Early Risers.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[pH]

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

 

It sounds much easier to properly dispose of batteries in the UK. It is difficult here. I used to dispose of them at a collection point at my old workplace. I don't even know where to take them now. (I won't just put them in the bin, but I expect most Americans do.)

 

Try your local IKEA:

 

https://ekko.world/ikea/2451

 

They certainly collect batteries here.

[Ozexpatriate]

4 minutes ago, pH said:

Try your local IKEA

Thanks! A great idea. They're about a 90 minute round trip, but next time in the area, it would be good to remember to take the old batteries.

[Coombe Barton]

Food waste: In Coventry (son's place) it goes with garden waste and is composted. Ours goes in the normal waste. If it's in the garden waste bin they won't collect. The main thing I have in bottles in the back garden are spent cooking oil. Our tip takes it, but whereas there always used to be a half hour queue there's now a Covid appointment system, and we're only allowed so many tip trips per year, so in the bottles in the back garden it stays for the moment.

Isn't it time we got our act together in this country?

 

 

Edited January 5, 2022 by Coombe Barton
TYPOMAN is back!

[chrisf]

5 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

Isn't it time we got our act together in this country?

Absolutely!  Here in Bedford we have grey bins for general refuse, orange bins for recycling and green bins for garden waste.  Glass does not go in the recycling bin but in the bottle bank at the supermarket.  Many years ago I concluded that things are not the same because they do not have to be.  It appears to be beyond those who rule us to promulgate a uniform waste disposal system.

 

What else prompts strong feelings this morning?  Ah, yes.  Cancellations.  The reluctance of that ruddy virus to p!ss off has caused two desirable events to fall by the wayside.  One was the Whittlesey Straw Bear Festival, an enjoyable re-enactment of an old custom which is seized upon by the local trainee drinkers to augment their education and affords the opportunity to see visiting dance teams.  The other was the DeFine show.  Both would have taken place on 15th January, posing a challenge to those who like me would happily be in two places at once!

 

Chris 

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

Getting all councils in England (let alone GB) to do the same thing is like platting fog.. indeed getting a Mayor to get their area to work together in Yorksjire is , apparently,  impossible!

 

Methane from the colliery at Horden was piped to Hawthorn for use at the Coke Works(remember them?). When the pit shut they capped the shafts with concrete. It was suggested that the methane may go boom.. they eventually fitted pipes into the concrete. @BoD any idea where it goes to?

 

Billingham had a rubbish to heat system fitted in the 1960s. We have a very large plant*in East Leeds

* it has living plants growing all over it..

 

As totoday.. cleaning duties await .. I have some cooking to do and more preparation for my Regional meetings over the next two Sundays. Both are on line..

 

Time to.. drink my mugatea and get ready toface the world!

 

Stay safe!

 

Baz

 

 

 

[polybear]

9 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

I guess much depends on the sorting process. Is it normal to separate food waste from other solid waste in the UK?

 

 

South Korea are the food recycling wizards - 95% in 2019

https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/asian-example-heres-how-south-korea-is-recycling-95-of-its-food-waste/

 

8 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Evening all from Estuary-Land. There are a few sewerage works that burn (untreated) human waste to produce electricity, the resulting ash is made into building blocks.

 

This Bear's never, EVER gonna suck a Lego brick every again....

 

8 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

For larger items they have to be taken to the tip where they have disposal facilities. 

 

A place that Bear avoids like the plague - I got fed up with getting punctures 

As for disposals, Bear does have a food recycling bin but must admit to not using it as I generally have very little (Banana skins and satsuma peelings seems to cover it generally).  Some veg peelings can occur but being a Bear of convenience such things are often purchased pre-prepared (sorry CC) but I am "getting better" at this.  Once house refurb tasks are complete then I'll no doubt be much better at this aspect, but after a morning or day doing messy, sh1t jobs the last thing I want to do is bvgger about prepping food when grabbing it out of the freezer ready to go seems far more sensible.

Batteries?  I'm very good at this - they go to the local village Chemist (Boots) for disposal; I even took four watch batteries the other day.  I do have a duff leccy drill battery for disposal, but I suspect they'd get wrinkly at that one.

Glass?  The local bottle bank next to the village library.

I also take as much sellable stuff (if it's not worth going on the 'bay) as possible to charity shops, or onto freecycle.

