Wheelie Bin Hygiene Tips
Wheeled bins significantly reduce the ability of flies to get into bins and to lay eggs (forming maggots). Where the bin lid is kept closed it will stop smells and help prevent the attraction of flies and vermin. Maggots can appear within 8-12 hours of eggs being laid by flies in warm weather and have always been present in weekly collected general waste. Keeping the bin in the shade and ensuring the bin, including the lid, is fairly clean is also helpful.
There are a number of good hygiene measures that everyone can take:
- Rinse out plastic packaging, tins and cans containing food waste at the end of your daily washing up to minimise smells. It is the liquid at the base of a wheelie bin that attracts flies so to avoid this build up you can also lay a piece of newspaper at the bottom of your landfill bin.
- Tie all landfill waste securely in plastic bags and double bag items such as meat, fish, nappies and pet waste (faeces).
- Solids from disposable nappies should be emptied into the toilet before being double bagged and put in the bin.
- Do not leave cooked food waste exposed in the kitchen where it could attract flies. Maggots will only arise if flies have been able to settle on food and lay eggs.
- Do not leave dog/cat food out uncovered – again because flies can lay their eggs in it.
- Squeeze the air out of bags used to contain food waste before they are tied and put in the bin (the lack of air should slow down general decomposition, reduce smells and slow the development of maggots, etc.).
- Keep the lid of the wheeled bin closed at all times.
- Regularly clean the inside of the bin with a strong disinfectant or dilute bleach to kill odours, bacteria or flies. Alternatively use a local bin cleaning company
- The Wheelie Bin Cleaning Company - For more information please call the national office on 0870 242 0172 or email
- Green Clean (Southern) Ltd - Tel: 01342 717721 or 07974 254249, or email bakers@ukhome.net
- Green Clean South East Ltd - Tel: 01892 686204
- The Jiff - For more information call the national office on 01495 230205 or the local office on 01323 419799 or 07957 546951
info@wheeliebindirect.co.uk
- If possible, store the wheeled bin out of direct sunlight (slowing general decomposition, reducing smells and slowing the development of maggots, etc.).
- You might want to consider obtaining a Food Waste Digester to dispose of ALL your food waste including meat, fish, bones and dairy products. wealden and East Sussex County Council have special offers on compost bins, kitchen composters, wormeries and food waste digesters.
