I cannot get hold of anyone at Glasgow City Council, so I thought I
would ask the question in general terms to the experts here.

Our blue bins can be used for waste paper (in addition to cardboard,
cans, plastic bottles etc). There is conflicting information about
whether shredded paper can be placed in the blue bin. I have been told
it must not, because it jams up the processing conveyor. I have also
been told (by an employee) that it can, because it is paper.

Does anyone know definitively, or able to point me in the right
direction?

Scott <newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote:
> I cannot get hold of anyone at Glasgow City Council, so I thought I
> would ask the question in general terms to the experts here.
>
> Our blue bins can be used for waste paper (in addition to cardboard,
> cans, plastic bottles etc). There is conflicting information about
> whether shredded paper can be placed in the blue bin. I have been told
> it must not, because it jams up the processing conveyor. I have also
> been told (by an employee) that it can, because it is paper.
>
> Does anyone know definitively, or able to point me in the right
> direction?

Each council (or group of councils) have their own rules, which are based on
the setup of their processing plant(s).

For Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire they say:

"Blue [Recycling] bin
Please put shredded paper in an old envelope or paper bag to prevent it
blowing out when the bin is emptied and littering the street. Large
quantities can be put in a transparent sack (available in supermarkets)."

Theo

Scott wrote:

> Our blue bins can be used for waste paper (in addition to cardboard,
> cans, plastic bottles etc). There is conflicting information about
> whether shredded paper can be placed in the blue bin. I have been told
> it must not, because it jams up the processing conveyor. I have also
> been told (by an employee) that it can, because it is paper.

I think here (Leics) it can go in our green bin, provided the shredded
stuff is packed into a paper bag, so that it doesn't fall through the
conveyor screen.

Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:
> Scott wrote:
>
> > Our blue bins can be used for waste paper (in addition to cardboard,
> > cans, plastic bottles etc). There is conflicting information about
> > whether shredded paper can be placed in the blue bin. I have been told
> > it must not, because it jams up the processing conveyor. I have also
> > been told (by an employee) that it can, because it is paper.
>
> I think here (Leics) it can go in our green bin, provided the shredded
> stuff is packed into a paper bag, so that it doesn't fall through the
> conveyor screen.

Noting that bin colours are completely uncoordinated - in Cambs 'green' is
garden waste, in Glasgow 'green' is the non-recyclable bin!

(I think this was because authorities introduced different coloured bins at
different times - eg pre-recycling East Hants first got green wheelie bins
for general waste in 1990, maybe because the colour blended better in a
leafy street scene. Then when recycling came along they had to pick another
colour and chose black as the colour for recycling bins.)

Theo

On 29/11/2023 15:46, Scott wrote:
> I cannot get hold of anyone at Glasgow City Council, so I thought I
> would ask the question in general terms to the experts here.
>
> Our blue bins can be used for waste paper (in addition to cardboard,
> cans, plastic bottles etc). There is conflicting information about
> whether shredded paper can be placed in the blue bin. I have been told
> it must not, because it jams up the processing conveyor. I have also
> been told (by an employee) that it can, because it is paper.
>
> Does anyone know definitively, or able to point me in the right
> direction?
>

That depends entirely on the processing site(s) that deal with your
waste. There's no general right answer.

--
Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid

On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 16:14:34 +0000, Robin <rbw@outlook.com> wrote:

>On 29/11/2023 15:46, Scott wrote:
>> I cannot get hold of anyone at Glasgow City Council, so I thought I
>> would ask the question in general terms to the experts here.
>>
>> Our blue bins can be used for waste paper (in addition to cardboard,
>> cans, plastic bottles etc). There is conflicting information about
>> whether shredded paper can be placed in the blue bin. I have been told
>> it must not, because it jams up the processing conveyor. I have also
>> been told (by an employee) that it can, because it is paper.
>>
>> Does anyone know definitively, or able to point me in the right
>> direction?
>>
>That depends entirely on the processing site(s) that deal with your
>waste. There's no general right answer.

Maybe I'll make an FOI request to force and answer.

