Council tax valuations

[Dave]

In article , Tony Williams writes

I came across two large conger eels dumped near my parents house, presumably taken home as trophies, that was pretty odd.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Have you registered here?

[Mary Fisher]

It's madness.

If one of my banties turns up her toes I can't bury her alongside all our past ones (killed by fox) in our garden but I have to call in the knacker. And pay for it because I haven't subscribed to the scheme.

There's a lot of wondering what happens to chicks which keel over, eggs which don't hatch etc ...

Mary

[Dave Liquorice]

But at least in 6 months time all that will be left is a pile of wool to blow about in the wind and heap of bones. Unlike yer average washing machine or fridge which will still be a bright white lump years later.

[Alan]

In message , Mary Fisher wrote

These schemes don't actually work for everyone and it doesn't stop the fly posting of hundreds of advertisements through the letter box. The total today alone fills a large waste paper basket. As the local recycling scheme excludes 'pamphlets' all this goes to landfill.

I've signed up to the telephone preference service and the level of junk phone calls I'm now getting is the same as it was 9 months ago. Most logged calls are number withheld, number unavailable or international.

I spokesman from the telecom industry was recently interviewed on a national radio station on the subject of junk phone calls. He said that in the past the cost of an international call was the reason why people didn't usually receive junk calls from abroad. However the cost of international calls is falling rapidly and the trend for routing calls over the Net is likely to make the cost insignificant. This _would_ lead to a massive rise in junk calls from places beyond UK control.

That's one of the few recycling initiatives that I have used - but you have to stuff the envelope with all the non-personalised junk you get.

[Mary Fisher]

Why? You'd have to put an awful lot into it to get more than 60g and make it cost more

Mary

[Dave Plowman (News)]

My experience is very different. From perhaps two a day - from people trying to sell double glazing etc, I'm down to about one a week - usually a pre-record telling me I've won some 'competition' or other. And no 'silent' calls.

I'd try re-registering.

[Mary Fisher]

I did it a few years ago and it's been wonderful. They can't stop calls from abroad - those nasty recorded American things saying you've won something - but apart from those I think we've only had about three non-allowed calls in all that time. I reported them and they were stopped.

Mary

[Alan]

In message , Mary Fisher wrote

I believe that automatic sorting machines have problem with 'fat' letters.

[Capitol]

AIUI, it is already largely solved. The scrap industry was sorting metals/plastics with a combination of methods and physical detectors 20 years ago. When shredded, fluidised bed techniques apparently work very well to separate out different densities of similar materials. As to whether it is cost or energy effective, I doubt it.

Regards Capitol

[Capitol]

Mary Fisher wrote: (Referring to banning junk mail)

I would point out that if you print off some sticky labels, saying "Unsolicited mail please return to sender" and then repost the letters etc, then the Post Office will remove your name and address from their CD of postal addresses, which drastically reduces the chance of new sources of mail sending in their garbage. As many companies use these CDs as a data base for who lives where, you will then find out from time to time that neither you or your house no longer exists!! Or your neighbours, if you have given them a few spare labels that you no longer need!

Regards Capitol

[Alan]

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" wrote

I tried that around a month ago - the web site said I was still registered.

The main problem is the International junk calls. The TPS has no powers in this area. It is becoming more annoying in that the scum leave long automated messages on the answer machine.

[Mary Fisher]

I send lots of 'Jiffy' bags, they get through undamaged the next day for normal postage.

Mary

[Mary Fisher]

Hmm. I might try that on the worst offenders. Those who think I want credit, health supplements and cable tv.

Mary

[Owain]

The cost of international calls already is insignificant (it's cheaper to phone Australia than it is to phone an 0870 number) and more than offset by the lower operating costs of overseas call centres.

Owain

[Mike]

I get "investment houses" phoning from New York all the time. I assume they must use the net because they sure know how to keep on talking no matter which way I phrase "f*** off"

[doozer]

I imagine that there are to many different components in recyclable rubbish for this method to be effective. You couldn't, for instance, shred the glass which is one thing we realy should be recycling because it's so easy. I agree though that a combination of sensors is the way forward. I am sure you could do fast finger prints with IR to separate out the different plastics.

That just leaves the problem of what to do with the fact that most bottles are really a collection of materials. I can't imagine companies that recycle plastic bottles like the glue that is used to stick the label to the bottle. It must contaminate their feedstock. I believe most plastic is actually just shredded and used as a filler in other products.

[doozer]

I have heard that the companies have an agreement to automatically bin any letters that require extra postage so your letter wouldn't get through.

[Mary Fisher]

So it's just the envelopes, with perhaps a bit of the literature so that it's not obviously empty.

Mary

[Mary Fisher]

Like Brown on Today today.

I rarely turn off the radio but did this morning. Then it came on again after ten minutes, some snooze function I think. So I got up.

The power of politics, eh?!

Mary