Auckland's food scrap bins

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#3093367 22-Jun-2023 11:06

boosacnoodle:

I have an insinkerator so very seldom use the Christchurch green bin (except for garden waste).

MikeAqua: When our unwanted recycling bin arrives, I will arrange to return it to the council as soon as I can. I don't need a large empty bin cluttering up the place

You don't recycle?

Skim reading?

"a 20L bin will be enough for a fortnight of our non-glass recyclables and it's easy to take it to the transfer station on the way to wherever"

Mike

Kookoo

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#3093388 22-Jun-2023 13:24

Weird. I was initially really supportive of the idea. But after a couple of weeks of not using it even once, I've changed my mind. The biggest issue is - the usability of it.

It doesn't fit into how and where people live. It's too big for the kitchen, and too small to put outside. The lid is too filmsy and can be easily opened by animals. So how the heck are you supposed to use it? Put a second small bin in the kitchen, line it with another plastic bag, and put the scraps there, and once it fills up - take it to the scraps bin in the garage? This whole thing is just mindblowingly stupid.

Hello, Ground!

mkissin

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#3093461 22-Jun-2023 14:37

richms:

Its far too small to cope with what I have as food waste for 2 weeks. Dont think it will replace me using the in sink chopper or just throwing things in the normal bin.

It's collected weekly in Auckland - Food scraps collections (aucklandcouncil.govt.nz)

Canuckabroad

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#3093466 22-Jun-2023 14:48

I can't speak for others, but when it arrives for us I'm expecting to use it similar to how I currently use my compost bin for all things plant-based. Under the kitchen sink there's a rubbish bin, a recycle bin, and a compost bin - all of which are emptied every two or three days into our backyard compost, or the council rubbish or recycling bins. We aren't currently composting meat or bones, so all of that is currently headed to the landfill.

I agree that for me the food scraps is going to be smaller than the output of any of the others. I already often go 2 weeks between wheeling a bin down to be removed - if the rubbish stops having food scraps (which start to smell) then it's probably going to sit for even longer between being put out in the curb - 2 to 3 weeks potentially. I don't know the sizes of everything but I'm not going to be having a significant amount of non-plant food scraps.

That being said, I agree that those commenting here are probably the exception rather than the rule. I have a feeling an awful lot of homes out there currently throw out their pizza boxes with their uneaten crusts and the scraps of their chicken wings - and today it's all going into the rubbish destined for the landfill. The behavioural change which they are hoping is going to happen (but will require people being educated and convinced to change) is to start sorting/separating things rather than putting everything into the rubbish as they do today. This certainly isn't impossible for anyone - but they have to be on-board that there are environmental benefits worth the extra hassle.

mkissin

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#3093468 22-Jun-2023 14:56

Canuckabroad:

The behavioural change which they are hoping is going to happen (but will require people being educated and convinced to change) is to start sorting/separating things rather than putting everything into the rubbish as they do today. This certainly isn't impossible for anyone - but they have to be on-board that there are environmental benefits worth the extra hassle.

I agree with this. It might be inconvenient, but for many people it is achievable and is better environmentally in many ways.

Putting scraps down an insinkerator is also incredibly variable from an environmental perspective, depending on exactly how that waste is treated at the waste water plants. So keeping them out of both landfill and waste water is a real benefit.

Handsomedan

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#3093473 22-Jun-2023 15:07

Kookoo:

...The biggest issue is - the usability of it.

It doesn't fit into how and where people live. It's too big for the kitchen, and too small to put outside. The lid is too filmsy and can be easily opened by animals. So how the heck are you supposed to use it? Put a second small bin in the kitchen, line it with another plastic bag, and put the scraps there, and once it fills up - take it to the scraps bin in the garage? ...

I agree with you here.

First thing I noticed was the flimsiness of the "outside" bin. The handle that's supposed to lock and seal the lid fell off the first time I tried to use it.
The "Inside Bin" is also flimsy, but less important as it'll simply sit under the sink.
Having experienced these compostable-style liners before, they'll start to break down and leak when wet, so they'll be fun after 2-3 days of having coffee grounds, teabags and moist vegetable and food scraps in them.

The outside bin doesn't appear really fit for purpose either. Compared to the rubbish and recycling bins, it's small and doesn't really fit the "Outside Bin" area and I have no doubt that either animals or hood rats are going to knock them over and create a mess at some point.

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Journeyman

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#3093530 22-Jun-2023 15:23

I won't be using this. I'll keep putting my food waste in the regular bin. If anything it'll prompt me to hurry up and get an insinkerator installed.

The whole thing seems like it was devised by the Good Ideas Committee as a solution to a problem that isn't all that serious. I think that for a number of houses this is going to be just another bin that they have to find space for and it'll just become an unused nuisance that costs the ratepayer.

richms

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#3093534 22-Jun-2023 15:48

mkissin:

richms:

Its far too small to cope with what I have as food waste for 2 weeks. Dont think it will replace me using the in sink chopper or just throwing things in the normal bin.