I'll shortly be having the lounge carpet up for disposal; the local council run a "large item" collection scheme for which you have to pay (about thirty-odd quid for the first item, with more than one item working out cheaper etc.  However, they deem that carpets require "half a van" (do they bollox) and so want 75 quid for one of those.  Well they can poke that idea where the sun doesn't shine - I'll find another way, not involving lay-bys or country lane verges of course....

Hmm, I can see the front page of the local newspaper now......"Local Council Chairman left fuming as someone dumps a carpet on his driveway"......"Police are seeking a shadowy white figure seen nearby....."

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl Inner Temple Hare,

3.5 hours sleep then 4 hours of not very good intermittent dozing..

 

Ben the I want out Colle, wanted his full morning patrol, I lost sight of him in the dark, no moon today even though it was clear skies very windy and very chilly.

 

On the way in, Cars that were sheltered from the wind were frosty this morning... only 4 sets of flashy, lighty, things left on the whole 25 miles into work..

 

 Norfolk's waste

Black bin, rubbish, goes to Marston Mortaine, the old brick clay pits near Chris F, for burning / power generation, metals etc recovered from the ash. An attempt to have our own rubbish burning power station was stopped by Nimbys.

 

Green bin All recycling, glass paper, plastics.. excess soft plastics non recyclable go with rubbish, they do the sorting.

 

Brown bin garden waste, they turn it into compost, much of which is available at a very cheap cost. I go to our Greenbuild show each year at Felbrigg hall where along with free entry you can pick up large bags of compost for £1ea

 

Batteries you take to a recycling centre.. Though if you have a lead acid, I'd take it to a scrappy they're worth £5 to £10 depending on size.. As are things like washing machines...

 

Prices per 80 litre sack or single item at a recycling centre.

Unsorted/non-recyclable DIY waste (e.g. soil, UPVC, guttering, felt etc.) - £5

Flat glass - £5

Rubble - £3

Plasterboard - £9 (For small amounts of plasterboard a half bag price of £4.50 is available) 

Timber - £3

Scrap metal - no charge

Tyres (car)- £4 per tyre (rimmed or unrimmed)

 

Woe betide you if you turn up in a vehicle they decide is commercial like my landrover, then the charge goes into the hundreds...

 

At the moment I take small batteries to work, we have all sorts of specialized bins for old batteries, as much of our equipment uses them. All the hand held stuff that comes back for repair or service, they often get a new battery straight away.

 

A lot of recycled plastics go into things like decking boards and fencing panels..

 

Tried to check something about "Felbrigg hall greenbuild " that returned the blank screen except for .. "This is blocked as it may return adult content"   !!!??? ... Yeah.. gardening, green house building, crafts, recycling etc..

 

just doing the last sections of the first major system of the week..

 

Time to ... Measure..

 

 

 

 

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

A bit of a frosty start and it should be a fine, dry but chilly day with plenty of sunshine.  Currently 2°C.

Failed to post yesterday as first thing I had to escort The Boss to the dentist.  After that went for a walk for the first time for days and managed 2 miles before The Knee and The Hip started to complain.  They are are still complaining but will try to loosen them up today with another walk.  Once I got back I started trying to rearrange my model railway collection photos on my laptop which are in a bit of a mess!  This took me up till lunch time before I gave up for the day in frustration.  Lots more work needed there.

Today there are a couple of parcels due including the glue I need to repair a chair along with oven cleaning  materials.  I suspect when they arrive I'll be encouraged to use them!

Waste bins here: 

Small brown bin for food waste.                                                                Weekly collection.

Large brown wheelie bin for general (landfill) waste.                             Fortnightly.

Large green  wheelie  for plastics, glass bottles & jars & tins.               Fortnightly.

Large green wheelie for paper & card.                                                      Fortnightly.

Large green wheelie bin with brown lid for garden waste                     Fortnightly.  (This one is paid for and we share it with our next door neighbour,  annual cost £68.80 split between us)

Luckily we have enough room in the alleyway between out two house to store this lot,  people with terraced houses are stuck with them in the front garden.

Bulky stuff such as furniture, fridges & freezers can be taken to the recycling centre  (Appointment only at the moment) or collected by the council. They charge £31.80 for 1-3 items and £53.30 for 4-6 items.  I'd be quite happy to pay that rather than try to cart it myself.

Time for some breakfast and after that The Boss has said she's taking me for a walk!  .....and she's just told me to hurry up and stop chatting to you lot!  

