How to dispose of your waste during London’s bin crisis

Proper waste crisis management in London

The UK is in the grips of a waste collection crisis. With the lack of vehicles and HGV drivers, along with the recent rush on petrol stations, there is massive pressure on council waste collection services.

As many as 18 UK councils reported serious issues and delays with waste collection, with London and the South-East being hit particularly hard.

The reduction in collections has led to a waste crisis with overflows, causing rats, foxes and even maggots to roam around in the rubbish-filled streets.

Homeowners are becoming frustrated at their overflowing bins and the council not being able to provide a service.

With the stress they’re being put under due to shortages, many waste collectors have thought about leaving, which could dramatically reduce the number of collections over the busy Christmas period.

With the crisis showing no signs of coming to an end, residents are getting fed up with waiting for collections and the rubbish that is piling up outside, there doesn’t seem to be a real plan B for disposing of waste.

In the meantime, many councils have advised people to flatten boxes and cartons to be able to fit more in their bins or take them to the tip themselves.

With councils struggling to provide rubbish clearance services, what can you do to stop rubbish piling up at home while ensuring you’re still getting rid of it in a responsible way?

Here are a few things you can do.

Hire a skip for bulk collections

Are you renovating your kitchen, or do you and a few of your neighbours have things you want to clear out?

Using a skip is a good way to remove large amounts of waste at once.

It’s handy if you want to save money and split the costs with neighbours and friends, or if you’re changing a space like an office or a bathroom you’ll have a lot of large items you no longer need.

Although it’s easy, this isn’t the most eco-friendly option, as a lot of the contents ends up in a landfill.

Because of this, try and only use a skip if you really need to and can’t go to a recycling centre yourself.

Use a compost bin for your garden waste

The crisis is also hitting green bin collections and recycling with councils diverting recycling collections to incinerators.

Councils have advised residents in Croydon, Murton and Sutton have decided that any materials that would normally be recycled can be mixed with general waste, to reduce the number of collections.

If this is affecting you, why not try a compost bin.

If you find you have a lot of garden waste but don’t currently have a way of getting rid of it, a compost bin can dispose of waste and save you money.

You can also put food waste and old cardboard in a compost bin.

This is an option for those of you who are willing to put the work in to get the most out of their bin, and most importantly have garden waste to get rid of regularly.

Take your waste to the tip

Local tips aren’t just places to dump your things.

Many are now organised into different sections for all of your recycling needs.

This means you can get rid of what you don’t want and be sure it’s being recycled properly.

This isn’t the best option if you have a small car and a lot to transport, but you could do a few trips or rent a van to get rid of any waste.

Have a look at what you can sell

What’s a waste to you might be just what another person needs.

If you’re planning on getting rid of bed frames, computer equipment or furniture but they’re still in good condition, you could look into selling them.

If you advertise them as ‘pick up only’ so you don’t have to do any of the hard work, and you get some extra cash for an upgrade.

This is also the most eco-friendly way of disposing of your waste, as you’re not adding to the waste percentage in your area, just giving it a new home.

Use a reliable waste removal service

The worst part of a clear out in your home seems to be the part where you have to tidy things away and get rid of what you don’t want or need.

With a reliable waste removal service – like the one we provide at Litta – you don’t have to worry about transporting your waste from your house to the recycling centre.

So whether you’re getting rid of garden waste or IT equipment, a reliable waste removal service can get rid of your unwanted rubbish without you lifting a finger.

This way, you can say hello to a clutter-free life, without worrying about if it’s disposed of correctly or not (i.e. it’s recycled and not dumped on a landfill).