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Household bin auditing, just another type of ‘study’

admin — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:46:56 +0000

Whereas school rubbish audits might have an educational finality by teaching pupils to sort the waste and recycle, household rubbish auditing undertaken by councils is an entirely different matter. As first reported by the Mail Online three years ago, in Lancashire, people’s wheelie bins were ransacked through by council employees, this time not for fear of any ‘environmental crimes’ but with the purpose of studying their contents. Moreover, when the issue of privacy came into question, a council spokesman replied that had residents actually known their rubbish was taken away to be privately analysed and records kept of it, they would have ‘acted consciously’. He also added that they had to be kept unaware of the fact that ‘they were being studied’.
Obviously, the content of each container was associated with its emitting household and data was kept on the findings. The purpose of this study, as stated by the same spokesman, was to examine waste trends, in terms of what was being thrown away, as well as buying habits – apparently, it’s not just supermarkets which want to keep track of purchased products (through loyalty cards). In fact, there is hardly any outdoor activity people engage in which is not monitored and recorded for posterity. Acknowledging the fact that had people been aware of this, they wouldn’t have thrown away what they normally do, is basically admitting that this practice is completely abnormal and invades residents’ privacy. Moreover, in some parts of the UK, where grey wheelie bins are provided for non recyclable waste, if a household produces more rubbish than initially estimated by the council and requires an additional bin, a Neighbourhood Officer is mandatorily sent to perform a waste audit in order to verify that.

Household waste auditing (on a voluntary basis, this time) is also used by certain organisations in a bid to help people learn how to sort their rubbish and minimise the amount sent to landfill, by using a practical demonstration on their own waste and encouraging them to change their habits. Whilst there is no doubt that the finality is a positive one, the method is still subject to a bit of controversy. The sheer willingness of some people to allow access to what was once considered private, as opposed to simply learning more about recycling from the plethora of available sources, leads to a somewhat dangerous precedent and the lack of opposition to undisclosed invasions of privacy, such as those carried out by councils, mentioned above. It is seemingly not enough for people to expose more and more of their daily trivia on social networking sites; now they are being encouraged to let strangers assess any aspect of their lives, including rubbish.

Brabantia Bins – a reputation for Excellence

Richard N Williams — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 18:12:22 +0000

When it comes to rubbish bins, one name often stands out above all the others: Brabantia. Brabantia, a Dutch manufacturer of rubbish bins, are perhaps the most famous name in the bin world, and they have sold millions of them world-wide.

Formed in 1919 , Brabantia have been renowned for using quality steel as their primary manufacturing material which makes Brabantia bins some of the best quality on the market that are both tough and durable.

However, what most customers like about Brabantia bins is their design. Sleek in nature and often made from polished steel Brabantia bins look contemporary, clean and sturdy. Here are some of their most popular products:

Wall Mountable Bin

This 3 litre bin is ideal for the bathroom and looks contemporary and modern. Easy to clean, it is made form high quality steel that won’t tarnish or rust – essential in bathrooms where steam is common.

Pedal Bin

Available in both white and steel, this pedal operated bin comes with either a plastic or metal bucket, making it easy to empty, and is ideal for either the kitchen or bathroom.

Black Retro Pedal Bin

A sleek and stylish retro bin, this pedal operated bin comes in three sizes and is one of the most startling design of bins–perfect for the contemporary kitchen.

Brabantia Push Bin

Perhaps the most stylish bin Brabantia produce, this beautifully designed bin is sleek and modern. Easy to use, it is ideal for almost any room of the house. Made from the finest steel it is easy to clean and is perhaps the most stylish-looking bin on the market.

Recycling Matters – Recycling Bins for Around the Home and Office

Richard N Williams — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:56:39 +0000

Recycling is becoming more and more important all the time. Not just around the home, but offices and workplaces are increasingly being encouraged to cut down on waste and recycle more. One of the difficulties both home-owners and businesses face, however, is how to encourage the family members and workers to follow suit.

One of the best methods of encouraging recycling is to replace the regular waste bins and buy recycling bins, which will actively force people to throw the right items in the right bins.

Recycling bins come in all sorts of variations and styles. Many are designed from home use but there is a wide selection of larger recycling bins ideal for the office and workplace.

There is, in truth, little difference between a recycling bin and a conventional rubbish bin, however, many recycling bins are colour coded, which means you can set-up your own rules as to what goes into each.

