Spelthorne Borough Council

Providing Quality Services to the People of
Ashford, Laleham, Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell & Sunbury

Health and hygiene

Do alternate weekly collections pose health problems for residents? Will the hotter weather make problems worse?
Do I have to wash out cans?
What about food waste?
Isn’t it unhygienic to leave rubbish in bins for so long? What about smells?
How can I make sure I don't get problems with maggots in my bin?
In hot weather, the wheelie bin smells. What do I do?
I'm disabled / a pensioner - how do you expect me to clean out my bin on a regular basis / can the Council not clean my bin? Do alternate weekly collections pose health problems for residents? Will the hotter weather make problems worse? When the weather is warmer, the amount of food waste thrown away is an important factor. As much as possible should be composted, but not bread, cooked food or meat waste. Please keep food waste to a minimum and then ensure it is wrapped. It should then be put in the rubbish bin with the lid closed. Also please ensure you do not leave food waste exposed to the air as this is when flies are attracted to it. Putting in place these measures has been demonstrated by other local authorities to minimise problems. Do I have to wash out cans? Yes. This will reduce smells just wash out at end of washing up to avoid using more water. What about food waste? As soon as there are facilities for disposing of food waste within Surrey we would look to develop a food waste service. For now as much as possible should be composted. Isn’t it unhygienic to leave rubbish in bins for so long? What about smells? No. Wrapping any food waste or disposable nappies in old sheets of newspaper or double wrapping waste and then in a plastic bag will help keep your bin clean and avoid smells. Some people like to wash their bins to keep them fresh. This can be done easily by simply putting the bin on its side and using a mop / broom and a bucket of water. There are also commercial bin cleaning services available. Also:-

don’t leave food exposed in the kitchen where flies can make contact (maggots only occur when flies have been able to settle on food to lay eggs).
avoid leaving dog or cat food out for long periods or in places where it could attract flies.
keep the lid of the wheelie bin closed at all times.
if possible, store the wheelie bin out of direct sunlight.
rinse out plastic bottles, cans and glass as you recycle them. Used washing-up water will help save water. If your rubbish is still stored in sacks, we recommend they are kept in a dustbin or other lidded container between collections.

How can I make sure I don't get problems with maggots in my bin? Make sure your kitchen waste bin is tightly shut so flies can't get in. If possible, store your wheelie bin out of direct sunlight. Hang insecticide strips inside your bin to help control flies if they get in. Try using citronella - a natural remedy used in gardens. This will discourage flies as they don’t like the smell. In hot weather, the wheelie bin smells. What do I do? Smells come from rotting rubbish. To minimise smells, put waste into plastic bags, squeeze out the air and tie tightly. Make sure there are no holes in the bags. Double wrap food scraps and pet waste. If you use disposable nappies try emptying solid waste from the nappy down the toilet before double wrapping the nappy in a plastic bag and putting it into the bin. Make sure you wash out your cans and bottles for recycling too to ensure they don't attract flies or become smelly. I'm disabled / a pensioner - how do you expect me to clean out my bin on a regular basis / can the Council not clean my bin? We provide assistance, through our assisted collection service to help people present their bins for collection, but we are unable to assist the cleaning of bins. If you are not able to clean the bin yourself, we advise you to use one of the professional wheelie bin cleaning services that operate in the area. Also, you should follow the advice above on 'How can I make sure I don't get problems with maggots in my bin?' to try and make sure the problem doesn't occur.

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