Recycling and the environment: Waste Management in the UK

No matter what you think about global warming and climate change there is no doubting that we humans are messy creatures. Our modern, consumer based lifestyles seem to generate more waste than ever before.

In the UK the government has made a commitment to reducing the country's waste and ensuring that we all recycle much more. To force local councils to implement better waste management the government has initiated financial penalties of those councils who refuse or are unable to meet the stricter targets.

This has meant that our local waste management has had an overhaul and this week, as householders, the people in my area became part of the new recycling plan.

Years ago , locally, our waste was put into a dustbin each week, which was collected weekly. A few years ago, this collection was altered and we began to use a black wheelie bin. A few years on we were provided with black boxes for tins and bottle and a small blue wheelie bin for paper. With all of these have different collection days waste management started to become more hands on.

The latest changes have meant that we now have:-

• Our old black wheelie bin

• A large brown wheelie bin

• A slightly smaller, but still large, blue wheelie bin

• A small green caddy for kitchen waste which the council provide bags for.

So, what does all of this mean, will it work and will it suit all householders?

Well, since I began this Hub I have been getting to grips with all of this. Hubby seems to find it more difficult to comply, but this is partly due to a feeling that he has been forced to become a waste management specialist.

I seem to have got to grips with it fairly easily. However, there are all too many waste products that I am unsure about. Cellophane wrappers and the like are not recycled. Well that's what I think currently.

When in doubt I have just guessed. Only time will tell if my guesses have been right or not.

Of course, all of this waste management is rather time consuming. I am not sure if we have to wash the tins and bottle out, but I do. The bin would be smelly otherwise. A friend tells me that she washes the tins in the dishwasher with her dishes! Personally, I think that is rather extreme.

However, just a simple rinse out and removing the label takes time. With two dogs we often have tins to throw away.

As of yet, I have not used the small green caddy or the brown bin. The waste suitable for these usually goes in my compost bins. Sure there will be the odd table scraps but not enough to bother with.

Now I may not be Brain of Britain but neither am I uneducated.

• How do people with learning difficulties cope?
• What about elderly residents and those people who cannot read?
• What about people with mobility issues.

The council has kindly said that it will help those people who cannot move all these bins. However, I assume that they will not be visiting people's homes on a regular basis in order to sort their waste.

Although this recycling is a good idea and is worthy of investment, already the services have been cut. Once this scheme is fully operational no doubt it will be cut further.

When the new bins were delivered, the old blue bins and black boxes were taken away. Where have all of them gone? Was this really necessary? Does it not seem a waste of money and resources and to completely defeat the object of recycling?

One final question. Where the hell am I supposed to store all of these bins?

Despite the many positives, of this recycling scheme, it does appear to be bureaucracy gone mad.

Oh and of course we will have to pay for all of this, through excessive council tax bills.