Households risk losing food waste caddies in autumn winds unless lids are clearly numbered.
A refuse collector has urged residents across the UK to mark outdoor containers now before seasonal autumn gales arrive in force.
Ashley, known on TikTok as The No1 Binman to his 214,600 followers, shared the advice as temperatures drop across the country.
He said: "It's that time of year where the wind starts picking up and if you have a food waste bin and don't have your number on it, it could end up a million miles down the road."
Householders often blame council collection crews when kerbside bins vanish, but collectors explain that empty food caddies weigh very little once emptied into lorries on collection rounds.
Ashley said: "It's not the bin men's fault, it's because they don't weigh a lot."
"So once you take the food out, they get put down and if they're not taken in straight away, they could end up down the road."
Numbers marked clearly on the top lid allow waste collection crews to return containers directly outside the correct property after emptying.
Ashley pointed out that identification stickers can be applied to food waste containers and standard general rubbish wheelie bins alike.
He added: "The bin men will make sure it goes right back outside your house and then it's up to you to go and get it."
The bin worker previously shared advice on marking bin lids to prevent bins from wandering across streets on collection day.
In addition to outdoor containers, guidance outlines steps to maintain hygiene in kitchen caddies as central heating turns on.
Kitchen containers should be emptied every two to three days during autumn to stop dampness, fruit flies and odours from developing.
Recommended Reading:
- Supermarket shoppers warned they still risk £100 parking fines despite rule change
- Rare Royal Mint 50p coin sells for more than 220 times face value on eBay
- Highway Code warning as UK drivers risk penalties over rule changes
Caddies should always be lined with official council-approved compostable or biodegradable liners to keep bins clean and stop liquids from leaking.
Hot scraps such as soup or leftover portions must also be allowed to cool completely before disposal, preventing condensation from building up inside the caddy.
Households should tie a tight knot in compostable liners before dropping them into outdoor kerbside bins to keep larger containers clean.
Retrieving emptied caddies as quickly as possible on collection mornings ensures containers will not blow away down the street.
Share