Binman Ashley, who runs the No.1 Binman account on TikTok, has warned that households attempting to hide waste underneath their recycling could face fines of up to £400. In a recent video, he said he can often tell which homes are doing it, and that he had encountered an example that very day.
Binman says he can tell when waste is hidden
“We know the houses that do it all the time. Today, I went to a bin you can feel for it,” Ashley explained. He added: “We know you do it so don’t get caught out. You think you’re clever and then you get left with the bin and then you’ll be like ‘what am I gonna do with it now?'”
The warning comes as local authorities are able to issue Fixed Penalty Notices for household waste breaches under the Environmental Protection Act (1990). Fines typically range from £60 to £80, but in severe, deliberate, or repeat cases, the penalty can reach as high as £400.
Birmingham bin strike continues
The warning arrives during the 19th month of the Birmingham bin strike, which has been all-out since March last year. Before the election, Labour Party council leader John Cotton said a solution to the dispute was “in sight,” while Unite said a potential deal was ready to be put to members. However, no agreement was reached before voters went to the polls in May, when Cotton lost his seat and control of the council.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham called the announcement a “vindication of the bin workers' struggle for a decent deal.” She said it followed months of “intense” negotiations to get the ballpark deal originally agreed last year “back on the table” so union members could vote on it. “I salute the fortitude of my members who have needlessly been forced to endure months of attacks and hardship to get us to this point,” she added.
Political reaction to the dispute
The city's Conservative group leader Robert Alden said Labour had put its political interests ahead of residents, calling it an “election stunt.” He said: “If Labour had a lawful deal, they would already have put it to the council to agree months ago.”
A Reform UK spokesperson said the authority had come back to the same deal which it rejected last year and “nothing has changed except the election timetable.”
