h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

<> (kelli)

She was drinking on Today this morning??? Goodness what depths has British television sunk to!

Going back to the recycling topic. I *want* to recycle. No problem at all separating plastic stuff, bottles & glass, paper and general refuse. But where do I take it? Back in Toronto all houses (and apt buildings) had the four separate boxes or bins. But here in Seville, Spain we have to schlep the stuff all over the place in order to recycle and I really doubt most people would bother.

az

Hi az,

It took a long time to get doorstep recycling in the UK. I helped Friends of the Earth lobby MPs for it a few years ago.

Fortunately Joan Ruddock MP took it up when she won the private members ballot, and the law was passed obliging all local authorities to provide doorstep recycling services.

Hi Icy North,

I really think it's important to make recycling *easy*. Okay, me and Nog will schlep our stuff over to the nearest recycling bins, but it's very inconvenient.

Toronto has had the separate bins thing going for about twenty years now. And even then it took some time before people started using them properly. It's partly about educating people, but as a Spanish student of mine said to me the other day when we were discussing this - 'I really can't be bothered if I have to take a ten-fifteen minute walk to find the closest recycling bin to my house' - and I really can't blame her.

az

I'd put my glass out for re-cclying if the local yobs didn't keep taking them out of the bin and smashing them in the street.

I remember when the 'blue boxes' were first initiated in Toronto - there were several newspaper articles talking about some people feeling too embarrassed to have their neighbours see how many wine and likker bottles were amassed in one week, since they had to put that particular blue box out for collection once a week for *all to see*.


az

Now we get glass collected from our doorstep (we have purple boxes) we are happy - better than having to schlepp our way across the whole village to the recycling bins. Now only our immediate neighbours need to know how many bottles we empty a week

It's not the number of bottles - it's the brands. What if you had a crate full of Babycham empties?

I'm grumpy about the people who write to our local newspaper complaining about the wheelie bin system, especially before they've even tried it. I think it's great!

I'm not so grumpy in this pleasant weather, but here's another irritation - trailers over the end credits of programmes.

Well Grumpy Old Men is on TV tonight So thats no reason to be Grumpy!!!!!

Wittering DJ's spouting inane drivel over the top of records

what time? what channel?

I hate people who don't recycle properly. We have the following:

small black wheelie bin for rubbish which doesn't fit into the other categories

small black wheelie bin with brown lid for compost stuff (including cooked & uncooked meat, which is and all fruit peel, eggshells etc)

large yellow wheelie bin for recyclables (plastic, polystyrene, drink cartons, electrical items up to the size of a toaster too)

Large black wheelie bin with blue lid for paper & cardboard

3 large green boxes for glass (clear, green and brown)

4 times a year a mobile "special" rubbish disposal service collects: batteries, old paint, paint stripper etc

oil and oil containers are recycled at the petrol station

every month we have collections of garden waste (grass clippings, hedge trimmings etc) to be composted

most glass bottles (not spirits or wine) have a deposit, as do all plastic bottles

etc etc

In our area it is all doorstep collection -so apart from our garage being full of bins instead of the car it's pretty

the place I used to live had specially microchipped black bins for non-recyclable waste. Everything else was collected for free. You were charged, by the kilo, for your waste collection - and heavily fined for fly tipping - and boy oh boy, we all recycled to within in inch of our lives (and I still do)

what really gives me the grump?

When I'm out running in the woods, and I come accross that group of nordic walkers ... there are about 20 of them, and they take up the whole path... think they could go into single file to let runners past?

Just had some mail given to me at this hour, by nextdoor, not only is it threee days late but its ForkOiling junk mail, Not just any junk mail but appereently I've just won a cruise, christ imagin being stuck on a boat, 30 zillion people, all apperently having a "time of there lifes" with "3 major shows each night" & "4 casinos" and a "shopping mall"

MY GOD

Look, what is the point of recycling, of bathing with a friend, of sticking a brick in your lavatory cistern, when China have planned to build fifty something airports by 2010 for God's sake's.

Rubbish that gets through my spam filter because the name comes up as Dr something.

God i Have had the grump about me today, Its all to do with the Crap that been spinning around the fact we have moved into a new house and the couple that have bought our old house!

The Kitchen, our old kitchen, the one we left in our old house, the one that we no longer own or in fact want to own is minus a AGA cus we took it and had it fitted into our new house (and by the way they were told and it was pointed out when they signed the contrat the fact we were going to take it and heres the crunch PROVIDE them with a cooker/boiler) which we did and the one's they requested......... apperently they are not happy with them..... my responce is **** *** as we up held our end of the contract and i'm sorry thats life sonny live with it

Garybaldy biscuts, just what is that all about...... something with volcanic lava crust and a filling of dead flys.....

I happen to like shop assistants. Few are dodgy but most I find are pleasent I think the secret is to be nice to them they are people as well. It can't be easy to sit at a till and deal with you miserable lot all day day in day out seven days a week.

I hate ..where do I start?... drivers who park over my drive and when challenged they say it was only for a few seconds;

How about those people who just gob up all over the place ie spit. disgusting and a health hazard to the rest of us;

How about those mums with those huge buggies that force their way on to buses blocking gangways and making very difficult for other travellers especially the old ones;

How about those people who just suddenly jump into a queue say at the bank an they appear so thick skinned when you give them a look. We should all get together and chuck them out.
God .., I could go on and on but I must go to work now.. I may, however , return. but dont hold your breath