Chris Maclean: What a load of rubbish

Did anyone else get a letter telling us what we're not allowed to throw in the bin?

It's madness.

Henceforth we are not allowed to dispose of fluorescent tubes, aerosols, batteries and a host of other stuff. It makes life very difficult.

Some years ago I was visited by a sales person who delicately explained to me that blood based waste could not be put in with the general waste. Naively I told her that wasn't an issue here. She coughed delicately and pointed to the ladies' lavatories. I confess I was shocked. I hadn't delved into the bins there, I didn't think there was a need to. So I wasn't aware of the severity of the problem. Fortunately I clarified it with the local council and it wasn't deemed an issue. But it's gotten worse.

So what is it with the new regulations?

Well we are stuffed anyway we look at it.

For example it seems we cannot put an aerosol into our general waste. This means that we should no longer buy aerosols and must discourage them being used on the premises. Thats fine. We must sift through the waste and remove any we find. Unpleasant.

Naturally, running an hotel as we do, we must examine all our guests' rubbish also. Disgusting. Having found, for example, three empty aerosols in the bins, what are we to do with them? They must presumably be stored seperately because they are hazardous waste. We cannot afford another specialist bin. But they must end up in one at some time.

Second major obstacle; we haven't a licence to transfer waste. Because we run a business our rubbish is controlled by law. This determines what and where everything goes. We are not, for example, licensed to transfer waste; to put it in our car and drive it to the tip. That is forbidden. Nor are we allowed to go to the tip because they only exist for residential customers.

I've just had a long and pleasant conversation with the county council waste section. I have a fluorescent tube that needs disposing. I probably get two or three a year.

I cannot put it in the bin.

I cannot put it in my car and move it.

I cannot take it to the tip.

What should I do with it, I innocently asked? Why not get your waste contractors to supply you with a special bin, she suggested? Yeah, right. Three tubes a year? They'll love me for that. She was very sympathetic but, at the end of the day, could not actually advise me what we should reasonably do. What ever route is chosen it will mean you break the law.

So I have resolved to continue doing what I've always done and, besides, I still love that special "pop" when I break the tube in the bin!