Disappearing Dustbins
I've been a member since 2014 , I have a Citroen Romahome it's " my little home on wheels ". But I am now in my late 70's, battling Arthritis and trying to stay independent. I'm only 5ft 1 in tall. I saw a note about dustbins on my first night but it didn't register as I didn't need one..Tonight enroute to Scotland I'm at Richmond and realised there are NO DUSTBINS! Seemingly to save on binliners we only have the use of the very large business size bins at the reception. We'll, I applaud recycling and economy but this is another step too far!! I can hardly reach let alone lift the heavy lid and the bin is full! I cannot with my arthritic arms and shoulders hold the lid open with one hand and try and squash.my little bag in. I tried the recycling bin, same result full can't hold it open to squash my cans inside. 3rd bin was locked or my arms had given up the struggle! This is a step too far! And I still mind all the lighting stands being completely off at night. I used to happily cross to the toilet block at night but even with a torch I feel unhappy. I can't see who is around, or see the trip hazards, rabbit holes etc. Please restore every other light with low cost bulbs and put timer switches in so at least we have lights until midnight.
What do I do with my rubbish. Take it home at the end of my month long travels ?? This is ridiculous Penny pinching.
Comments
-
There are many advantages to having centralised bin collections, not just the saving on bin bags but also you don't have site staff trundling around the site two or three times a day which might also be a cost saving. I don't think they will be going back to the old system.
The other side of that coin is how does the Club help members who are less able to manage the large bins. The easy answer would be to leave the lids open but that causes all sorts of other issues like smell and vermin. It might be an idea to have a word with the site staff to see if they could assist. It might not be any help to you but I always take my walking stick with me and I use that to push the lid open enough for me to throw the rubbish in. However I do agree that the Club need to consider this as part of their accessibility requirements.
David
1 -
A run of double step cast concrete steps, like a high curb stone, next to the big bins would be a possible solution. If this was several metres long it would allow the much needed boost in height to lift the bin lids and also act as a safety measure to retain the bins in place and stop any potential rolling away.
Colin
2 -
I remember JK (whatever happened to him?) telling us there was always a normal bin available for the less able to use but maybe that was only where he was the warden 🤷🏻♂️
0 -
I do sympathise with you Linda and agree with a lot of what you say the industrial wheelie bin lids are heavy and difficult to hold while putting your rubbish in, if you can find a staff member (another disappearing facility) make your difficulties known to them they may help you out, personally I would rather pay an increased membership fee and have the services there should be.
1 -
What would I do if (when) I am in this sort of situation?
As regards rubbish, I would simply ask the staff if there’s an alternative, and if not ask for help. Staff are around sites a good deal, and will be happy to help from what we have experienced. Then there’s the hundreds of other willing Members around. I would help someone, always have throughout our near 40 years of Membership. Retaining independence is brilliant, and I know that it can be difficult to ask for any kind of help, but if you don’t, then frustration sets in, and you lose anyway🤷♀️
Lighting? I have never been on a Club Site where the facility blocks weren’t adequately lit externally. Beyond that, elsewhere on a Club Site, there are always a few bollards lit, but what prevents using a head torch (hands free) or merely a good, hand held torch? We consider a good torch of some kind a vital piece of camping equipment, always have. You can ask for a pitch near the facilities as well, we are always sent a Club email asking if we have any special requests. I’m not sure if it doesn’t ask on the booking system at time of booking as well🤔
Everything gets that little bit harder to keep doing as we get older, particularly if you have any kind of mobility issues. But I have vowed never to let any inability to simply ask for help prevent me from doing what I love, even if it does mean the odd rebuff occasionally. Most folks are kind and considerate, be they staff or other visitors.
I hope that the OP can continue to tour, life is changing all around us, but little adaptations, asking for a bit of help, can get folks through most situations👍
1 -
If I were in that position I would have raised it with the wardens and got some help, which is the first port of call for anything affecting one's stay.
1 -
I expect the industrial bins are here to stay because of the cost savings. They are however not suitable for consumer use, so some sensible solution needs to be found. Trying to find a member of site staff to take away from their other duties is unrealistic; a raised platform to climb upon does not help with size and weight of the lid and requires additional space; hoping another member who is blessed with being larger or fitter coming along is ridiculous. It would be nice to consider reducing waste but for the amount of packaging on foodstuffs to keep them bio-secure.
It will become inevitable that people will start to dispose of waste off-site. Caravanners already have a bad reputation for emptying toilet waste in unsuitable places. Are we to see this made worse by bags of other waste? The Club needs to reason out a serious way around the problem they have created - I suspect that won't happen until they are taken to court under H&S legislation when someone is seriously injured, or worse.
I recal seeing, but a long time ago, a frame fitted to one of these bins that held the lid half open and enclosed the front and sides, with a spring loaded flap in the front face for loading. Still a problem with people having to climb on something to reach the flap, and I understand that with all the loading coming at one point the bins did not fill evenly.
4 -
The situation is begging for people to dump their waste bags beside the bins.
4 -
Trying to find a member of site staff to take away from their other duties is unrealistic
I agree with all you say Navi except the above unless the number of staff have been drastically reduced then with all the club club changes such as Fast check-in, central bins, less mowing etc the staff should have much more time to look after their guests, and to be fair the vast majority I've come across have been exceptionally helpful.
0 -
One answer is to speak to the warden either on arrival or shortly afterwards, explain the issue and ask if there is a solution. My guess is most wardens will be able to offer a suitable resolution.
but also write to the club to specifically ask what there answer is.