Have a good one,

Bob.

 

 

[The Lurker]

Greetings all from a cool and frosty Sidcup. Back WFH today and have cleared most of the e-mails; now just down to the ones the auditors thought they would ask on the Friday evening after I had finished for last year!

 

Younger Lurker is back at school properly yesterday, having had a negative covid test yesterday at school. 

 

Waste collection in the boring borough is now back to what it is supposed to be following disruption over the summer when the bin men were on strike:

 

Glass, cans and plastic in one large wheelie bin - fortnightly

Paper and cardboard in another large wheelie bin - fortnightly (alternate weeks with glass).

Food waste - small caddy weekly *

Garden waste - large wheelie bin fortnightly (same week as the glass)

Residual waste - fortnightly (same week as paper).

 

The garden waste is an additional service that has to be paid for separately.

 

* the last collection to go back to normal after the strikes was this; for quite a while this was lumped in with the residual waste. In fact they did not announce that it had gone back to normal; it was only just before Christmas that I happened to see them collecting these bins again although I think they had been doing so for a while.

 

The Boring Borough proclaims it is one of the best in London for recycling but how that is measured I am not sure - and how much of it ends up in landfill anyway I don't know.

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a distinctly  cool Charente.  I've no idea where our recycling and general waste go but the yellow, recycling bags go on a Tuesday and black general bags on a Friday, both at 06.30  when the lorry empties the communal bins. Our streets are just outside the house.  A regular alarm call.

 

As to batteries, they cause a Crabtree moment. The bins are just past the checkout in the supermarket  and of course are labelled. PILES.

Late up this morning but now off to fill Beth's car with diesel.

 

Jamie

 

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. A bit nippy this morning and the car is covered with frost. There's not a lot that our council will not take in the pink sacks. They even take microwave plastic dishes and bubble wrap as long as its clean. Food waste, if uncooked* goes in with the garden waste green wheelie bin, *including used tea leaves and egg shells but not tea bags. The general waste goes in black sacks as does anything that I'm not sure about and anything that can't be cleaned for the pink sacks. There is also a black or orange box for glass bottles and jars. The black sacks are incinerated and used to generate electricity, not sure where but possibly North London. The reason for there being different rules between different councils is that most waste is handed over to private companies who have different disposal facilities. Most of these companies are reliable but there are a few cowboys out there thats why you get unsorted recycling ending up in the far east.

[simontaylor484]

Morning All

 

Some plastic recycling is sent overseas for processing I have said before we used to take loads of used builders style bulk bags from Rotherham upto Teeside from there they went to Taiwan and ended up becoming trainers.

I believe one of the problems with plastic recycling is the length of the polymer chains.

We can use the tip for free and unlimited unless you have something like a Ford Ranger type vehicle then you get a permit that you can visit 12 times a year.

Methane from the Prince of Wales colliery is piped to the surface and is burnt in what is basically a marine diesel engine to generate power.

 

[PhilJ W]

No way would you get me on this bridge.

[BoD]

3 hours ago, Barry O said:

ethane from the colliery at Horden was piped to Hawthorn for use at the Coke Works(remember them?). When the pit shut they capped the shafts with concrete. It was suggested that the methane may go boom.. they eventually fitted pipes into the concrete. @BoD any idea where it goes to?

 

I'm not quite sure Baz.  At Dawdon at one time there was just a vent pipe to the open air.  Now though they have added facilities to take flood water from the mine and extract heat from it.  At the moment the heat is just used to heat their facility there but there are plans to use it to heat a, yet to be built,   housing development.

 

Still doesn't answer your question about the methane though.

 

You can see the oiginal vent pipe and newer facility here

 

Link

 

 

 

 

Edited January 5, 2022 by BoD

[Winslow Boy]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

 

South Korea are the food recycling wizards - 95% in 2019

https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/asian-example-heres-how-south-korea-is-recycling-95-of-its-food-waste/

 

 

This Bear's never, EVER gonna suck a Lego brick every again....

 

 

A place that Bear avoids like the plague - I got fed up with getting punctures 

As for disposals, Bear does have a food recycling bin but must admit to not using it as I generally have very little (Banana skins and satsuma peelings seems to cover it generally).  Some veg peelings can occur but being a Bear of convenience such things are often purchased pre-prepared (sorry CC) but I am "getting better" at this.  Once house refurb tasks are complete then I'll no doubt be much better at this aspect, but after a morning or day doing messy, sh1t jobs the last thing I want to do is bvgger about prepping food when grabbing it out of the freezer ready to go seems far more sensible.

