Reducing plastic packaging ...

[Bayleaf]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59843697

Good to hear. Especially as the cost of waste disposal is to hit the end consumer more this year. As well as a yearly payment, we'll be charged by the bag for our rubbish. Also, our commune has stopped issuing Sacs Jaune - you get one "bag for life" equivalent, to re-use for recycling in the hope you'll also be reducing that.

It's all well and good - but we are at the mercy of the producers of all our shopping. I foresee an increase in fly-tipping.

[rsm]

Nothing but profit for the supermarkets, the same scam as stopping one use plastic bags.

[niemeyjt]

Of course it will just lead to backyard burning and extra pollution at best and fly-tipping at worst - just like it has everywhere else in the world where similar has been introduced.

Why do politicians think that when they try something that has failed elsewhere it will somehow be different this time?

In Suffolk, most councils introduced charging for the brown garden waste bins. What happened? Garden waste went in black general waste bins and was then dumped instead of composted - a double whammy. Ipswich on the other hand didn't - and saw garden waste composting increase.

Now child psychologists say the way to bring up a child is not to smack for the bad, just praise them for the good - just carrot rather than carrot and stick. Why should it be different for adults?

As an aside, Digitec is running an interesting article - https://www.digitec.ch/en/page/why-are- ... days-22096

[Blaze]

Here (France) we each have a brown bin for household waste and a yellow one fortnightly for cardboard, tins and some plastics like milk bottles. We use a bag for the brown bin but the yellow one doesn't need a bag.
Our local dump is extremely well run and has a huge garden waste area opposite, where they make wood chippings, terreau and terre vegetale (a sort of topsoil). It is really good quality stuff and costs a fraction of the price of garden centres.

[niemeyjt]

Here (France) we each have a brown bin for household waste and a yellow one fortnightly for cardboard, tins and some plastics like milk bottles.
Our local dump is extremely well run and has a huge garden waste area opposite, where they make wood chippings, terreau and terre vegetale (a sort of topsoil). It is really good quality stuff and costs a fraction of the price of garden centres.

I am always a tad wary of this type of compost - if not made properly then problem weeds can be imported.

But in Suffolk we used to get processed waste from Anglian Water by the lorry load - fantastic stuff for Suffolk Clay - and was still hot to the touch when delivered!

[MAD87]

We have no bins here in Oradour, just pink bags issued once yearly to everyone, although it's possible to get more. Our street has 2 collections/week as it's full of shops.
Recycling stuff is DIY into bennes, of which there are many, accessible to all. Our streets are generally spotless, apart from the idiots who dispose of their masks on the pavement.

[Blaze]

Here (France) we each have a brown bin for household waste and a yellow one fortnightly for cardboard, tins and some plastics like milk bottles.
Our local dump is extremely well run and has a huge garden waste area opposite, where they make wood chippings, terreau and terre vegetale (a sort of topsoil). It is really good quality stuff and costs a fraction of the price of garden centres.

I am always a tad wary of this type of compost - if not made properly then problem weeds can be imported

It is made properly here, J. The terre vegetale we've used to boost the quality of our mediocre soil has made a huge difference to our plants and veg. - far fewer weeds too. Some parts of the rest of the garden could do with it ...

[ajm]

Reduce plastic packaging? If only! Our whellie bins are emptied fortnightly. The brown bin will have,at most,2 small bags whereas the recycling yellow bin is nearly always full - most of it is food packaging etc. plus the occasional wine box.

[Blaze]

Reduce plastic packaging? If only! Our whellie bins are emptied fortnightly. The brown bin will have,at most,2 small bags whereas the recycling yellow bin is nearly always full - most of it is food packaging etc. plus the occasional wine box.

Ditto, ajm.

We stocked up with loo paper yesterday, the eco compact stuff and were delighted to find that pack of 4 rolls is now wrapped in paper, not plastic. Any suitable paper wrapping or thin cardboard is used fire-lighting.

[exile]

Reduce plastic packaging? If only! Our whellie bins are emptied fortnightly. The brown bin will have,at most,2 small bags whereas the recycling yellow bin is nearly always full - most of it is food packaging etc. plus the occasional wine box.

How much of that food packaging is recyclable?
Most if not all. The cardboard wine box certainly is. Most of the rest is as well except that most communes do not recycle any plastic films. To make matters worse our commune has decided to stop collecting cardboard cartons. These now have to be delivered to he recycle centre. So a 22km round trip to deposit a cardboard box - good for the environment? I think not. Result: The two bins they used to use for cardboard boxes are still full of cardboard - now mixed with a little household rubbish and it all goes to landfill. Shooting yourself in the foot with the barrel aimed at the temple.