On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 15:46:56 +0000, Scott
<newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote:

>I cannot get hold of anyone at Glasgow City Council, so I thought I
>would ask the question in general terms to the experts here.
>
>Our blue bins can be used for waste paper (in addition to cardboard,
>cans, plastic bottles etc). There is conflicting information about
>whether shredded paper can be placed in the blue bin. I have been told
>it must not, because it jams up the processing conveyor. I have also
>been told (by an employee) that it can, because it is paper.
>
>Does anyone know definitively, or able to point me in the right
>direction?
>
In Cornwall, quote "Place the shredded paper into a tied carrier bag
and place in with your paper recycling."

They don't specify what said carrier bag should be made of, but I
assume the primary objective is to stop the shreddings blowing around
during the collection and transport processes, and when it gets to its
destination it is debagged.

--
Chris

On 29/11/2023 16:14, Robin wrote:
> On 29/11/2023 15:46, Scott wrote:
>> I cannot get hold of anyone at Glasgow City Council, so I thought I
>> would ask the question in general terms to the experts here.
>>
>> Our blue bins can be used for waste paper (in addition to cardboard,
>> cans, plastic bottles etc). There is conflicting information about
>> whether shredded paper can be placed in the blue bin. I have been told
>> it must not, because it jams up the processing conveyor. I have also
>> been told (by an employee) that it can, because it is paper.
>>
>> Does anyone know definitively, or able to point me in the right
>> direction?
>>
>
> That depends entirely on the processing site(s) that deal with your
> waste.  There's no general right answer.

The right answer would be for the whole of the UK to have standardised
rules on a) bin colours, and b) what can go in each bin.

East Yorkshire's is very customer-friendly and so achieves a higher
level of recycling versus landfill. All recycling (apart from food and
garden) goes in the same (blue) bin: the customer is not expected to
sort and segregate it during the collection period (eg two weeks) which
is a *lot* easier.

Hopefully any national standard would be for that sort of scheme rather
than a lowest common denominator. If East Yorkshire can do it,
everywhere else can.

It's rubbish. I want to throw it away. I don't expect to have to jump
through hoops to meet some penny-pinching rules - ie the council accepts
the lowest tender which is the one which is least customer-friendly
because it uses the customer to sort the recycling.

On 29/11/2023 17:45, NY wrote:

> East Yorkshire's is very customer-friendly and so achieves a higher
> level of recycling versus landfill. All recycling (apart from food and
> garden) goes in the same (blue) bin: the customer is not expected to
> sort and segregate it during the collection period (eg two weeks) which
> is a *lot* easier.

Similar to the policy adopted by my local council waste collection
contractor. However the council have recently indicated while recycling
is working well in most areas there are certain areas where there is
little recycling. It seems that no matter how simple you make the system
some people cannot be bothered to sort anything.

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

NY <me@privacy.net> wrote:
> On 29/11/2023 16:14, Robin wrote:
>> On 29/11/2023 15:46, Scott wrote:
>>> I cannot get hold of anyone at Glasgow City Council, so I thought I
>>> would ask the question in general terms to the experts here.
>>>
>>> Our blue bins can be used for waste paper (in addition to cardboard,
>>> cans, plastic bottles etc). There is conflicting information about
>>> whether shredded paper can be placed in the blue bin. I have been told
>>> it must not, because it jams up the processing conveyor. I have also
>>> been told (by an employee) that it can, because it is paper.
>>>
>>> Does anyone know definitively, or able to point me in the right
>>> direction?
>>>
>>
>> That depends entirely on the processing site(s) that deal with your
>> waste.  There's no general right answer.
>
> The right answer would be for the whole of the UK to have standardised
> rules on a) bin colours, and b) what can go in each bin.
>
> East Yorkshire's is very customer-friendly and so achieves a higher
> level of recycling versus landfill.

Councils only care about saving money, not recycling. As it happens,
shipping tons of mixed wasted abroad to third world countries for
“recycling” is cheaper than landfill, so that’s what they do. Very little
actual recycling is done in the UK. Once there of course it’s not their
problem if it gets bulldozed into the sea.

Don’t assume just because you can put something in a recycling bit and the
council collect it that there’s any sort of “joined up thinking” or real
desire to save the planet. Councils are just trying to avoid expensive
landfill.