Batteries?  I'm very good at this - they go to the local village Chemist (Boots) for disposal; I even took four watch batteries the other day.  I do have a duff leccy drill battery for disposal, but I suspect they'd get wrinkly at that one.

Glass?  The local bottle bank next to the village library.

I also take as much sellable stuff (if it's not worth going on the 'bay) as possible to charity shops, or onto freecycle.

I'll shortly be having the lounge carpet up for disposal; the local council run a "large item" collection scheme for which you have to pay (about thirty-odd quid for the first item, with more than one item working out cheaper etc.  However, they deem that carpets require "half a van" (do they bollox) and so want 75 quid for one of those.  Well they can poke that idea where the sun doesn't shine - I'll find another way, not involving lay-bys or country lane verges of course....

Hmm, I can see the front page of the local newspaper now......"Local Council Chairman left fuming as someone dumps a carpet on his driveway"......"Police are seeking a shadowy white figure seen nearby....."

 

So Mr Bear is it fair to say that in terms of recycling you are a 'work in progress' then? Much like most of the country.

 

Point of order Mr Bear, point of order Mr Bear. It is no longer acceptable to say Mr Chairman. You should instead be addressing them as Chair or Chair person. I don't know MrBear its not like you to make a slip up like that. Are you suffering from a lack of LDC?

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

A bright but wet start to the day here in England’s northwest. We had some overnight rain last night, so I think that has kept the frost at bay, but it’s still cool (Sheila thinks COLD) as the current temperature is just 3C.

 

Sheila is off to meet up with her Zumba friends for a coffee, so I’m left holding the fort. I shall make us of an empty kitchen and start to clean the oven. I did the grill last week, so it’s just the 2 ovens (both full size) and the top. I shall start with the top first, this has 5 burner rings, 1 small, 2 medium, 1 large and finally a wok ring, this is a big thing that has a double burner ring. I don’t think I’ll get it all done this morning, but if I can get the top and at least 1 oven done I’ll be quite happy. I do 99.9% of the cooking and baking and the top is wiped down after use, so doesn’t really get very dirty. 

 

Back later. 

 

Brian

Edited January 5, 2022 by BSW01

[Winslow Boy]

10 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

The City of Portland spent well over $1B on their "Big Pipe" project to reduce combined sewer overflows into the Willamette drainage. It works but is not infallible.

 

The results though are dramatically better than doing nothing.

 

I believe Asimilar amount was spent on something similar under London. Can't have our MP's getting their feet wet can we - sorry if that's a tad cynical.

[PupCam]

Morning All!

 

3 hours ago, TheQ said:

 Norfolk's waste

Black bin, rubbish, goes to Marston Mortaine, the old brick clay pits near Chris F, for burning / power generation, metals etc recovered from the ash. An attempt to have our own rubbish burning power station was stopped by Nimbys.

 

 

Yes thanks for that Norfolk .......

 

3 hours ago, polybear said:

South Korea are the food recycling wizards - 95% in 2019

https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/asian-example-heres-how-south-korea-is-recycling-95-of-its-food-waste/

 

Ah! The old charge people to reduce the problem solution.    Doesn't seem to work around these parts, it just makes the problem go elsewhere (like the local field entrances, lay byes etc)

 

3 hours ago, TheQ said:

Prices per 80 litre sack or single item at a recycling centre.

Unsorted/non-recyclable DIY waste (e.g. soil, UPVC, guttering, felt etc.) - £5

Flat glass - £5

Rubble - £3

Plasterboard - £9 (For small amounts of plasterboard a half bag price of £4.50 is available) 

Timber - £3

Scrap metal - no charge

Tyres (car)- £4 per tyre (rimmed or unrimmed)

 

With the exception of tyres, that is pathetic for domestic waste in my opinion and again just encourages fly-tipping from the types that would.    Who is responsible for clearing up fly-tipped waste - the unfortunate land owners who are often ...... the local councils?   Perhaps they should put up pay-stations at local fly-tipping hot-spots?   "Yes, I'm sure that would sort it" said the Bean Counter.

