A binman has urged caution regarding a food item that often ends up in the wrong bin (Image: coldsnowstorm via Getty Images)
Working as a binman isn’t a job for the faint-hearted, with early morning starts and relentless physical demands placed on staff, come rain or shine, throughout the year. These essential workers ensure our communities are maintained hygienically, tidily and cleanly.
They collect and process household rubbish, pulling wheelie bins towards large lorries where they can be hoisted up and emptied out. Once loaded into the vehicle, the waste is dragged forward before being compressed by a compactor blade to create space for additional waste. A binman has disclosed which common food item should never be placed in the food waste or recycling bin — and it’s something numerous households may be guilty of discarding incorrectly.
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Refuse collectors also handle commercial and business waste, with separate rounds dedicated to recycling.
Ashley, who shares content online as The No1 Binman, currently works as a refuse collector and regularly posts videos offering insight into the realities of the role, alongside guidance on proper waste disposal.
He’s accumulated a following of more than 160,000 on TikTok. In a recent video, he tackled a query about a commonly-used item — chewing gum.
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.
Chewing gum should be put in your general waste bin (Image: Grace Cary via Getty Images)
“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 subsequently addressed chewing gum wrappers, which numerous households incorrectly dispose of in their recycling containers.
Ashley continued: “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.”
Local authority websites detail which materials are recyclable and offer comprehensive catalogues of permitted products.
For paper materials, there are particular stipulations: “Paper, magazines, newspapers, junk mail, catalogues, phone directories and wrapping paper which is not plastic or metallic.”
Plastic or metallic coverings typically found on chewing gum packets should be discarded with ordinary household rubbish. Depositing unsuitable materials in your recycling container may lead to your refuse being left uncollected.
The refuse worker added: “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.”
Regional council platforms provide comprehensive guidance on appropriate waste disposal methods for various materials.