What is it like to be a waste collector in Devon?

“On today’s route I think there’s 1,306 bins… it’s just non-stop straight through,” says refuse collector Mitch.

Mitch, who has worked for Teignbridge Council for five years, said he could walk as many as 25,000 steps a day while completing his work.

Council officers set a route which the refuse collectors learn, he said. Their knowledge includes the homes of residents who are elderly or have disabilities and need them to go into the property to collect the bin.

Mitch said the job was what the collectors made of it. “It’s a pretty standard job, put the bins on, enjoy the sun, crack on and have a laugh.”