Tim

--
Please don't feed the trolls

On 29 Nov 2023 19:29:16 GMT, Tim+ <tim.downie@gmail.com> wrote:

>NY <me@privacy.net> wrote:
>> On 29/11/2023 16:14, Robin wrote:
>>> On 29/11/2023 15:46, Scott wrote:
>>>> I cannot get hold of anyone at Glasgow City Council, so I thought I
>>>> would ask the question in general terms to the experts here.
>>>>
>>>> Our blue bins can be used for waste paper (in addition to cardboard,
>>>> cans, plastic bottles etc). There is conflicting information about
>>>> whether shredded paper can be placed in the blue bin. I have been told
>>>> it must not, because it jams up the processing conveyor. I have also
>>>> been told (by an employee) that it can, because it is paper.
>>>>
>>>> Does anyone know definitively, or able to point me in the right
>>>> direction?
>>>>
>>>
>>> That depends entirely on the processing site(s) that deal with your
>>> waste.  There's no general right answer.
>>
>> The right answer would be for the whole of the UK to have standardised
>> rules on a) bin colours, and b) what can go in each bin.
>>
>> East Yorkshire's is very customer-friendly and so achieves a higher
>> level of recycling versus landfill.
>
>Councils only care about saving money, not recycling. As it happens,
>shipping tons of mixed wasted abroad to third world countries for
>“recycling” is cheaper than landfill, so that’s what they do. Very little
>actual recycling is done in the UK. Once there of course it’s not their
>problem if it gets bulldozed into the sea.
>
>Don’t assume just because you can put something in a recycling bit and the
>council collect it that there’s any sort of “joined up thinking” or real
>desire to save the planet. Councils are just trying to avoid expensive
>landfill.
>
I naively thought there were regulations to prevent this.

Scott <newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> writes:

> I cannot get hold of anyone at Glasgow City Council, so I thought I
> would ask the question in general terms to the experts here.
>
> Our blue bins can be used for waste paper (in addition to cardboard,
> cans, plastic bottles etc). There is conflicting information about
> whether shredded paper can be placed in the blue bin. I have been told
> it must not, because it jams up the processing conveyor. I have also
> been told (by an employee) that it can, because it is paper.
>
> Does anyone know definitively, or able to point me in the right
> direction?

It's fine in Lancaster:

https://www.lancaster.gov.uk/bins-recycling/recycling/recycling-boxes

"What else can I put in my recycling bins/boxes?"
In the paper and cardboard bin/box:

Gift wrap
Birthday and Christmas cards
Toilet roll and kitchen roll tubes
Shredded paper
Catalogues and holiday brochures
Telephone directories including yellow pages
Envelopes (no need to remove the windows)

--
Dance like no-one's watching. / Encrypt like everyone is.
Security is inversely proportional to convenience

Scott wrote:

>I cannot get hold of anyone at Glasgow City Council, so I thought I
>would ask the question in general terms to the experts here.
>
>Our blue bins can be used for waste paper (in addition to cardboard,
>cans, plastic bottles etc). There is conflicting information about
>whether shredded paper can be placed in the blue bin. I have been told
>it must not, because it jams up the processing conveyor. I have also
>been told (by an employee) that it can, because it is paper.
>
>Does anyone know definitively, or able to point me in the right
>direction?

We are permitted to put shredded paper in our recycling bins,
with no mention of bagging it first.

When I visited our local sorting facility, we saw the trommel
screen which removed all small "contamination" which then went
straight to landfill. This would clearly pass any crosscut paper
shreddings.

I queried this, and they said that I was correct, but they
felt that it was psychologically better to encourage recycling.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK
chris@cdixon.me.uk @ChrisJDixon1

Plant amazing Acers.

