There are many items that shouldn’t be put in the food compost bin or recycling, including a popular food which should always go in with general household waste – but many people get it wrong
Jess Flaherty Senior News Reporter
10:19, 11 Mar 2026
Binman Ashley at work(Image: Jam Press/@theno1.binman)
A binman has shared which common food item should never be put in the food compost or recycling bin and it’s something many people may be getting wrong.
Being a refuse worker is no easy feat, thanks to the early morning starts and constant physical labour demanded of staff – regardless of the weather.
These essential workers are responsible for ensuring our neighbourhoods are hygienic, neat and clean. They collect and sort through household waste, pulling wheelie bins towards a large lorry where they’re lifted and emptied.
Once inside the vehicle, the rubbish is dragged along then crushed by a compactor blade to make space for more. Refuse workers also collect commercial and business waste, and there’s a round for recycling, too.
Ashley, who posts online as The No1 Binman, is currently employed as a refuse worker and posts multiple videos shedding light on what the job really entails, as well as guidance on which waste items can go where.
He’s amassed more than 160,000 followers on TikTok – and, in a recent clip, he responded to a comment asking about a very popular product – chewing gum.
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Speaking directly to the camera, Ashley said: “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 moved on to discuss chewing gum wrappers, which are often put in the recycling bin – but this is a mistake.
The binman explained: “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 emphasise which items can be correctly recycled and list many products. Of paper products, there are rules: “Paper, magazines, newspapers, junk mail, catalogues, phone directories and wrapping paper which is not plastic or metallic.”
Plastic or metallic wrappers – often used in chewing gum packaging – have to go in with general household waste. You could risk your recycling not being collected if you have incorrect items in there.
The binman 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.”
Local council websites do offer detailed information on which items can go in which bins.