For instance, by replacing the kitchen bin with two-or-three recycling bins, each with a different colour lid, you can instruct the family members, to say, dispose of food waste in one colour, paper and wrappers in another, and perhaps tin cans and bottles in the third.

You can even match the colours with the schemes operated by your local council and it will save time when it comes to emptying the kitchen bin into the main recycling bins outside.

The same can be done around the workplace too. Recycling bins can be designated paper only, while others can be used for disposing of the cans or polystyrene coffee cups that can build so quickly around the workplace.

You can even get specialist receptacles for disposing of these items with cup collectors, bottle and can banks and even paper recycling bins. While many offices have documents they need to hold securely, you can buy lockable paper recycling bins to ensure your documents are kept safe until they are shredded and disposed of.

Lockable paper recycling bin

Recycling bins can be modern in design and style too. Often with contemporary designs they can look far better than the dowdy old dustbins so many workplaces use, and for the home there are a wide range of different styles to choose from to suit almost any décor of home.

Recycling bins are readily available on the internet and are inexpensive and will go a long way to ensure the rising costs of waste management in both business and domestic environments will not cause your home or business to suffer financially when you are eventually forced into recycling.

Busy Bins – Coping with Public Rubbish

Richard N Williams — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 18:09:43 +0000

There are many locations where the amount of rubbish thrown in public bins can be excessive. While high street bins are very busy, and those outside fast food restaurants in particular, there are some areas where even these pale in significance.

These areas are either places where vast numbers visit for a specific event, or places where people spend all day enjoying leisure facilities – and it’s these types of areas where waste management and keeping the place litter-free can be a real challenge.

Theme Parks and Zoos

Theme parks and zoos are a good example of this. Because these areas have captive visitors – in other words people stay within the confines of the park all day. This means everything they consume, food, snacks, drinks, cigarettes etc are discarded on site. For some theme parks, zoos and attractions that can mean tens of thousands of people throwing vast quantities of rubbish away every day.

Sports Stadiums

Sports stadiums are another such location. Here, even greater numbers in a far smaller area congregate, again consuming food and drinks – all of which has to be disposed of. Again, these are captive visitors so everything that is consumed on the premises gets disposed of there too.

Managing Waste

So how do locations like this manage to keep litter-free and handle all that waste? Well there are four aspects for waste management in such high volume areas:

Number of Bins

Ensuring they have enough rubbish bins is essential for these locations. Not enough bins will mean the waste bins that do exist will quickly fill, overflow and lead to littering.

Public bins have to be large

Size of Rubbish Bin

Another key aspect is ensuring the rubbish and litter bins are big enough. If bins are too small then the same problems as above will exist which is why large exterior and public bins are used in such areas.

Location of Bins

If the bins are in the wrong location people may not find them or may choose to dispose of litter on the floor rather than walk round looking for the bins so good planning to site the bins in the right location (such as near eateries and snack bars).

Frequency of Emptying

Finally, ensuring the litter bins are emptied frequently also ensures that they don’t over flow. Most areas like this have a team of waste management technicians who continually empty the bins disposing of the waste in large exterior receptacles.

Bins In The Office

Jon Davies — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 16:30:08 +0000

No matter whether you work in an office that’s large or small, chances are, you have a clutter problem. Some offices are trying to make the move to a ‘paperless environment’ in order to be more environmentally friendly, but, for the most part, there’s still a big need for good office bins in order to deal with the worst of the mess.

It can seem a bit of a pain, really, having to spend valuable working time, dealing with your rubbish, but there are some very good reasons why you should use your office bin. Firstly, there’s that old maxim of a clutter-free environment equalling a clutter-free mind. Chuck away your discarded plastic wrappings and put all your unnecessary paper in the paper recycling bin and see if it comes true.

Secondly, better organisation means better productivity. You could set up a range of office bins with different functions – one bin for paper, one for plastic, one for glass and one for general waste. Recycling as a matter of course is not only good for the environment but will mean you can highlight your energy efficiency to clients. All this from using a bin – could be worth it, after all.

Thirdly, studies suggest that office waste forms around 6% of all solid waste produced in the country, which is a lot, so spending some time setting up a good system of recycling bins will benefit everyone.

Also, bins don’t have to be big, ugly and intrusive. Increasingly, they come in a range of styles and materials to suit every need. You could get a sleek stainless steel bin to fit into a modern, clean office environment, or perhaps some funky plastic recycling bins to make being eco-friendly more attractive.

If you work in a large office with electrical equipment, it can also be worth having a separate bin for batteries as these need to be specially recycled due to the acid. There are companies you can hire to pick up your used batteries, so if you have a lot of them, it could be worth getting a separate bin for this purpose.

