A refuse collector has revealed why they look inside bins before emptying them. The inspection is crucial for recycling bins due to strict regulations and potential fire hazards.
Why bins are checked
Ashley, who posts on the No. 1 Binman TikTok account, responded to a follower who questioned the practice. The follower argued that bins should be collected without checks since residents pay council tax.
Ashley explained: "The thing is, general waste, mainly yes. It goes in the back; you are not really looking for much stuff with that. Recycling, on the other hand, has to be the correct stuff."
Fire and contamination risks
He noted that vapes disposed of in recycling bins, which often contain paper, can cause fires. "There could be fires in the back of the lorry," he said. "We don't want fires in the back of a lorry, it is never good. That's the reason we check."
Ashley also highlighted financial reasons: "The council has to pay more if we take a lot of contaminated bins. The lorry will get rejected, and instead of getting money for the recycling, they have to pay for the general waste to take it away."
Gedling Borough Council added: "It takes just 5% of contaminated waste for a lorry load of otherwise recyclable materials to be rejected from the recycling centre. When this happens, that lorry load will be sent to the incinerator instead, along with your general waste."
