Introducing ‘Bin Juice’ – The beer for the eco-conscious, for when you want to sesh with the squad but still respect the environment.

Want to have a drink AND do something good for the environment? While celebrating the hideous goo you find at the bottom of bins?

Boy, have you come to the right place, because two of the UK’s leading waste collection experts have gone into the brewery business together to raise awareness of the impact rubbish has on the planet while delivering tasty, tasty beer.

BusinessWaste.co.uk and Divert.co.uk’s new joint venture, ‘Bin Juice’, contains a range of flavours that aims to get people talking about Mother Nature and being an ethical choice for conscientious consumers by using recycled cans.

BusinessWaste.co.uk company spokesman Mark Hall says, “We’re always looking for new ways to get our eco-friendly message across, and who doesn’t need a drink after the year we’ve all had?”

“So kick back, relax, and get a Bin Juice down you – we’ve got the rubbish side of things covered.”

You’d better beer-lieve it!

The boozy new business venture between BusinessWaste.co.uk and Divert.co.uk has been brewing for a while and aims to get Britain talking about the environment while enjoying a refreshing can of ale.

“I’ve always wanted to make my own beer and this was the perfect opportunity,” says Hall.

“Once we drafted up the name for Bin Juice we knew we were onto a winner – who doesn’t want to drink something with a silly name?”

There’s something for everyone in the Bin Juice range, including the following flavours:

‘The Brown Bin’ – A nice earthy-toned brown ale
‘Hot Summer’s Day’ – A fruity sour beer
‘Black Bags’ – A nice stout
‘The Old Chair’ – A lemon and marshmallow premium flavoured beer
Hall: “All of our booze is completely rubbish-free, there is no bitter aftertaste and you won’t find any bin bags or bits of old chairs in your tinnie.

“The only thing rubbish about this ale is the name.”

The good news keeps flowing, as following Bin Juice’s success, a wine range using recycled glass bottles may be added to the collection.

Hall: “We know beer is not for everybody, so if you prefer wine glasses over beer goggles we’ve got you sorted.

“We’re thinking of calling it Chateau Binbag.

“Who knows, if the wine is a success maybe after lockdown we’ll keep going and open a pub called ‘The Dump’.”

Drinking at home? Yes, you can!

Bin Juice is the perfect beverage for drinkers who want to positively impact the environment, as each drink comes in a recycled can.

80 million aluminium and steel cans are sent to UK landfills every day, creating a mountain of waste that is doing nothing good for the planet.

Divert.co.uk and BusinessWaste.co.uk have tackled this growing problem head-on by recycling old cans for their Bin Juice range, reducing the amount that ends up rotting away in landfill.

Hall: “Each can will be thoroughly sterilised before being repurposed for Bin Juice, so you’ll be happy to know there are no actual bin dregs in your drink.

“All the packaging can easily be recycled again, so the only thing getting wasted is you.”

And if you’ve found yourself drinking more than usual in the last 12 months at home then you’re not alone, as it’s estimated that a quarter of UK adults have reporting drinking more while the pubs have been closed.

UK pub gardens aren’t set to reopen until the 12th of April, with indoor seating not allowed until the 17th of May under the current government roadmap out of Covid-19 restrictions.

And those itching to throw some shapes on the dancefloor in a nightclub will have to wait even longer until the 21st of June when all restrictions are lifted.

“Look, the pubs are shut and you’ve been stuck inside drinking for a year, so why not mix it up and crack open a Bin Juice instead of your usual tipple of choice,” says spokesman Mark Hall.

“Forget about the sticky floors of your local pub during this lockdown, grab a Bin Juice and let the good times flow.”

New self-cleaning re-useable facemasks to end face mask litter and plastic waste

‘State of the art’ open-source tech to combat PPE issues
‘Groundbreaking’ use of non-thermal plasma could allow for safer re-use of masks

Over 40% increase in demand for PPE has generated enormous excess waste since pandemic began.

Plans will be made open-source to allow scientists worldwide to tackle single-use PPE shortages.

The worldwide reliance on face masks in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic may soon become less, says waste collection company Divert.co.uk – as groundbreaking new technology may allow wearers to re-use the same mask safely.

Rapid decontamination technology being developed by researchers at the University of Southampton may mean that single-use masks, such as those worn by healthcare workers, carers and those in settings which require frequent changes to PPE to reduce transmission, may no longer be entering the waste disposal system on a colossal scale.

A state of the art ‘dry decontamination’ method uses printed electronics to create a material called non-thermal plasma, which can deactivate 99.9% of viruses very rapidly – and may eventually be used to create a decontaminating ‘pouch’ which used masks may be sealed into to allow the virus to be deactivated.

Dr Kim, of the Astronautics research group, said:

“Although many masks are made for single-use, they can be reused for a limited time if there is no risk of contamination from infectious particles on the surface.”

“Developing a safe decontamination method, therefore, can reduce acute shortages of masks and their environmental and economic burdens.

“This promising approach will use the viricidal capability of non-thermal plasmas to decontaminate masks without using biocidal chemicals with residual chemical residues. It will ensure the safe reuse of masks while maintaining structural and functional integrity.”

