He came across as bewildered rather than grumpy, from what I could figure out. 
Bins & Rubbish
These comments are by no means directed at you but are in response to the comment you made and possibly the frame of mind [not being aware we have some issues with the rubbish].
I tried to take responsibility for this before after it became gross last time. Certain members jumped in for whatever reason and steam rolled the situation out of my hands. And put in a system that isn’t great and a lot of people dont understands.
People are genuinely trying to help but the responses they get aren’t helping.
It should be 100% obvious how to throw your stuff away in the space. Visitors should be able to use the bins.At the moment it’s a bit like a crystal maze game trying to work out which one to use.
A solution that 4 people understand is not a solution.
People like Sarah and me are trying to help and get little or no support or worse agro.
Some members are saying the space is not tidy enough and it’s generally met very negatively or with agro. Just seen as not a problem to some and those that do care just have to lump it. This is not inclusive.
The directors contribution to supporting the spring clean has been extremely disappointing. So far.
We need to review the waste situation properly. It’s not that hard but needs support.
- we need a decision on the company we use
- We could do with some decent bins in the space
- we need documentation
- something saying empty the bin when it’s X full.
- I’m not a fan of labels. I would go as far as saying I hate labels. But I think bins need them. Especially if there are different bins for different types of waste.
- the outside space needs sorting out as our area is probably currently the messiest on our row.
- Possibly a structure to keep the bins in outside. different outside bins?
- we don’t have enough outside capacity for waste. It just gets left in piles not in bins.
- get in touch with Quantum. Have a conversation about weather there are issues with the collections or not instead of jumping to ill informed conclusions.
- if someone takes on this work support them. And then perhaps then don’t undo it
As well as the logistics of this I think we have a problem with delegation (not just my opinion but some of the feedback from the governance review) at the space where a few people take on too much responsibility and ownership and make it hard for others to contribute. It’s been a long ongoing problem. That means people just end up getting frustrated, not coming or leaving. Not all the people that should be at the space are. And that sucks!!!
The bin issues are glaringly obvious to any one that’s bothered about it.
Who is going to do it is the real question?
But, why would anyone take this on when it’s literally the crappiest job in the space.
Historically if you do take it on your met with agro or called a clutter nazi.
And you probably won’t get much backing from those that should.
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Without wishing to sound like a complete xenophobe, the least to hope for when paying for a service is to be able to communicate with them. I’m sure Jose is a lovely chap and all, but it’s pretty ridiculous for us to not be able to communicate with him, especially considering there seems to be issues with the way our rubbish is dealt with.
Let’s please get a handle on things so that he can collect the rubbish without hindrance and stop the awkward situations where we have members not being able to communicate with him owing to a language barrier.
In short, either get this sorted to he can waltz in and take the rubbish away without having to speak to anyone, or if that is not possible for whatever reason, consider asking for a different operative or changing to another service provider.
It great that members are ready to do this.
I’ve now built a relationship – in the void where everyone else abandoned the issue – so we may as well keep this going as the the major work is now done.
Yes, I want to negotiate/communicate with him further so we both happier: but last times I’ve seen him he’s been smiling and friendly. Communication is ongoing, and I’m working to get it better.
I don’t see the need for updating signage and Discourse as the major issue it’s coming across as in this post. But I agree it needs to be done.
My main answer to this is that I’ve taken this on – reluctantly, as I’ve got plenty of other stuff to deal with. Absolutely would have had no problem delegating this one. And while on the subject: our whole @tech role system is about delegation/sharing of responsibilities.
Doing updated labels/signage could be a task to put on New members collaboration thread ?
I’ve been in contact with Jose and Javier many times – I’d have told anyone who’d asked me.
I would like someone to identify the bins that are ‘Crystal Maze-like’ and we can label them.
This feels like a very small problem, with easy fixes, being magnified by Discoure.
As far as I’m concerned the main work on this is already done, and now we need to improve it and communicate it, rather than instigate a root and branch review.
