# Recycling Bins have arrived!



## vantage (May 10, 2012)

Well,
Dubai Municipality delivered two shiny news bins to each villa in our street last night.
Black one for household waste (daily collection)
Green one for recyclable materials (tri-weekly collection)

the big communal metal bins in the street will vanish.

Great that they're doing this, and i really hope it does get properly separates and recycled.

Read a letter in 7Days the other day from some guy moaning about these bins being unsightly, and that recycling separation should be done after the fact by workers at the waste plant.
What a [email protected]!

The fact that we live in a largely un-taxed haven, and yet rubbish collections are daily, is quite amazing, really. The housing 'fee' via DEWA equates, very roughly to the equivalent Council tax value in the UK, and yet, in the UK, they are fighting between weekly and fortnightly collections!

I would suggest that three recyclying tcollections a week is overkill, and the vehicle and fuel costs outweigh the recycling benefit.
twice weekly for blakc bins, and once weekly for green would be more than adequate, i'd think


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

I'm still waiting for mine. They tried to deliver them the other day when I wasn't home. Was also thinking the number of collections is a bit OTT. We'll just put the bins out when they are full. Like you, we can't leave them in an easily accessible place, so they have to stay in the garden and be dragged out every time they need to be emptied. I guess we don't need black bags for them, but we're still going to put food waste and similar in the kitchen bin, so that will go in the bin in a bin bag. We won't put a bag in the recycles bin.


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## Edino (Sep 22, 2013)

Is this going to happen all over Dubai? I am in Al Badaa, (near Jumeirah 1), and wonder if we are also getting the new containers.


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## travertine (Aug 10, 2010)

Agree this is a great initiative and inevitably it will evolve over time and improve. I do agree however that the size of the bins and frequency of collection is more than needed. No doubt many good citizens will dutifully take their bins out every time a collection is possible resulting in a grossly inefficient collection system. My big surprise was to hear that Sharjah has just launched an equivalent system. But guess what? Their bins are different colours. Why can't there be a unified approach across such a small country? It would work to everyone's benefit. Also if we lose the big grey bins in the street, what will the street sweepers use and what are is the general public meant to use when they are out and about. Will we see an increase in litter?


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## IzzyBella (Mar 11, 2013)

That's FANTASTIC!

I wish they had communal recycling in the new areas. JVC is sorely lacking, I fear I'll be filling up Spinney's recycling point tonight.


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## eclrk (May 13, 2014)

travertine said:


> My big surprise was to hear that Sharjah has just launched an equivalent system. But guess what? Their bins are different colours. Why can't there be a unified approach across such a small country?


The same happens in the UK from county to county regarding the colour. landfill waste in black bins in one town but 10 min drive sees landfill going in green bins. A full size bin for plastics and cans here, a box there, kerbside collection of glass on some places but not in others.... Joined up thinking??


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

BedouGirl said:


> We won't put a bag in the recycles bin.


you say that, but both big bins come lined already!
Assume they re-line each collection


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## IzzyBella (Mar 11, 2013)

vantage said:


> you say that, but both big bins come lined already! Assume they re-line each collection


They always reline my general refuse one. It's pretty wasteful. All it needs is a rinse every month.


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## Laowei (Nov 29, 2009)

IzzyBella said:


> That's FANTASTIC!
> 
> I wish they had communal recycling in the new areas. JVC is sorely lacking, I fear I'll be filling up Spinney's recycling point tonight.


We have a few clothes donation points knocking around JVC, guess thats a start. Wish they'd put some dog crap bins around the place, swear to god im in the minority that clean up after my dog seems to be dog crap everywhere. Always get strange looks swinging a big bag of dog crap around with me on walks.


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## IzzyBella (Mar 11, 2013)

Laowei said:


> We have a few clothes donation points knocking around JVC, guess thats a start. Wish they'd put some dog crap bins around the place, swear to god im in the minority that clean up after my dog seems to be dog crap everywhere. Always get strange looks swinging a big bag of dog crap around with me on walks.


I'm not sure I like the idea of the clothes donations. I wish they'd just give the clothes to the needy than sell them. 

As for dog poop - I'm with you on that (my dogs only poo in our yard ATM),


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

IzzyBella said:


> I'm not sure I like the idea of the clothes donations. I wish they'd just give the clothes to the needy than sell them. As for dog poop - I'm with you on that (my dogs only poo in our yard ATM),


Interestingly, if you can say that about this subject, the people I see who don't clean up after their dogs are all westerners!


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## IzzyBella (Mar 11, 2013)

BedouGirl said:


> Interestingly, if you can say that about this subject, the people I see who don't clean up after their dogs are all westerners!


 I read a disgusting yahoo thread where Americans were voicing their opinion in the matter. They think that picking up after their dogs was icky and there are so many that do that it's not irresponsible to leave theirs. It was crazy logic.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

IzzyBella said:


> I read a disgusting yahoo thread where Americans were voicing their opinion in the matter. They think that picking up after their dogs was icky and there are so many that do that it's not irresponsible to leave theirs. It was crazy logic.


