A refuse collector has highlighted a widespread recycling blunder that many households commit, which can end up 'contaminating' everything else in the recycling bin, rendering it all unrecyclable. Throughout the UK, every council is legally obliged to provide household recycling collections, helping residents dispose of their waste conveniently. However, individual councils each have their own distinct rules concerning collection schedules, the number of bins provided, and which materials are accepted. Because of this, it can be confusing to know where to dispose of certain items.
This is where Ashley, a refuse collector known as 'The No1 Bin Man' on TikTok, comes in. With over 173,400 followers, he regularly shares top tips and tricks to help households make the right recycling choices, including highlighting common errors. In a recent clip, Ashley responded to a viewer's question about how to dispose of greeting cards, such as birthday cards, which are often made of paper but may contain other elements.
'What about birthday cards?' the viewer asked. Ashley expressed his dislike for birthday cards, calling them 'a waste of money.' He explained that if a card is just a normal paper card, it can go in the paper recycling bin. However, for handmade cards or those with elaborate features, careful consideration is needed. 'If it starts to have glitter or someone's drawn you a picture or painted a picture for you, then it cannot go in your paper recycling bin, it has to go in your general waste bin, because once it's got glitter and paint on it, it cannot be recycled,' the bin man said.
When a non-recyclable item ends up in the recycling bin, it can compromise the entire sorting operation. If the refuse collector spots the problem, they will reject the recycling bin. If it slips through undetected, it can cause the whole load to be turned away, damage machinery, and cause delays at the recycling facility, leading to higher costs for local authorities and taxpayers, according to RecycleNow. If the council discovers that a household repeatedly violates recycling regulations by placing prohibited items in their recycling bin, they may face warning notices and fixed penalty notices.
Because of this, Ashley encouraged people to avoid buying cards altogether and instead send a message on their phone or buy a scratch card. 'At least you can win something with it. Otherwise, it's pointless bits of paper being wasted,' he said. He clarified that a standard birthday card with a handwritten message can be recycled, but cards with embellishments like glitter, paint, or musical mechanisms should go in general waste.
