It works extremely well unless they're on strike of course.

[evadora]

We have a food waste bin which also includes tea bags, egg shells, coffee grounds etc. My neighbour complains because the foxes rip his black bag open (put out every 2 weeks) -when I said use the food waste bin which is collected weekly he said he does'nt have any food waste!! Yet it is all over the grass for him to clear up every 2 weeks?? We also have other recyling and glass collected the other fortnight and grass cutting collected for compost as well.

[Gromit]

Where I live we have 4 bins.
1. Glass and tins.
2. Paper
3. Organic. Garden and food waste.
4. Anything else not recyclable.

If your council is telling you not to put food waste in black bins, I assume there is a bin to properly dispose of it. Do you not have bins for organic material ?

[youngmafbog]

We have five bins.
Big Bin - recyclable
Little Bin - General Household
Green bin - Optional garden waste
Outside Food waste bin
Inside food waste bin (smaller although most have their own)

The food bins have handles on that lock it. Stops anything getting in.

All works good.

[barry1010]

We don’t have a separate bin for food but luckily we throw very little food waste out.
We have two huge freezers and put the little food waste we do have into a lidded tub and freeze it. We put it in the dustbin just before it is emptied.
I still get the shudders when I think of the old galvanised dustbins we used to have, crawling with maggots in the summer, bluebottle flies circling.

[Hazlinny]

To add to the various bins, our Council has now introduced a white, very large weighted bag into which we only put tins, plastic bottles, trays, etc. and cartons. Food waste, peelings, etc. is put in a plastic bag supplied by them.

[Gromit]

In my area the black bin is for all none recyclable items. It goes straight to landfill.
Food waste in landfill decomposes to make methane gas, which is a greenhouse gas.
Food waste and garden waste goes in the brown bin, which is used to make biofuel for electricity generation.

[pastafreak]

Only green and black bins here. I live in a block of maisonettes...only provision for recycling is a bin for packaging and such.

[Redhelen72]

Sandy they are very keen on recycling here and provide the bins to allow it - they always were strict but have not started fining people if you put food or recyclables in the wrong bin continually.

[sandyRoe]

There are 4 bins in my area. Blue for plastic, paper and tins. Black for landfill, brown for garden waste, and a small one for glass.
I used to need to fill a rucksack with empty wine bottles and carry them to a nearby bottle bank.

[andres]

If we have any food waste it goes to the birds.

[Redhelen72]

Your food waste will go into the brown bin then using compostable bags.
That's how it was in Killinchy

[youngmafbog]

Yes, thats the only problem with recycling bin, teh sound of tinnies and bottles clinking into it. Especially Monday morning! :-)

[andres]

Our bins are green -for household refuse, blue for re-cycling, grey for papers and brown for garden waste(if you pay about £35 a year for it )

[tiggerblue10]

I thought everyone in th UK had a food bin. I obviously live in a bubble!

I've got a food bin which locks with the handle and a small worktop caddy which I buy compostable bags for. The foxes can't get in when locked.