It's kind of what I get the feel of when I see it happening here. We tend to use supermarket carrier bags and carry at least two - just in case. In comparison to what I see not being cleaned up, my boy's poo is nothing, believe you me. We often have DM out early mornings warning everyone but they obviously aren't warning the right people.


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

across the street from me, a group of maids meet early every morning, supposedly out exercising the dogs of their lazy-ass owners.
In fact, they appear round the corner (some walking their lazy-ass owners babies in buggies too) and stand and gossip for 45 mins+, then scurry home.

The dogs do what dogs do, and perform their morning constitutional, which is left for the DM guys to clear up, daily.


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## IzzyBella (Mar 11, 2013)

I notice it from all types of people. I tell people when their dog is doing its business. If they don't pick it up, I do it for them and give them the bag to dispose of themselves and give them "the look".


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

vantage said:


> across the street from me, a group of maids meet early every morning, supposedly out exercising the dogs of their lazy-ass owners.
> In fact, they appear round the corner (some walking their lazy-ass owners babies in buggies too) and stand and gossip for 45 mins+, then scurry home.
> 
> The dogs do what dogs do, and perform their morning constitutional, which is left for the DM guys to clear up, daily.


I believe we are talking about the same location.


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

BedouGirl said:


> I believe we are talking about the same location.


Probably, stalker!


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## Yorki (Feb 10, 2013)

Back on the subject of bins....

When I lived in Germany we had four different coloured bins and 3 glass crates. The bins were:

Grey - household waste, green- paper and card board, yellow - tins, plastic and pizza boxes brown - garden waste and uncooked food. The crates were one for each colour of glass, clear, brown and green.

Once you got used to it it was great.


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## travertine (Aug 10, 2010)

Recycling schemes have been around for decades now and operating all across the world often with diverse populations and languages. So bit of a surprise that the limited communication is restricted to English and Arabic (at least in my case). In many households in Dubai it's not the owner that makes the trash decisions and the person doing the sorting probably has a different first language. So why not offer comprehensive information in multiple languages. There seems to have been a severe lack of communication prior to rolling out the bins. If people don't comply who is to blame? Why have the decades of experience with such schemes not been incorporated locally? And lastly why have they not taken the opportunity to send a clear message about reducing/avoiding waste as well as recycling. Why provide a 240 litre bin that can be emptied up to 5 times per week - that's 1200 litres of rubbish. I can see challenges with green waste for many compounds and villas as there now seems to be no publicly available option. So it will have to be taken away privately and there's a good chance it will be dumped illegally, as it happens in the disused lots in our area.


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

travertine said:


> So bit of a surprise that the limited communication is restricted to English and Arabic (at least in my case). In many households in Dubai it's not the owner that makes the trash decisions and the person doing the sorting probably has a different first language. So why not offer comprehensive information in multiple languages.


to be fair, the new bins are colour coded, and have pictures on of the type of trash that should be put in them...
you don't need to be able to read ANY language to get it right!


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## travertine (Aug 10, 2010)

to be fair ..... I think my overall point (which may not have been clear) was for the need for a comprehensive approach to waste management/minimisation and effective communication does require written material in multiple languages as well as other initiatives. People need to refer back to something as they implement the program and have questions. I understand they are calling for volunteers to spread the message. Maybe that will help to fill any gaps. I still think it's a big improvement on what we had and I'm confident it will change over time.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

vantage said:


> Probably, stalker!


I'm pretty sure I know which road you live in and I know you drive a Toyota hehe


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## Edino (Sep 22, 2013)

The next thing that can happen is that we get charged for garbage collection. 

In my home city we got 2 garbage bins for each home. Our municipality uses a system where every garbage bin has a chip in it that is linked to each home address. The garbage truck, when emptying the bin into the truck, recognizes the chip, and automatically weighs the contents. The truck has an online computer system linked to the municipality and within 15 minutes after collection we are charged the calculated amount on our online account; priced per KG. Another interesting note is that that the truck only has a driver; no outside helpers. The truck only has to stop close next to the bin, and a robot arm automatically searches for it; and drops it into the collector from the top. 

The system works very well, and has lead that people became much more conscious and try avoiding waste, and made them purchasing products with more efficient packing- manufactures and shops responded to that. This has lead to a huge reduction of garbage ending up in landfills. 

This was implemented almost 10 years ago, and is considered as extremely successful.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Edino said:


> The next thing that can happen is that we get charged for garbage collection. In my home city we got 2 garbage bins for each home. Our municipality uses a system where every garbage bin has a chip in it that is linked to each home address. The garbage truck, when emptying the bin into the truck, recognizes the chip, and automatically weighs the contents. The truck has an online computer system linked to the municipality and within 15 minutes after collection we are charged the calculated amount on our online account; priced per KG. Another interesting note is that that the truck only has a driver; no outside helpers. The truck only has to stop close next to the bin, and a robot arm automatically searches for it; and drops it into the collector from the top. The system works very well, and has lead that people became much more conscious and try avoiding waste, and made them purchasing products with more efficient packing- manufactures and shops responded to that. This has lead to a huge reduction of garbage ending up in landfills. This was implemented almost 10 years ago, and is considered as extremely successful.


That's amazing. Not in terms of paying, but that it's a sophisticated system done so simply.


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