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An alternative to the rubbish tip

I went to the rubbish tip, or the household waste recycling centre as it is supposed to be called once last year. It’s a pretty complex system which takes a fair bit of time. You can only go on even or odd days depending on your car number plate and it can take a couple of hours to get through the queue. I did really well and got rid of a car load of garden waste in about 45 minutes.

This time I tried something different. Bristol Waste brought the tip to me in the form of a 1100l residential bin.

How does it work?

The residential bin doesn’t need a permit and can be placed on the road or on a level surface near your home. You are given a key for the lid and the bin is yours for 5 days. It is delivered by a smaller vehicle than a skip would be which makes the whole process less polluting. After Bristol Waste collect the bin, it is sorted into recyclables at the other end.

The bin is about the width of a small car and a third of the length.

What can you put in it?

Pretty much everything. I used it to get rid of a rotten old garden bench, some empty and dried up paint tins, a broken table and various other broken bits of clutter. This is from the Bristol Waste site:

Acceptable:

• Small electrical appliances, mobile phones and computers (Not monitors)
• Food tins, drinks cans, foil, cartons and plastics (bottles, packaging and rigid plastics)
• Cardboard, paper, newspaper and magazines
• CDs, DVDs, audio cassettes, videotapes and books
• Clothes, textiles, shoes and glasses (Spectacles)
• Glass bottles, small gas bottles and small car parts (drained of any fluids)
• Garden waste and household black bag waste (excess)
• Small items of scrap metal, wood timber and furniture
• 50 kg of soil, rubble and plasterboard
• Bicycle parts and small bicycles

Not Acceptable:

• Batteries
• Hazardous aerosols or chemicals (household or garden)
• Engine or cooking oil
• Fridges or freezers
• Computer monitors or TV’s
• Printer cartridges
• Tyres or mattresses
• Low energy light bulbs
• Paint tin (full)
• Asbestos

What can you fit in it?

I think it is about 2 small car loads of stuff. If you were wily you could get more stuff in it. I thought that the heavier stuff on top would squash down the lighter stuff but I was wrong. I should have compressed it as much as possible first. The bottom of the bin isn’t flat and the sides are slightly tapered so think carefully about how you pack it.

Is it worth it?

Yes. The bin cost me £45. There are no extra fees and it is pretty straightforward to book, even over Xmas. What is great about this is that there is no hassle. I didn’t have to put all the rubbish in my car, drive it somewhere then unload it again. I didn’t have to worry about getting my car filthy and I don’t have to deal with sorting it into recyclables. If I didn’t have a car this would be a wonderful way of decluttering once I’d saved up enough to fill the bin.

During lockdown this is a brilliant way of keeping on top of larger amounts of rubbish and things that can have another life if they are recycled.

More info about the bins here https://bristolwastecompany.co.uk/business/our-services/1100l-residential-bins/