On 29/11/2023 21:31, Chris J Dixon wrote:
> Scott wrote:
>
>> I cannot get hold of anyone at Glasgow City Council, so I thought I
>> would ask the question in general terms to the experts here.
>>
>> Our blue bins can be used for waste paper (in addition to cardboard,
>> cans, plastic bottles etc). There is conflicting information about
>> whether shredded paper can be placed in the blue bin. I have been told
>> it must not, because it jams up the processing conveyor. I have also
>> been told (by an employee) that it can, because it is paper.
>>
>> Does anyone know definitively, or able to point me in the right
>> direction?
>
> We are permitted to put shredded paper in our recycling bins,
> with no mention of bagging it first.
>
> When I visited our local sorting facility, we saw the trommel
> screen which removed all small "contamination" which then went
> straight to landfill. This would clearly pass any crosscut paper
> shreddings.
>
> I queried this, and they said that I was correct, but they
> felt that it was psychologically better to encourage recycling.

What is the "correct" solution for people who want to recycle
confidential waste? Shredding is not possible because the shreddings
clog up the conveyor (*). I suppose you can compost the shreddings at
home as long as you have somewhere to store them so you can feed a small
number at a time to accompany the day's veg peelings etc, to keep the
mixture ratio correct.

(*) I'm inclined to turn the problem on its head and say "design a
system that will allow shredded paper" rather than designing the system
first and then saying "this means you can't recycle shredded paper".
JFDI - stop making excuses.

On 29 Nov 2023 at 17:45:07 GMT, "NY" <me@privacy.net> wrote:

> It's rubbish. I want to throw it away.

If it's recyclable then it's not rubbish. Putting it in the correct bin is a
trivial matter.

Round here the supermarkets accept plastic wrappers for recycling, although
few people seem to have noticed. You put your crisp packets and similar
plastic in a plastic bag (such as your loo rolls come in) and dump that in a
container at Tesco or Morrisons (Sainsbury has one too but it's too small so
always full).

These days, our black bin (landfill) can go 4 weeks and sometimes 6 before
needing to be put out. Everything else is recycled.

--
"The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary."

James Nicoll, rasfw

Burn it in a garden incincerator, if you live in the country.

On 29/11/2023 15:46, Scott wrote:
> I cannot get hold of anyone at Glasgow City Council, so I thought I
> would ask the question in general terms to the experts here.
>
> Our blue bins can be used for waste paper (in addition to cardboard,
> cans, plastic bottles etc). There is conflicting information about
> whether shredded paper can be placed in the blue bin. I have been told
> it must not, because it jams up the processing conveyor. I have also
> been told (by an employee) that it can, because it is paper.
>
> Does anyone know definitively, or able to point me in the right
> direction?

In this bit of North Yorkshire (Craven), last time I checked, shredded
paper could not be put in the rcycling (blue) bin. However, there is
fortunately a household waste recycling centre nearby, and they have a
skip for paper and cardboard which will take bagged (in a paper
bag/sack) shredded paper.

On 29/11/2023 17:45, NY wrote:
>
> snip <
>
> The right answer would be for the whole of the UK to have standardised
> rules on a) bin colours, and b) what can go in each bin.
>

Already under consultation
- https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-plans-unveiled-to-boost-recycling

--
Regards
wasbit

wasbit <wasbit@nowhere.com> wrote:
> On 29/11/2023 17:45, NY wrote:
> >
> > snip <
> >
> > The right answer would be for the whole of the UK to have standardised
> > rules on a) bin colours, and b) what can go in each bin.
> >
>
> Already under consultation
> - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-plans-unveiled-to-boost-recycling

"It's complicated":
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consistency-in-household-and-business-recycling-in-england/outcome/government-response

but note it says nothing about bin colours. Also that 'plastic' doesn't
mean tossing in any plastic, it means the following:

" plastic bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET, including
amorphous, recycled PET), polypropylene (PP) and high-density polyethylene
(HDPE)

pots, tubs and trays made of PET (including amorphous, recycled and
crystalline PET), PP (including expanded PP) and polyethylene (PE)

PE and PP plastic tubes larger than 50mm x 50mm

cartons for food, drink and other liquids, including aseptic and chilled
cartons

plastic film packaging and plastic bags made of mono-polyethylene
(mono-PE), mono-polypropylene (mono-PP) and mixed polyolefins PE and PP,
including those metallised through vacuum or vapour deposition (to be
included from 31 March 2027) "

The devil will be in the funding requirements since local authorities have
no money to spare, so it's only if central government provides enough
funding. Otherwise LAs are limited to recycling that waste which they can
sell commercially, something which is extremely marginal based on local
costs and volatile global prices.