1 -
I much prefer the centralised bins. You don’t get the noisy tractors around as much, nor the sound of all the wine bottles being disposed of late at night. When we were at Clumber a few weeks ago, the staff checked the big bins each morning, so I am sure anything left there at an appropriate time (not overnight), they could simply put in. But the best thing to do is simply talk to them, see what they suggest. Not all sites are using the centralised bin system either.
I’m sure this isn’t an insurmountable problem with some decent communication.🙂2 -
All the bins need are a smaller top opening port, rather than having to lift the whole lid. But if it’s a waste collection contract, it might be that the Club has to go with the bins provided. I’ve seen huge wheelie bins with a sort of port hole on the top. There are all sorts of different designs.
Not everyone sorts their rubbish though. The general waste bin at Clumber was full of pizza boxes the night the pizza van had been. It was right next to the paper/cardboard bin, of the same proportions.🤷♀️
0 -
The wardens duties certainly include helping those staying on site and the amount of reviews posted that say wardens are extremely helpful with various problems certainly prove that.
0 -
this is not new, I emailed the club about it 2 years ago. I had a reply but it was of no help. I asked the wardens on one site as apart from the bins being heavy and high, when the wind is coming in a certain direction, I have no chance of lifting the lid. I was told to leave my bag of rubbish beside the bins, it didn't work if the wind was high. The last time we were at Malvern, they also had 2 small bins beside the large ones for waste and recycling for folk like me and Linda the OP. Not too difficult to do is it?
2 -
It is now a legal requirement in Wales for all businesses to separate all recyclable waste into specific bins. Not sure how this effects clubsites, as we have only stayed on English sites since this began in April. We are due shortly to begin a month long tour of north and west Wales sites so we will soon find out. Incidentally, all domestic waste from our development is collected from one central waste compound where large wheely bins are used, some more elderly or less able residents are unable to lift the lids to deposit said waste leading to unsightly and often vermin attacked have which are not picked up by council waste operatives.
0 -
A couple of points, tda. Not every recycling company will accept pizza boxes in with the cardboard packaging because of the excessive grease and cooked cheese stuck to the boxes. we have that restriction at home.
On the commercial site we use at Linlithgow their large bins all have circular holes in their tops big enough to push a waste bag through, with rubber flaps to stop rodents etc accessing the waste, and at the C&CC site we used recently their bin lids were kept open at one end by the use of a home made L shaped wedge which have to opening of the bin lid sufficient to put ones waste in much easier.
0 -
My concern is that our efforts to recycle may be comprised purely by the cost of plastic bags. Surely a system can be found that makes recycling easier and more cost effective. It may mean a little more effort but it shouldn’t become detrimental to the recycling cause.
0 -
Had no idea about pizza boxes.😬 Ours get re used as start up fuel for the stove, but the boxes are only on the outside of the plastic wrapped pizzas. We don’t buy takeaway pizzas, only those you cook at home. Everyday is a learning day😁
1 -
TDA
I think there is a bit of a difference between the two types of packaging. When you buy a pizza from a supermarket, for example, there tends to be an extra piece of card under the pizza so the outside box does not get so contaminated. Those purchased at campsites tend just to go straight in the box so the take away pizza's creates more contamination to the packaging.
David
2 -
I remember not too many long ago, the Dutch takeaway Chinese and also the Pizza place near the site we were staying on expected you to provide your own containers. In deed the latter sold their own special reusable containers and a small discount was offered on those using them at their establishment. Win win me thinks! Now why not over here?
0 -
so what about the bins, are you all happy using the indusrial bins, are you able to reach them or even lift them. I expect I am talking to mostly men here so they will have no problem so ask your OH what they think of the situation, leaving pizza boxes out of the equation for the moment.
0 -
I'm surprised to hear that taking the rubbish to the bins is perceived as a male only chore as this certainly doesn't apply to us, either at home or on holiday but maybe it does for others and perhaps a whole thread on male/female chores in camping? I can't say I've really noticed who takes the rubbish out on site but I have seen females do it so we can't be the only ones?
But we have used several sites in the past year where there are the old dustbins and the larger 'industrial' containers and neither of us have any problems. Also the larger containers that we have come across on several sites had spring loaded lids so they were quite easy to open and close. One site even had a glass recycling bin that was just a hole to drop bottles into so even easier.
I've never really thought about he type of bins on any site. However as I said upthread if I couldn't manage to lift any lid then I'd ask for help.
0 -
Going back to pizza's, I consider myself to be an expert as they are one of my favourite foods. Those bought from supermarkets, are usually (always in my experience) wrapped in plastic inside the box and the box goes into recycling while those bought from a takeaway or a take home box are only in cardboard boxes that shouldn't go onto recycling for reasons given above.
0 -
I think there should be some provision made for those who find some of the big waste container lids too heavy or awkward to lift.
Being small is not the only problem, my OH has had a half shoulder replacement so as a result she cannot lift that arm above shoulder height. This makes it awkward to lift the lid and throw in a bag while holding it open.
As a result, waste disposal has now become my responsibility in many cases.
0 -
So for me, the lids and lifting are not an issue but I can see they will be for others. As I’ve said previously, I don’t think it will encourage folk to sort their waste out properly and the lazy amongst us will use the waste bins in the toilets, the laundries, the veg prep areas if these are more 'convenient’. I can see dog waste also being placed in them too and judging by the signs I’ve seen lately on sites this is already happening.
0 -
Last Autumn all club sites we stayed on had the normal bins but have seen euro bins on site at Malvern Hills site.
All the local bins here are Euro bins and I do most of the trips to empty the rubbish and sites we have stayed on here have them as well, some departments still have the smaller bins outside houses for collection but not that many.
As to waste being put in wrong bins have seen a warden a few years ago get annoyed as some folks had put dog poo bags in the bottle bin and it was clearly labelled in large letters.
0
