Council recycling places (what a joke)

[wafter]

Sounds ridiculous - well done for standing your ground

Council recycling's all over the place round here tbh. Centres dotted about all over the place, each with strict boundaries as to what they will and won't take.

I almost like the local "recycling centre" as they actually try to move stuff on in its original state for a few quid; there are usually a lot of bikes down there and sometimes the odd potential low-end gem, although more recently it seems that they're asking ballpark market value for these discarded items that have been left out in the rain; so chances are they just end up getting scrapped instead

Conversely at another more waste-oriented site you get the spanish inquisition upon arrival, and are often required to do a little show-and-tell as to the contents of your vehicle to prove you're not taking the pish for any reason.

Finally, I'd like a big round of applause for Cherwell District Council, who, for reasons best known to themselves and unlike pretty much every other council in the land, don't do doorstep glass recycling.. meaning weekly I have to pilot the Brompton to the local depot; front bag tinkling with some of the many physical manifestations of my failure at life..

Seems utterly bloody absurd tbh.

 

[a.twiddler]

I suppose the crucial phrase is "residents" as you can imagine non local cash only "businesses" using several recycling centres in their area to avoid paying charges. There is probably a defined list of postcodes for each recycling centre to ensure that they are only supplying the service to those who are entitled to it. It's no problem for me to show some form of ID to support that.

From what other posters have said, ours seems to be one of the more enlightened ones. I don't do my own car sevicing any more but I still do on my motorbike. I tend to wait until I've filled up a 5L container before taking old oil to the tip, once I took two containers and there were no problems. I've taken all sorts of electrical and household waste, even tree branches over the last year and it's been fine. I've even taken a couple of bags strapped to the motorbike. Not tried it on a bicycle yet, though it would be interesting to see if I could get away with bringing a pile of stuff strapped to the trike.

You never hear about the people who have no issues. Conflict is always more interesting to read about.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I parked the van by the entrance and physically dragged the fridge into the tip,to which the staff where more than happy about.
Absolutely bonkers 😲

I'd gone in on a "bicycle" which they don't allow

My local recycling depot is opposite: you're not allowed on foot, but once I appeared by bike and they let me in.
Then you park up, and go from skip to skip ... on foot!
I question the recycling activity, how can they recycle say, electrical items when they are all smashed up at the bottom of a skip?

 

[slowmotion]

A good proportion of operatives at recycling centres seem to be obstructive, bolshy and unhelpful. It's never a heart-warming experience.

 

[Gillstay]

I went in with a few odd bits and bobs and as I walked past one skip the operative took a brand new small car type fire extinguisher from a chap.
I said `wow, he was going to throw that ?' Chap said `Yes ! Any use to you.' Surprised I muttered yes, and with that the chap put it on the floor.
`He said as he walked away, `You had better put it back in your car as you brought it out by accident!'
Very pleased, I now have it in my workshop.

 

[A Biker]

My local recycling depot is opposite: you're not allowed on foot, but once I appeared by bike and they let me in.
Then you park up, and go from skip to skip ... on foot!
I question the recycling activity, how can they recycle say, electrical items when they are all smashed up at the bottom of a skip?

Magnets and heat separate the metals for recycling

 

[cougie uk]

Our local recycling centres are appointment only now!

You need to book the appointment online, giving details, including registration, of the vehicle you will be arriving in and then select a half hour slot.

Turn up early and you will be forced to wait for your allocated slot. Turn up late, or not in the vehicle specified in the booking, and you will be refused entry.

Probably a good idea if they're busy. I've watched 30 odd cars queued up for my recycling centre at peak times.

 

[bruce1530]

Ours are pretty good. Only downside is that the nearest one is about 5 miles away.

I planned to take a fridge there on the first afternoon they reopened after new year. Huge queue outside, probably 100 cars all disposing of their Christmas rubbish. Went home, planned to go back the next morning. Went there at 10am next day, queue was almost as big. So drove on to the one in the next town (I was going that way anyway) and it was deserted!

They're quite strict on anything that might be "commercial" - I've got a single axle trailer, and need a permit which gives me 12 visits a year. If you have a double axle, you won't get in. Vans get the 3rd degree.

Although I was once there on a Monday morning - there was a woman with an Estate car emptying out lots of stuff. Looked like a trader to me. The guy in the high-viz said to me "She's a busy woman - she seems to clear out her loft every weekend. Must be huge...."

Strangely, the only thing that our local place don't take is car batteries. The guy said "we used to take them, but they're too valuable; people kept breaking in and nicking them - so we stopped taking them"

 

[cougie uk]

A good proportion of operatives at recycling centres seem to be obstructive, bolshy and unhelpful. It's never a heart-warming experience.

The ones at mine are always very happy to help.

 

[Regular.Cyclist]

Probably a good idea if they're busy. I've watched 30 odd cars queued up for my recycling centre at peak times.

I wouldn’t mind if it was due to them being busy but I’d never had to wait and rarely saw more than a couple of cars each time I went before they brought in the appointment system.

 

[slowmotion]

The ones at mine are always very happy to help.

Unfortunately I've been less lucky.

 

[classic33]

My local recycling depot is opposite: you're not allowed on foot, but once I appeared by bike and they let me in.
Then you park up, and go from skip to skip ... on foot!
I question the recycling activity, how can they recycle say, electrical items when they are all smashed up at the bottom of a skip?

You're lucky, nearest to me is three miles away.
I "forced" a rule change in one way. You can now arrive on foot, or bicycle, but not enter the sites. You're supposed to stand there until an operative notices you and takes your recycling from you.

They still haven't got their heads round a four-wheeled pedal cycle. Or why anyone would use one round here. Which is why I got banned, I must have been paid to do what I did! The council refused to answer questions put to them by the local paper, who'd been contacted over the ban.

I've taken fridge freezer's down, for a bit of fun to begin with and because it meant they didn't end up getting dumped somewhere they shouldn't. Usually for people who had no way of getting them down without paying for removal.

I've applied for, and got the required paperwork to become a registered keeper of a trailer. Something else the council required/requested from me. The application was passed to someone on his first week with the DVLA, who thought it was a wind-up on the new boy. I was at Bradford Interchange when he called, still suspecting a wind-up. Realised the application was genuine, and processed it the same as any other application. I got to speak to him again when I sought to put e-assist on the Brox. He'd done a bit of checking before calling back, but knew he was talking to someone he had spoken to/dealt with before.

 

[alicat]

Sorry, OP, you lost me at 'huge overweight worker' and 'Karen'

I've always found the workers at my local tip to be very pleasant and helpful.

 

[Jenkins]

My local recycling depot is opposite: you're not allowed on foot, but once I appeared by bike and they let me in.
Then you park up, and go from skip to skip ... on foot!
I question the recycling activity, how can they recycle say, electrical items when they are all smashed up at the bottom of a skip?

I have turned up at my local recycling centre by bike and left on foot in the past.

 

[classic33]

I have turned up at my local recycling centre by bike and left on foot in the past.

On purpose?