Re: Spring Clean. Yes, we could have shown you more support: get a poll up, or just set a date, and we’ll push it.
I have said I would update the existing signs, but I need information to put on there:
- For each kind of rubbish, what happens with it.
- What is allowed.
- What is not allowed.
- When the bags are collected
- Who to contact if there are issues.
Fair points made. Mainly agree. And in terms of rubbish we know what to do. Who’s going to step forward?
In terms of our structure and delegation processes there were conclusions made in governance that confirmed this needs reviewing. These views were nicely dismissed or conviently ignored. Highlighting the floors in the conclusions. Edit: maybe that’s too synical
Maybe this needs a sit down chat…
Re point 1-4: yes!
Re point 5: do you mean a member or the contractors details? Not sure the contractors details should nesserceily be on the bins. I think a we should have a key point of contact to correspond with them.
Points 5: I mean about the person at Makerspace to talk to if there is an issue with collection.
Cool. Thanks for clarifying. Agree
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Ok great. So if you are happy, and Quantum are happy, then we just need you to tell us the details of what you have agreed with them so that Tom can update the signs and I can update discourse. I think the questions that all members need to know the answers to are:
- What should we do with food waste?
- Does it make sense for us to separate recycling from general waste? If so, what is the best rule for separation? One bin for wet/dirty and one for dry/clean? Whatever the system is, it needs to be clear to everyone.
- What do we do when the wood bins are full?
- Should metal waste be in a smaller 10 kilo capacity bag by itself?
- What do we do when the two wheelie bins outside are full?
- Is there any difference between what type of rubbish goes in the two bins outside?
- What days and times are quantum supposed to come, and what do we do if they miss a collection?
These might sound like nit picking, but the point is that if people don’t understand the system, they don’t do anything, partly for fear of doing the wrong thing, and partly because of a general impression that we don’t really care about keeping the place clean so it doesn’t matter if bins are overflowing.
Hi,
I’ve updated the WiKi page, and many of those questions are answered there
I need to check what to do about non-food metal recycling as it seems sensible to separate this.
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Big thanks to Dermot for spending best past of bank holiday afternoon updateing the docomentation. Props!
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This is great, thank you for doing it. I recon it deserves an @ members on the updated page.
I guess the most sensible thing to do with sawdust and food waste is to have a separate bin in the woodshop clearly labelled for uncontaminated wood shavings/sawdust only, and then food waste could be bagged & tied in small compostable food waste bags and then added to the wood shavings bags. I’ll talk to the woodtechs and turners to make sure that makes sense and will then sort out a food waste bin and bags. Then also I could take those uncontaminated compostable bags to the school nature garden whenever we need a top up of sawdust for our compost loo.
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Yes, I’ll do this after a few more tweaks.
For the little extra effort needed to keep uncontaminated wood separate, and the much better outcome for that timber, it seems like an initiative I hope we’d embrace.
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Uncontaminated wood shavings/sawdust bin is IMO not possible
We have a scraps bin, (tall black one)
And a waste bin (everything else sweepings from floor, lathe benches etc.
Used gloves,sawdust, nails etc .
We do not have room for another bin!
The only uncontaminated sawdust is in the extraction bag … and even this lot has been contaminated with paint from the boards ed planed down .
How we could guarantee sawdust /shavings only is by having a dedicated bin under the lathe to collect the shavings directly from turning.
But then we would have to educate all users that absolutely nothing else goes in there.
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Depends on tolerable levels of contamination. Can probably guarantee 95%+ plus small amounts of glue, paint and assorted finishes, sandpaper grit…
Depends who’s taking it and what for I guess.
I’ve been steering people down the route or clean shavings and the other waste bag, and will clear out sandpaper etc…
If we collectively give pointers and stick some labels on can reasonable cope I reckon?
We have been putting shavings from lathe bed only (nothing from floor) in a plastic bag under the lathe that I believe someone is collecting for a composting toilet or similar.
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