 

3 hours ago, polybear said:

I'll shortly be having the lounge carpet up for disposal; the local council run a "large item" collection scheme for which you have to pay (about thirty-odd quid for the first item, with more than one item working out cheaper etc.  However, they deem that carpets require "half a van" (do they bollox) and so want 75 quid for one of those.  Well they can poke that idea where the sun doesn't shine - I'll find another way, not involving lay-bys or country lane verges of course....

Hmm, I can see the front page of the local newspaper now......"Local Council Chairman left fuming as someone dumps a carpet on his driveway"......"Police are seeking a shadowy white figure seen nearby....."

 

My case is well and truly rested - We've got Bear bang to rights!

 

In Other News:

 

Excellent day yesterday with Grandson in attendance.     Brio activity was limited as he was too busy driving a 7mm 08 on the plank (literally) layout making full use of all the facilities in the sound effects and motion departments.    

Not bad for a three and half year old

 

Also spent a happy and successful few hours wrestling with my video processing task.  

 

This morning is beautifully clear but cold.  I know this as I've been up the ladder taking down the seasonal, flashy lighty things.   This afternoon sees a visit to the local hospital for some extremely belated lung function tests.   I sincerely hope nothing is caught that seriously impairs lung function whilst I'm there!

 

Alan

 

Edited January 5, 2022 by PupCam

[PupCam]

9 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Point of order Mr Bear, point of order Mr Bear. It is no longer acceptable to say Mr Chairman. You should instead be addressing them as Chair or Chair person. I don't know MrBear its not like you to make a slip up like that. Are you suffering from a lack of LDC?

 

Point of order WB, point of order WB !!!!

 

It is no longer acceptable to refer to Poly Bear as Mr Bear!      

 

His Its title, his its gender, his its associations, his its colour,  his its inside-leg measurement must not be referenced or acknowledged for fear of offending someone something.

 

Where's the Tongue-in-cheek emoji when you need it!

[grandadbob]

Went for a short walk in the sun but had to give up because of The Hip and The Knee.  Didn't even manage three quarters of a mile. Pathetic!  Trying to avoid painkillers unless absolutely necessary.

Back on laptop and will start sorting more photos while I await parcel deliveries. 

 

[Coombe Barton]

4 hours ago, Barry O said:

When the pit shut they capped the shafts with concrete.

In Keresley Colliery, Coventry, they also capped the shafts with concrete.

 

Then they built an industrial estate on the site.

 

When a specialist factory was built to make big plant they needed a drop test area for about 20 tonnes being dropped.

 

They found a nice flat bit of concrete, as opposed to the mud and shale around the rest of the site.

 

Can you see where this is going yet?

 

Yes, you're right, the nice flat bit of concrete was the pit shaft capping.

 

And they dropped the twenty ton lumps over that. 

I do not know whether it is still there.

[Coombe Barton]

About twenty five years ago I attended a lecture when the subject was the Salford Quays development. We were looking at water pollution and the problems faced cleaning up the Manchester Ship Canal (MSC).

Problem was when the MSC was built all the sewers were allowed to drain into it. I remember the term 'fecal rafts' being used.

 

Salford Quays is separated from the water of the Manchester Sh1t Canal, as it became termed during that lecture, but has to have constant aeration so that it doesn't regress.

 

 

Edited January 5, 2022 by Coombe Barton
TYPOMAN, please s0d off!

[PupCam]

15 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

Yes, you're right, the nice flat bit of concrete was the pit shaft capping.

 

And they dropped the twenty ton lumps over that. 

I do not know whether it is still there.

 

Reminds me of the old joke;

 

"What do you get if you drop a piano down a mineshaft?"

 

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

So Mr Bear is it fair to say that in terms of recycling you are a 'work in progress' then? Much like most of the country.

 

Point of order Mr Bear, point of order Mr Bear. It is no longer acceptable to say Mr Chairman. You should instead be addressing them as Chair or Chair person. I don't know MrBear its not like you to make a slip up like that. Are you suffering from a lack of LDC?

We had that come up at a union branch meeting. The woman in charge was a confirmed women's libber so we had to make sure we were gender neutral. Someone addressed her as 'chair' to which she retorted "I am not a piece of furniture." We eventually settled on president.

13 minutes ago, PupCam said:

 

Reminds me of the old joke;

 

"What do you get if you drop a piano down a mineshaft?"

 

What do you get? (I do know the answer so here is the result).