A binman known as the 'binfluencer' has issued a plea to residents: bag your food waste and keep your caddy out of direct sunlight to avoid a permanent stench. The self-styled expert, who goes by @No1.Binman on TikTok, shared his advice in a recent video aimed at helping households manage their food waste recycling effectively.
Bag It Up
In the video, the binman emphasized the importance of using liners or alternative materials for food waste caddies. He suggested investing in compostable liners or getting creative with items already at home, such as newspaper. 'Please bag it up, put it in a bag, maybe a newspaper - anything like that - perfectly fine, not a problem,' he said. 'But don't put it in loose, because then it's going to stink forever, or until you clean it out and you're going to be like "I'm not cleaning that, it stinks."'
Keep It Shaded
Another key tip from the binman was to keep the food waste caddy out of direct sunlight. He warned that sunlight can cause the waste to 'cook,' leading to unpleasant odors and attracting pests. 'Please stop putting your food waste caddies in the sun,' he urged. 'Put them out, but please don't put them directly in the sun the whole time. Most places have dark colours somewhere on them and they cook the food inside again. You open it up, flies, maggots, everything.'
He reiterated his points at the end of the video: 'Please, not in sunlight and please bag it up. Then everyone's happy, the smell goes when we empty it. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.'
Council Advice
Birmingham City Council echoes the binman's advice, encouraging residents to keep their outdoor caddy in a shaded area to reduce odors. The council also recommends cleaning the caddy regularly and ensuring lids are closed securely. When it comes to liners, the council states that any liner used, whether plastic or compostable, is removed during processing and not recycled. However, they assure residents that food waste will still be collected even if placed directly into the caddy without a liner.