If you’re stuck at your desk a lot of the day with little time for moving around the office, you could get yourself a desktop office bin. These are small and discrete and are a good way to get rid of your rubbish instead of leaving it scattered around your desk. Alternatively, you could get a trusty waste paper basket and hide it under your desk.

Bin Collections

Jon Davies — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 14:45:00 +0000

Collecting the rubbish bins is probably one of the most important services your council provides, as well as one of the least celebrated. Refuse collection isn’t the most glamorous job in the world, but it is vital and can instantly cause problems if it isn’t done – just ask the people of Leeds, who were affected by a long bin strike over proposed pay reductions in 2009.

It’s worth knowing your rights and what you can expect when it comes to bin collections, so you can raise the issue with the relevant authorities if the duties aren’t carried out.

Firstly, all councils operate a weekly refuse collection to pick up the rubbish from your main bin. You’ll be able to find details about what day your bin is due to be picked up from your council’s website. They also operate recycling bin collections at varying intervals: some councils will pick up your paper recycling once a fortnight, while others will do it once a month. This often depends on the size of bin they’ve provided you with.

If your bin is missed off the collection round, then you should get in touch with the council to let them know to make sure it was a genuine oversight and that your rubbish gets picked up as soon as possible.

It’s also worth knowing that a lot of councils operate rules that stipulate they won’t collect any bin that doesn’t have its lid properly shut, and you can be subject to fines and repeat refused collection if you don’t remedy the situation. There are a couple of reasons for this: firstly, it’s a way of getting you to reduce the amount of rubbish you put out (and so, in theory, you’ll be recycling more) and secondly, it’s for hygiene reasons. Keeping your bins tightly shut stops any bad smells from escaping and reduces the chances of rubbish falling out or rats getting in.

You should also check out who is responsible for supplying the refuse bin: often the council will provide you with the bin, but this isn’t always the case. If the council give you a bin and it gets lost or stolen, you should report it straight away. If it’s your own bin and it gets stolen, then it’ll be up to you to sort it out, although you can get advice from the council on how to secure your bin against theft.

Children and Bins Safety and Requirements

Richard N Williams — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:38:24 +0000

Rubbish bins are a necessary requirement of public bodies, institutions and businesses that work with children. Nurseries, schools and colleges generate a lot of waste and providing receptacles for safe and hygienic disposal is important; however, children and bins can often come into conflict and preventing injury, mess or damage is important when providing waste bins where there are children around.

From a young age bins are a part of helping bring up children. Nurseries require bins, not just to put the litter and waste into but also nappy bins as more and more parents wish to bring their children up in a more environmentally responsible manner.

Nappy bins need to be kept secure in nurseries and play schools. They should be large enough to cope with the waste requirements and sturdy enough to prevent little fingers from tipping it over. A 65 litre nappy bin is a good recommendation. It should be large enough for even the busiest nursery or care centre and sturdy enough to prevent accidental tipping.

65l nappy bin

Nappy bins should have a tight fitting lid to prevent smells too. This is essential and you should never overfill one, either.

For schools, while nappy bins are no longer a requirement, sanitary bins are required for older children’s bathrooms. These should be proper sanitary bins which prevent smell, infection and mess. As for the bins used by the rest of the students around the school, they should be large bins to cope with the waste of a busy school but should also be fixed.

Wall mounted bins prevent the bin from being either accidentally or deliberately tipped over and for areas like the canteen large sack-holders will be able to cope with the high demands. These can be quickly emptied and refilled and are ideal for busy areas.

Recycling bins should also be used, especially for items like glass. This is not just for environmental reasons, either. Glass bottles hanging around regular bins can lead to problems and is best stored in a bottle containers where it, or anyone else, can’t cause harm.

Washable Nappies – Eco Friendly Parenting and Nursery Care

Richard N Williams — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 18:09:31 +0000

With a growing national conscience about the environment more and more people are becoming aware of the need to recycle and live a little more eco friendly. One area where people are looking at to reduce the waste they dispose of is resorting to washable nappies – doing away with the environmentally damaging disposable nappies.

Even in the service sector, such as nurseries and care facilities, there has been a return of the washable nappy, either through requests by the customer, or by the organisations themselves making an effort to reduce waste and be friendlier to the environment.

Washable nappies are often thought of as difficult to use and troublesome to empty and wash, but this is not necessarily the case. Washable nappies are no more difficult to or time consuming to use than disposable nappies and as long as you have the right equipment – changing, storing and washing nappies can be easy.

