Millions of households could be making the same mistake with their recycling bins
Being a refuse collector is no job for the faint-hearted, with gruelling early morning starts and relentless physical demands placed on workers, regardless of the weather, throughout the year. These workers keep our communities hygienic, tidy and clean.
They collect and process household rubbish, wheeling bins towards large lorries where they are hoisted up and emptied. Once loaded into the vehicle, the waste is pushed forward before being compressed by a compactor blade to make room for additional rubbish. Now, one binman has revealed which everyday food item should never be placed in the food waste or recycling bin – and it’s something countless households may be guilty of disposing of incorrectly.
Refuse collectors also handle commercial and business waste, with dedicated rounds set aside for recycling.
Ashley, who shares content online under the name The No1 Binman, currently works as a refuse collector and regularly posts videos offering a candid glimpse into the realities of the job, alongside practical advice on correct waste disposal.
He has amassed a following of more than 160,000 on TikTok. In a recent clip, he addressed a question about a commonly-used product – chewing gum, reports the Express.
Speaking directly to the camera, Ashley explained: “What about chewing gum? Good question. Right, this one, it goes in your general waste, if you’re chewing it, finished with it; it goes in the general waste bin.
“It is not biodegradable – that’s why you do not put it in your food waste or your compost bin. It goes in your general waste because it can’t break down and go into the soil or whatever they make the food waste into.”
He then turned his attention to chewing gum wrappers, which many households mistakenly place in their recycling bins.
Ashley went on: “The wrapper for chewing gum, another good one, which would be, because it’s a combination of paper and aluminium. Because of the combination, it doesn’t go in either the recycling bin. It would have to go in your general waste bin.”
Council websites specify which materials can be recycled and provide detailed lists of acceptable items.
For paper products, there are specific requirements: “Paper, magazines, newspapers, junk mail, catalogues, phone directories and wrapping paper which is not plastic or metallic.”
Plastic or metallic wrappers commonly found on chewing gum packets must be thrown away with regular household waste. Putting inappropriate items in your recycling bin could result in your rubbish being left behind.
The bin worker concluded: “If you don’t believe me, get on your council website. They normally have an A-Z list on there. Have a little search up, it will say on there, and it should say, on most council websites, it [chewing gum] will go in your general waste bin.” Local council websites offer detailed advice on the correct way to dispose of a wide range of materials.