It's collected weekly in Auckland - Food scraps collections (aucklandcouncil.govt.nz)

Im not taking it out every week. Its bad enough with 2 bins on recycling week, doing 3 would be a big nope.

Richard rich.ms

Tinkerisk

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#3093553 22-Jun-2023 16:00

@neb

A second dumpster? If you want to really get into the science of waste, take a walk down our street:

1) First there is the black "residual waste container", which used to be the standard waste for everything. This is the normal rubbish that is collected every week. Only things that do not fit into other categories (which will follow) are allowed in there. But there are also exceptions. For example, you can't just throw old socks in there because you have to take them to the recycling centre. That's where the puzzle begins ...

2) There is the yellow container, which is emptied every two weeks, alternating with the green container (to follow). This is where the so-called recyclables materials belong, i.e. plastic foils, aluminium foils, pure metal objects such as old pots, frying pans, but also the milk containers and non-cardboard packaging.

3) The brown bio bin, which is emptied every two weeks in alternation with the yellow bin. Everything that can be composted goes in there: kitchen and garden waste, coffee filters, tea filters (but please without the metal clip, because that is a recyclable material) - there is regularly a dispute among the accuracy fetishists and religious waste separators as to whether only unbleached coffee filters or bleached coffee filters are allowed in. Now, at the latest, simple minds are overwhelmed. But we still have

4) the paper container or the blue bin. It is collected every 14 days. All the Amazon boxes go in there. But please remove the plastic from the packing tape beforehand ;-) It can be used for about 3-4 days after emptying, then it is suddenly full. The smartest people throw the boxes directly into it without folding them, so that the others have to work hard to compact the stuff, e.g. to get their newspaper into it until the next emptying in 10 days, without having to take it to the additional Containers set up in the neighbourhood. You wouldn't believe how many stupid people there are in the world who think exactly from 12:00 o'clock p.m. to noon.

It's logical that you have to pay for everything, whether you have a lot or a little waste. But there are already the first rubbish trucks with built-in weighing functions … 😄

edit: 5) I forgot about the glass waste, there are big public containers where you have to go to throw - neatly separated - glasses and bottles into the white, green or brown glass container. The other day, a guy with a blue bottle was standing there, looking at me for help ... 🥴

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CokemonZ

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#3093554 22-Jun-2023 16:00

We got ours about 2 weeks ago.

Family of 6 with 4 kids. We have an insinkerator and compost. Only compost actual vege waste, no bones or cooked food or dairy.

Insinkerator is really only used for plate scraping before the dishwasher.

So in each of the 2 weeks we've used it we have filled up 2 of the food waste bags. Based off that not going to landfill I suggest this is a reasonable initiative.

Also read a bit about it - the trucks going to the composting plant are ones that were going that way anyway empty. Little things like that are pretty clever.

Handsomedan

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#3093555 22-Jun-2023 16:01

richms:

Im not taking it out every week. Its bad enough with 2 bins on recycling week, doing 3 would be a big nope.

Yeah, our driveway is almost 6 metres long. There's no way I am taking three bins all the way down there!

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#3093562 22-Jun-2023 16:12

CokemonZ:

We got ours about 2 weeks ago.

Family of 6 with 4 kids. We have an insinkerator and compost. Only compost actual vege waste, no bones or cooked food or dairy.

Insinkerator is really only used for plate scraping before the dishwasher.

So in each of the 2 weeks we've used it we have filled up 2 of the food waste bags. Based off that not going to landfill I suggest this is a reasonable initiative.

Also read a bit about it - the trucks going to the composting plant are ones that were going that way anyway empty. Little things like that are pretty clever.

We got ours this week. We have an insinkerator but dont use it often, had major issues costing $$$$ with blocked drains at a previous property due to clogged crap from an insinkerator. I was initially a bit skeptical about these bins but will give it a go, it's better than it ending up in landfill and might give our normal wheelie bin a bit of extra space which is needed some weeks in our house. I'm not sure how well they'll fare out in the street in bad weather though

darylblake

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#3093563 22-Jun-2023 16:14

Im Not a fan. But do understand it helps some people...

The $70 per year is the subsidized rates increase. The actual cost is closer to $200/year/household.

rphenix

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#3093565 22-Jun-2023 16:24

Have had a worm bin for years hardly ever need to empty it - honestly less effort than this bin they are providing. For $200 per househould a year should have given people worm bins as a one off.

Tinkerisk

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#3093567 22-Jun-2023 16:27

rphenix:

Have had a worm bin for years hardly ever need to empty it - honestly less effort than this bin they are providing. For $200 per househould a year should have given people worm bins as a one off.

Well, that becomes problematic in areas where there is frost in winter and heat in summer. And who fills the bucket when people are on holiday for 3-4 weeks?

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