Spelthorne Borough Council

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

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Calendar of rubbish and recycling collections Frequently asked questions and factsheets (rubbish and recycling) Preventing insects in wheelie bins

Will the hot weather make problems worse?
Do I have to wash out cans?
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? Will the hot 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 make sure it is wrapped. From 24 October we will be starting a food waste collection service. Food waste should be put in a lined indoor caddy and then transferred to an outdoor caddy with the lid closed. Do not leave food waste exposed to the air as this is when flies are attracted to it. 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 smells? Double wrapping any food waste or disposable nappies in old sheets of newspaper will help keep your bin clean and avoid smells. Some people like to wash their bins to keep them fresher. Top tips:-

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.

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 for example, if you use disposable nappies try emptying solid waste from the nappy down the toilet before double wrapping the nappy 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 help, through our assisted collection service but we are unable to actually clean the bins. If you are having a problem we advise you to use one of the professional wheelie bin cleaning services that operate in the area. Also please follow the advice on what about smells above to try and make sure the problem doesn't occur.

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