It’s frustrating to wheel your bins out for collection, only to find the wrong bin returned to your property—or worse, bins left abandoned in the street. Ashley, known online as ‘The No1 Binman’, has shared a straightforward solution he wishes everyone would follow to make sure bins end up back where they belong.
Ashley works as a refuse collector in the South East and has gained over 152,900 followers on TikTok by sharing helpful waste management and recycling advice. He often reads viewers' comments, some critical of bin services, but this time he explained the real challenge behind returning bins to the correct homes.
Contrary to popular belief, bin collection is not as simple as handling one bin at a time. Ashley clarified that collectors usually carry two bins simultaneously—one in each hand—and seasoned workers can manage three or four bins per trip. This makes it difficult to remember exactly which bin belongs to which house because, after all, all wheelie bins look nearly identical.
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To avoid mix-ups, Ashley suggests one easy step: clearly mark your house number on your bin’s lid. This simple action can save time and prevent your bin from getting lost or returned to the wrong place.
Since councils don’t typically provide numbered labels, Ashley recommends buying sticky number labels or using a bold marker pen to write your house number directly on the lid. While marker pens can fade or become dirty, number stickers designed for bin lids are more durable and require less maintenance.
By numbering your wheelie bin, refuse collectors can quickly identify and return it to your home, making bin day smoother for everyone involved.