Now, I know it’s not quite summer yet, however, spring well on its way and it is time to get your wheelie bins ready to take the heat! In particular the black and green bins can sometimes smell nasty or even contain files or worse maggots! This is because the food we throw away in these bins are a yummy treat for all types of hungry insects. Know there are plenty of wheelie bin cleaners out there that will do a wonderful job of cleaning your bin for you, however, you can’t possible get your bins cleaned once a week during the hot season. Instead it is important to put into place some preventative ways that you can try and reduce the smell!

A few general tips:

• Try and keep your bin lid closed at all times – it will deter the insects and flies away, as they won’t be able to smell it or get in it!
• Try and keep your wheelie bins out of direct sunlight, this means that the waste in your bin will not decompose as quickly, reducing the smell and number of potential hungry insects too.
• Remember to bag or even double bag all food waste, in particular meat! You can even buy biodegradable bags which will decay in the landfill site.
• Try not to leave food waste just lying around inside the home as flies can hatch eggs onto the food before it goes into the bin and then they will spread and bread once in the warmth of the bin.
• If you get a chance (I know that it is no one’s idea of fun!) to clean your wheelie bin in your garden with an old broom, warm water and anti-bacterial spray and get scrubbing!
• Remember to squeeze the air out of the bags that contain food waste before tying and putting into the bin, this will also slow down decomposition!
• Overall good hygiene in the kitchen especially is the best way to help prevent disease and smell.

Remember to recycle!

It is one of the best things your can do for your planet – recycling! It is so important to continue the journey of recycling even after you’ve taken your bin out, you can even ask your work to join in too! Think of how much paper they must be using? Sourcing paper from reputable, local, printers can be hard, but once you’ve source the right company you’ll be able to use as much paper as you want – guilt free! Try searching on the internet for ‘green’ printers Cambridge (My local area!) or ‘eco-friendly’ or even ‘recycling’.

Not to mention glass recycling – this is a crucial material when it comes to recycling because it is one of the only substances in the world which can be melted down and rebuilt to the same composition structure as when it was first manufactured, meaning that recycling can happen again and again! Remember that any type of glass can be recycled – from old glass awards (even engraved!), to glass jars, bottles and old/broken glasses!

Recycling is so important and we must remember to continue to keep up the good work, we aren’t only saving ourselves from the smelly bin but also saving the planet too!