Garbage Disposal

[Tammi]

At this older condo we lift small flap metal doors which are supposed to latch shut after we have put tied bag of garbage in chute. Most flap doors do not latch shut anymore. Garbage chute has never been cleaned. Can it be cleaned? One would think that there is a fire danger due to build up of fat on walls of chute? Garbage goes into container at bottom of chute and then has to be raked out and transferred to bins. Garbage collection is maybe 2 times per week and the stench when it is being done is bad. Is there a danger to health? Would really appreciate to know what other condos do.

[Artisan]

At this older condo we lift small flap metal doors which are supposed to latch shut after we have put tied bag of garbage in chute. Most flap doors do not latch shut anymore. Garbage chute has never been cleaned. Can it be cleaned? One would think that there is a fire danger due to build up of fat on walls of chute? Garbage goes into container at bottom of chute and then has to be raked out and transferred to bins. Garbage collection is maybe 2 times per week and the stench when it is being done is bad. Is there a danger to health? Would really appreciate to know what other condos do.

That sounds primitive Tammi...and I bet it stinks. We take our garbage down to ground level ourselves. Here there are 4 or 5 'wheelie bins'..... green for bottles/glass, yellow for plastic, grey for cans/tins and black for perishables. Obviously not everyone segregates their trash prior to dumping, so the team of "room maid staff" will check the final segregation......and they earn a few baht on the side from all the recyclable stuff. Newspapers, magazines and other paper stuff is piled separately from everything else and taped into bundles by the room maids. We do have chutes also but the doors are locked closed (thankfully) and these are not used because of the problems you mention.

I guess your chute could be cleaned but it would create an almighty mess.

[PATTAYAPUNTER]

My mate lives at Nirun Condos on Soi Arunotai. The uncovered bins greets all visitors right there at the main entrance. While I'm sure it's convenient for the residents dropping their garbage on the way out, it's an eyesore and a nosesore too!

[Tammi]

My mate lives at Nirun Condos on Soi Arunotai. The uncovered bins greets all visitors right there at the main entrance. While I'm sure it's convenient for the residents dropping their garbage on the way out, it's an eyesore and a nosesore too!

That's awful! Can't he (and others) complain to manager? Mind you, Thai managers don't like to get complaints, far less act on them. Condos forget what the structure is: Co-owners, then Management Committee, then manager, then head maid, head gardener and so on. But they need reminding that co-owners are top of the tree.

Artisan, thank you also, for your reply.

[Artisan]

That's awful! Can't he (and others) complain to manager? Mind you, Thai managers don't like to get complaints, far less act on them. Condos forget what the structure is: Co-owners, then Management Committee, then manager, then head maid, head gardener and so on. But they need reminding that co-owners are top of the tree.

Artisan, thank you also, for your reply.

How true that is Tammi. They also like to ignore the fact that the Co-owners, through the Co-owners Association/Committee, can fire them (i.e. the Manager, the Juristic Person and all the other staff, including contracted staff such as the security company) and replace them if the Co-owners are not happy with their performance. That's why these managers are often illusive in their responses to complaints...they don't like being put on a spot.

[libya 115]

That situation sounds bad.

In my condo, everyone takes their own garbage downstairs and puts it in the bins. The secret here is just to take a plastic bag of rubbish on a daily basis; a simple routine.

Your 'chute' needs to be welded up, to keep out the stink.

[john b good]

At this older condo we lift small flap metal doors which are supposed to latch shut after we have put tied bag of garbage in chute. Most flap doors do not latch shut anymore. Garbage chute has never been cleaned. Can it be cleaned? One would think that there is a fire danger due to build up of fat on walls of chute? Garbage goes into container at bottom of chute and then has to be raked out and transferred to bins. Garbage collection is maybe 2 times per week and the stench when it is being done is bad. Is there a danger to health? Would really appreciate to know what other condos do.

I remember seeing a safety video a few years back entitled "hospitals do burn" where one of the patients after being castigated by a nurse for smoking (and then later seeing her coming down the corridor) tossed his fag end down a laundry shute.

The resulting fire engulfed the building.

OK, laundry shute or carbage shute it wouldn't make a lot of difference.

[Artisan]

I remember seeing a safety video a few years back entitled "hospitals do burn" where one of the patients after being castigated by a nurse for smoking (and then later seeing her coming down the corridor) tossed his fag end down a laundry chute.

The resulting fire engulfed the building.

OK, laundry chute or garbage chute it wouldn't make a lot of difference.

That's scary. Maybe Tammi could persuade the Co-owners Representative Committee to abandon the use of this chute on this story alone.

[Tammi]

I remember seeing a safety video a few years back entitled "hospitals do burn" where one of the patients after being castigated by a nurse for smoking (and then later seeing her coming down the corridor) tossed his fag end down a laundry chute.

The resulting fire engulfed the building.

OK, laundry chute or garbage chute it wouldn't make a lot of difference.

That's scary. Maybe Tammi could persuade the Co-owners Representative Committee to abandon the use of this chute on this story alone.

I have tried to persuade them. Have told them that even China now does not allow garbage chutes because of fire and health dangers. I have given them articles found on the internet.

They responded by having a container made to fit at the bottom of the chute. Now the garbage does not go direct into a bin. The garbage in the container has to be raked out onto the floor and the maid (no overall, no wellies, no strong gloves) has to then put it in bins after she has extracted what she wants to sell.

But I will compile all your thoughts and make another presentation.

Please keep your ideas coming. The more condos I know of that have sensible garbage disposal the more strength I will have to sort this out.

[bmanly]

The condo where I stay has a wire cage with lids on them with 2 big green plastic bags in each. They are located in a corner that is not in your face if you are getting out of the lift. There is one on each level and all garbage goes in them. The cleaners empty those out each day and sort the bottles and plastic. If I have a drinking night I put all the bottles in 1 bag so it's easier for them to sort it, seems to work fine.