Recycling Maggots (From Watford Observer)

Recycling Maggots

9:51am Sunday 19th July 2009 in News By Hilda Mupfurutsa

Warning!

I came home last week to a green and white note from the council telling me my green refuse bin had not been collected because it was ‘contaminated’

This was because I had ignorantly thrown a few forbidden plastic bags in the green bin. I was therefore stuck with my 2 week rubbish for yet another week and had to transfer it into the black bin - maggots and all!

Having lived in boroughs where recycling is not as big an issue, I am seriously struggling with it all, but learning. I am certainly not one averse to recycling and protecting the environment. However, I am a bit perplexed by this ‘contamination’ issue.

During week 2, when all your ‘recyclable’ rubbish goes into the green/brown tall bin … how do you store your rubbish in the house? I have a pedal bin in my kitchen and to keep it clean, I put a plastic pedal bin liner. Now when it comes to emptying my pedal bin – does one empty the contents into the green/brown bin? And where does the ‘contaminated’ bin liner go?

Surely not into the black one because less that 2 weeks later, it is overly contaminated with maggots-particularly in this hot weather. Now is that not ‘contamination’ at it worst?

Having contemplated on this for the last month, I have decided what works for me is just 1 black bin, to be collected every single week – for my health and those of the council workers who have to put up with the fattened maggots at each collection. I am happy to recycle my bottles and newspapers as normal in the black and blue boxes. Keeps life simple and all of us maggot free!