65l nappy bin

Requirements

Along with the usual moisturisers and baby powders, the only other requirements in using washable or Terry’s nappies are safety pins (although some modern washable nappies have reusable straps) and a good nappy bin.

The nappy bin is a vital part of the process as this is where the soiled nappies are kept until they are washed and ensuring you have the right nappy bin is a key part of the process.

Requirements of a nappy bin

A good nappy bin needs to have just two requirements. It has to be large enough to contain the nappies that have to be stored in there until they are washed. This can be problematic for some people in the care sector as traditionally nappy bins have only been manufactured for home use; however, as more and more people return to washable nappies there is now more choice and it is possible to get 50 litre and even 65 litre nappy bins.

The second requirement for any good nappy bin is that it has to be able to retain smells. A good lid and a good quality bin are the key to this area. Always choose a good quality nappy bin otherwise smells will leak out.

Internal Bins – Style, Convenience and Practicality

Richard N Williams — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:22:57 +0000

While few people planning the interior of a home or business pays much attention to the rubbish bins, often this can be a mistake as no home or business can function without one. There are bins in almost every room of most homes and no matter what type of business or building you work in – you will need some where to dispose of your rubbish.

Waste bins play an important role but that doesn’t mean that they have to look drab or unsightly – the right interior bin can make all the difference to the décor of a room and can be both practical and suited to the style.

Home Bins

For bins around the home it is important to remember that different rooms have different practicalities. Kitchen bins, for instance, need to contain smells, house food waste and be larger enough to cope with a busy household’s waste. A good fitting lid and made from an easy to clean material like stainless steel is important but that doesn’t mean they can’t look good and there are many stylized and designer bins for the kitchen.

Other bins around the home tend to only house paper and other dry waste so lids and being easy to clean are less important and the bins can be even more stylized. Designer bins, retro or even novelty bins can be used in differing room.

Fire retardant bins

Office Bins

For businesses and around the office practicality is also important. Size and the type of bin are important to ascertain; it needs to be big enough to cope with the waste produced in between emptying while it also has to be practical to use – not taking up too much space. Often wall mounted bins are used in business as they can’t get accidentally knocked over.

Public Bins

With public bins there is another aspect to consider – safety. Ensuring the bin is safe is important. For this reason many public buildings have fire retardant bins and use transparent sack holders to prevent the possibility of the bin being used to hide contraband or explosives. Ensuring the bin is secure in any public building is also important so wall mounted bins tend to be used here too.

Litter, Rubbish and Recycling for Beginners

Richard N Williams — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:19:28 +0000

Rubbish and litter is an inevitability. Everybody accumulates waste and rubbish that has to be disposed of. The average person in the United Kingdom disposes of over 5 kilos of rubbish a week in their rubbish bin – a quarter of a tonne a year.

All that waste has to go somewhere too. It is either buried in landfills, burnt or it can be recycled. However, not everything can be recycled and much of what we throw away in our rubbish bins isn’t biodegradable, meaning it can linger around landfills for decades – damaging the environment in the process.

Types of rubbish

The type of rubbish we throw away can be divided into five different categories. Some of which is biodegradable, some which isn’t:

Plastic – Most plastics aren’t biodegradable. Many can’t be recycled either which is why the use of plastics is becoming an increasing environmental concern.
Paper/card – from packaging to newspapers most paper can be recycled in some for or another. Paper recycling bins and recycling containers make it easy to store before it is taken away.
Tins and metals – Most metals can be recycled and special recycling facilities exist in most towns and cities to deal with it.
Ceramics and glass – Both can be recycled so look out for bottle banks or glass recycling bins.
Organic waste – from lawn trimmings to the garden to food scraps fro the kitchen. The least harmful to the environment, organic waste is useful as compost and fertilisers.

Recycling

Recycling is essential if we are to keep in check our growing need for landfill and the increase in rubbish that is being discarded. Different types of recycling bins are available for both public and home use.

Household recycling bins, for inside the home, are often separated into compartments to make recycling easier. The rubbish can then be disposed of in the relevant outdoor bins. Often recycling bins are colour coded to make the process easier.

Can bank

Non-recyclable waste

Waste that is thrown in the rubbish bin and can’t be recycled can become a nuisance, especially many plastics that linger in the environment. Look to ways to reduce the amount of plastics and packaging you consume to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfill. You will be surprised at how little you really do need to throw away in the waste bin.