Theo

Just to muddy the waters, my council said the strip type shredded paper
preserves its long fibres and can be recycled, but the type where its tiny
little diamonds or whatever, cannot be as the fibres are cut. What I don't
get about this is that, how do you know whichways the fibres run to shred
them in the right way?
Brian

--

--:
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...
briang1@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Scott" <newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote in message
news:0fmemitdvh8hakih0ts6lb6aj1o2bnajqm@4ax.com...
>I cannot get hold of anyone at Glasgow City Council, so I thought I
> would ask the question in general terms to the experts here.
>
> Our blue bins can be used for waste paper (in addition to cardboard,
> cans, plastic bottles etc). There is conflicting information about
> whether shredded paper can be placed in the blue bin. I have been told
> it must not, because it jams up the processing conveyor. I have also
> been told (by an employee) that it can, because it is paper.
>
> Does anyone know definitively, or able to point me in the right
> direction?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

On Thu, 30 Nov 2023 10:19:04 +0000, wasbit <wasbit@nowhere.com> wrote:

>On 29/11/2023 17:45, NY wrote:
>>
>> snip <
> >
>> The right answer would be for the whole of the UK to have standardised
>> rules on a) bin colours, and b) what can go in each bin.
>>
>Already under consultation
> - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-plans-unveiled-to-boost-recycling

No - that only applies to one corner of the UK :-)

On 30/11/2023 10:55, Scott wrote:
> On Thu, 30 Nov 2023 10:19:04 +0000, wasbit <wasbit@nowhere.com> wrote:
>
>> On 29/11/2023 17:45, NY wrote:
>>>
>>> snip <
>>>
>>> The right answer would be for the whole of the UK to have standardised
>>> rules on a) bin colours, and b) what can go in each bin.
>>>
>> Already under consultation
>> - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-plans-unveiled-to-boost-recycling
>
> No - that only applies to one corner of the UK :-)

They need to bring back weekly collections (as opposed to one week
landfill and the next week recycling) to avoid people needing such large
bins. No matter how much you recycle, the *total* amount remains the
same. I've seen some people claiming that we should be producing less
waste, *even of a form that can be recycled*. With more and more good
being delivered by mail order, that's a lot of cardboard. Liquids (milk
etc) need to be delivered in some sort of container, whether it's
plastic or glass.

wasbit wrote:

> NY wrote:
>
>> The right answer would be for the whole of the UK to have standardised
>> rules on a) bin colours, and b) what can go in each bin.
>
> Already under consultation
> https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-plans-unveiled-to-boost-recycling

supply each household with several cans of spraypaint?

On Thu, 30 Nov 2023 12:05:22 +0000, NY wrote:

> On 30/11/2023 10:55, Scott wrote:
>> On Thu, 30 Nov 2023 10:19:04 +0000, wasbit <wasbit@nowhere.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On 29/11/2023 17:45, NY wrote:
>>>>
>>>> snip <
>>>>
>>>> The right answer would be for the whole of the UK to have
>>>> standardised rules on a) bin colours, and b) what can go in each bin.
>>>>
>>> Already under consultation
>>> -
>>> https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-plans-unveiled-to-boost-
recycling
>>
>> No - that only applies to one corner of the UK :-)
>
> They need to bring back weekly collections (as opposed to one week
> landfill and the next week recycling) to avoid people needing such large
> bins. No matter how much you recycle, the *total* amount remains the
> same. I've seen some people claiming that we should be producing less
> waste, *even of a form that can be recycled*. With more and more good
> being delivered by mail order, that's a lot of cardboard. Liquids (milk
> etc) need to be delivered in some sort of container, whether it's
> plastic or glass.

Well... in my father's day on a dairy farm, the milk went out in churns
in a motorcycle side-car and was measured out into the customer's
containers. But yes, unlikely to work so well these days!

nib

On 30/11/2023 13:18, nib wrote:
> On Thu, 30 Nov 2023 12:05:22 +0000, NY wrote:

Milk to the doorstep possibly started to die off when in two adult
households both went to work during the day. Milk left on the doorstep
all day went off.

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk