Night soil men

[Carol]

Around what date did Ash stop being collected from ash holes and when did bin men start collecting metal bins? I am guessing 1930's but does anyone know---or care?

[linell]

Definitely before we born Carol, think it was around 1930, my Mom who was the same age as your Mom vaguely remembered them I suppose there is nothing about them on line is there Best Wishes from linell.

[Carol]

Thanks Linell, Dad vaguely remembers them but also recalls games with dustbin lids and I couldn't get any sense out of him about time scales. I would say 1930 would be about right.

[Northern Lass]

Where did all the rubbish go before then?
What did they do with all the ash and waste from food etc....if there was any!


have moved this to the Snug to open it up to everyone else....interesting topic this....

[gardener]

They seem to have had bins earlier (1914ish)
http://www.westsussex.gov.uk/environmen ... ubbish.pdf
I had forgooten about all that dratted ash from the fire grate. Ugg. Hated clearing that out, the metal shovel always scraped on the bottom of the hearth. Horrible noise.

I haven't find the answer to the ash toilets yet though. It must be out there somewhere!

[linell]

Oh yes gardener, I remember the scraping noise too, can hear it now Moving on to the 1950's we only had one Dustbin for 5 of us, pretty sure the ashes went in there, don't think any food got wasted, packets were flattened and put in, there wasn't that much packaging, everything was weighed out into brown paper bags, fruit and veg went straight in your Shopping Bag, tins got put in the bin, anything else went on the bonfire. Must get off here, interesting topic, will give it some more thought. Best Wishes Holly.

[Carol]

Hi,
Thanks for interest-I think perhaps the services overlapped? I guess people continued with fires long after the introduction of traditional bin collection. Makes you think how little waste they produced-all biodegradable or recyclable -money back on bear bottles , milk delivered by hand to your own jug etc and none of todays electrical gadgets to dispose of.