No more panicked rush to pull on a dressing gown and the nearest pair of trainers to chase the bin lorry down the street – a new scheme, Bin Butler, remembers this hated household job for you.
Available in locations across the UK, Bin Butler is being launched by rubbish disposal experts, Divert.co.uk, who say the service will save many a time-strapped – or forgetful – household get on top of their rubbish collections.
“How many of us have chased after a bin lorry, dragging an overflowing bin behind us? It’s a weekly nightmare for many people,” Divert.co.uk spokesperson Mark Hall said. “That’s where Bin Butler comes in handy – no more forgetting to empty your bin and trying to squash it down for another fortnight to squeeze a few extra bits in.”
The statistics appear to back up that this is a regular problem. In a poll of 2000 UK residents run by Divert.co.uk, an overwhelming majority of people have had issues with forgetting to place their wheelie bins or boxes for collection. In fact, the figures below show it’s a regular problem – and even when we do remember, it’s not always the correct bin:
Have you ever forgotten to put your bin out for collection?
- Yes – 93%
- No – 7%
Do you forget to put your bin out on a regular basis?
- Yes – 43%
- No – 57%
Do you know which week each bin (glass, cardboard, general) goes out?
- Always – 26%
- Sometimes – 22%
- Never/I rely on neighbours – 62%
These numbers appear to show that ‘bin chess’ is still alive and well on our streets, with neighbours relying on each other to put the correct bin out, often resulting in a stand-off hours before collection. Others made excuses for their forgetful behaviour – with changing collection schedules, busy working lives and even rainy mornings blamed for failure to properly present bins for collection.
The Bin Butler service aims to solve all of these issues – for just £1 a week. Subscribers who are feeling neighbourly can add their next door neighbour’s bin onto the collection for just fifty pence, meaning that elderly neighbours or those meant to be helping neighbours on holiday can avoid the embarrassment of forgetting for a low cost.
Hall added:
“It’s a small price to pay – quite literally – to never miss your bin collection again. No more emergency trips to the tip to dispose of excess bin bags or mountains of uncollected cardboard, and no more waking up to the familiar sounds of the bin lorry and rushing to get your slippers on.
“Bin Butler could also be very useful for those working unusual shifts, with mobility issues, or those with memory problems: but make no mistake, if you just want the peace of mind of never forgetting a collection again, Bin Butler is here for you!”