A refuse collector has warned of a common mistake many UK residents make with their bins, leading to them not being emptied. Ashley, known as the No1 Binman on social media and a self-proclaimed 'binfluencer,' regularly shares his rubbish wisdom with over 50,000 followers. In his latest clip, he highlighted an error that many people on his round make and subsequently blame on staff.
The Mistake That Leads to Refusal
Ashley captioned his video: "When Karen screams at you for missing her bin... but she put out the wrong bin." This prompted one TikTok user to advise: "How can you get it wrong? Every street has one of those neighbours who's memorised the bin calendar, you always follow their lead!" Another agreed: "I never remember what bin it is so I wait for my neighbours to put theirs out so I know." A third user told all 'Karens': "Be nice to the binmen and they are nice to you, not hard."
Ashley's Response to Complaints
Ashley has also revealed his "brilliant" comeback to people who tell him to hurry up while he is doing his rounds. Being a refuse collector is a physically taxing job that demands early morning starts throughout the year, regardless of weather conditions. In a recent TikTok clip, Ashley playfully showed his typical response: he sat in the front seat of a van, dancing and lipsyncing to Belinda Carlisle's 1989 track (We Want) The Same Thing. He added text: "When you want the binmen to hurry up. We always want to hurry up so we can go home!"
Standard Guide to Recycling Bins
In the UK, most councils follow a standard colour-coded system, but residents should check local guidelines as they may vary. Here is a standard bin guide:
- Mixed recycling (usually blue or green bins): Accepts cardboard, newspapers, magazines, empty plastic bottles, food/drink cans, and glass bottles or jars. It does not accept crisp packets, soft plastic films, or polystyrene.
- Food waste (usually brown bins or kitchen caddy): Accepts fruit and vegetable scraps, meat, bones, teabags, and eggshells.
- Garden waste (usually brown or green bins): Accepts grass cuttings, weeds, flowers, and small branches.
Ashley's advice aims to help residents avoid mistakes and ensure their bins are collected without issues.
