This week my Word of the Week is: Bins!! #WotW

This week my Word of the Week is:

This week my mind has been on our bins. I know how boring!! Apparently we’re getting simpler, smarter recycling where I live. That’s what they’re calling it anyway. I’m sure it will be simpler eventually but at this moment in time it just feels like a lot of faffing about and trying to remember the new rules. Oh! and to top it all, they are changing the days the bins will be collected, add in the bank holidays and it's going to be chaos for the next few weeks!

Right now we have 3 wheelie bins. Garden waste, recycling and general waste and two boxes. One for cans and one for glass bottles or jars. From the start of April, the boxes are going and all the recycling goes into our new, bigger red bin, food waste goes in the garden bin and the general waste is used for everything else. It sounds simple when it is written down but it's a lot to get my head around.

Our new bigger red recycling bin was delivered on Monday and I thought ahead. I ordered some of the sticky numbers weeks ago to put on it. Of course, I couldn't find them. I looked everywhere but came across them eventually. I wanted our house number on because now everyone's red bins are the same. I don't want to get mixed up.

I think we have been short changed. My dad's cousin, who lives in Hartlepool, was given an outside caddy for food waste and a smaller indoor one. They were also provided with liners to put in their wheelie bins. We get none of that. I bought an indoor caddy to make life a little easier. Going outside after every meal to scrape the plates does not sound like fun. I guess you can tell I am not happy about the food bin situation. We don't have that much food waste, which is probably a good thing but we still have some and I can just imagine how it's going to stink in the summer. I know it will knock me sick every time I open the wheelie bin. Our council is helpful. They suggested freezing food waste. lol Especially for smelly items like raw meat or fish. They say you can store the waste in a container in your freezer then transfer it directly into the outdoor bin on collection day. I can just imagine it. Stu is getting ready for work, goes into the freezer and picks the wrong tub and takes a tub of food waste for lunch. lol

It just seems to be making more work for me. The garden/food wheelie bin will need washing out every week in the summer. What happens if a hosepipe ban kicks in? I did think about getting the biodegradable wheelie bin liners but as far as I can see online, our council is saying no to them. Ugh! I suppose it could be worse. If we did have a food caddy I can just imagine it blowing away down the street.

Now I have to train my family in how to use the bins. The old recycling bin was emptied earlier in the week, so now all recycling goes into the big red bin and this week we are starting to use the indoor food caddy. Becky stood in front of me the other day with a handful of things, trying to figure out what was going in which bin. I know we will get used to it eventually but until then, keep me in your thoughts because I predict me getting shouty with my family when they put things in the wrong bins.

How has your week been? I hope you have had a good one! I am of course linking up with Anne who blogs at Raisie Bay to join in with her Word of the Week linky!