A mysterious litter-picker is answering calls from residents to clean up streets across Birmingham, gaining a massive online following as the city's bin strikes continue.
From Social Media Idea to City-Wide Clean-Up
The anonymous individual, who operates under the online alias DailyRubbish, began with a simple concept: to make litter picking appear appealing and motivate others to look after their local environment. He pledged to pick up one piece of rubbish for every new follower on his social media accounts.
Six months later, his following has exploded to a staggering 185,000 supporters, creating a huge 'debt' of litter to collect. While he posts short videos from various locations in the Midlands, a surge in requests from Birmingham residents has seen him focus increasingly on the city.
Answering Birmingham's Call for Help
His clean-up missions in Birmingham began roughly 50 days after he started his account, when he opened up to requests via comments, messages, and donations. "A lot of requests were from Birmingham," he told BirminghamLive.
His first filmed visit to the city, tackling a street in Sparkhill, garnered an impressive 2.8 million views. He has since been spotted in numerous areas including Alum Rock, Aston, Sparkbrook, and the city centre, often using a cart-on-wheels and litter picker.
He described the scene in Sparkhill, saying: "It was just rubbish piled up on the side of the curb, on the streets. Straight away when I got there, a guy said to me: 'It's a really dirty area' and 'wow you're going to clean here?'" The video attracted international attention, with comments from viewers in Australia and the US shocked by the scale of the problem.
The Impact of Strikes and a Mission of Inspiration
The litter-picker, believed to be in his 20s, identifies the ongoing bin strikes as a major factor in the current crisis. He explained that the issue goes beyond casual littering, with uncollected household bags being torn open by animals, spread by vehicles, and leading to persistent build-ups.
Despite some locals telling him his efforts are futile because the litter will return, he emphasises that his core goal is not just to clean, but to inspire. "I've had many people message me to say they've started litter picking because of me," he said.
He finds the Birmingham community particularly grateful and welcoming, stating it's a pleasure to work in the city. The rubbish he collects ranges from household waste like milk bottles to fly-tipped items, alcohol bottles, nitrous oxide canisters, and fast-food packaging.
Ultimately, his mission is about changing attitudes. "If 100 people watching it start litter picking - that's way more important than me," he said. "It's inspiring people subconsciously to think, to notice more litter in their area and start talking to their friends about it."