It’s a groundbreaking application of non-thermal plasma, a material that has previously been rejected for widespread use due to difficulties in both creating and applying it to the appropriate surface. Far from keeping this exceptional technological advancement to themselves, however, the team at the University at Southampton plans to make the plans for the decontamination treatment open source, allowing teams worldwide to use it themselves.

This incredible generosity could tackle a very real and sudden problem – that of an enormous increase in the single-use PPE used to fight the Covid-19 virus. Science magazine predicted the pandemic could be necessitating the use of 129 billion single-use masks worldwide per month, with 50 million a day in the UK alone heading to landfill, while the World Health Organisation has reported a 40% increase in the amount of PPE requested since the virus was first discovered. The sheer scale of PPE required is not only an environmental concern, however – it has lead to shortages across the world, placing healthcare workers and those most at risk in increasing danger of being exposed.

Worse still, a study released in July 2020 showed that this shortage is hitting low-income countries hardest – meaning the virus will have a disproportionately more devastating impact on communities that are already least-equipped to handle the financial and medical pressures of tackling a pandemic.

The team at the University of Southampton, led by Dr Min Kwan Kim and funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, maybe the answer – not just for the current pandemic, but for easing PPE shortages and safety concerns during outbreaks of other viruses in future.

Mark Hall spokesperson for landfill waste diversion experts Divert.co.uk says the firm is optimistic about the technology, both in the fight against Covid-19 and for the future of single-use items in healthcare generally.

He said: “They say innovation in science is often driven by crisis, and that is shown in very sharp relief here – it is truly extraordinary that the work being done by the Astronautics team at University of Southampton has the potential not only to address global shortages of PPE and dramatically reduce the environmental impact of our single-use PPE, but also help redress the balance of income inequality between countries and their ability to tackle future health crises.”

“Globally, we need to be able to respond to a crisis of any kind in a way that doesn’t undermine the very real work being done to reduce reliance on landfills, eliminate single-use items and plastics, and address environmental pressures.

“While responding to a sudden, urgent shift in need for items like PPE, it’s easy to let our broader goals slip beyond the horizon, but innovations such as this help us create robust, environmentally friendly ways of meeting demand without making environmental sacrifices.”

Just 1 in 50 tradespeople have waste carrier licences, putting customers at risk

Beware the ‘rubbish’ surprise when having work done in your home – just 1 in 50 tradespeople have waste carrier licences, putting customers at risk.

Tradespeople without a licence are falling foul of strict waste disposal rules – and are putting their customers at risk, says rubbish removal experts Divert.co.uk.

Shockingly, just 1 in 50 of the UK’s tradespeople – including plumbers, builders and electricians – have the correct waste carrier’s licence to allow them to dispose of waste products from their jobs. From ripped up carpets to old sinks replaced during a bathroom refit, anyone who removes waste from a property is liable for hefty fines if they’re caught disposing of the rubbish without the correct licences.

The rules on waste licences were introduced to reduce the number of fly tippers – and the enormous cost associated with clearing up fly-tipped materials, which cost the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs a staggering £57.7 million.

But it is not only tradespeople who have been affected by the change in rules.

The Government website explaining the rules of legal waste disposal notes that ‘anyone who produces waste has a legal responsibility and duty of care for their waste until it’s collected by a legal waste carrier’ – meaning unsuspecting homeowners trusting their friendly local builder to take away their waste without checking for a licence could be liable for fines, too.

A spokesperson for Divert.co.uk, Mark Hall, said:

“Imagine having your brand new extension built or your bathroom done, only to be slapped with a fine from the council? It sounds like a horror story from a Channel 4 documentary, but it can – and does – happen. If you’re hiring a tradesman for your home, you need to check they’re licenced to carry waste before they drive away. A reputable tradesperson will always be happy to share their licence with you, so don’t be worried about asking.”

“Unfortunately if your waste is found fly tipped by a questionable tradesperson and you can’t prove it wasn’t your doing, you’ll soon regret not checking before the work was carried out. No shiny upgrade to your home is worth a fine of £50,000 – or even a prison sentence.”

Many tradespeople may mistakenly believe they’ll get away with carrying waste without a licence – but local authorities have cracked down on offenders in recent years. In the case of roofer Stewart Gosling, who was hit with a £300 fine after storing his empty sandwich and crisp packets in a commercial waste bag in his van, some councils are being exceptionally stringent.

Waltham Forest Council said of Gosling’s fine: “Regardless of what the items are, if waste is being stored in a commercial refuse bag in a trader’s van it is necessary that they have a valid waste carriers’ license.”

A sobering thought for those who may have considered the odd job to be safe enough – and one which Divert.co.uk is keen to note is easily avoided.

Hall continued:

“For under £200 – just £154 for the initial application – and a bit of paperwork, a tradesperson can be licenced to move and dispose of waste. Even those who qualify for the upper tier, such as those who move rubble or pipework, only have to renew their licence for £104 every three years.

“Peace of mind for customers, a legitimate licence for your business and no fear of being fined for a few leftover crisp packets: it’s a no-brainer.”

12.5 million school uniforms go into the bin this morning

New unused uniforms are heading to landfill as schools return – and parents’ beloved easy-iron is an environmental disaster’

As the nation’s schoolchildren head back to classrooms on Monday, millions of pieces of clothing could be heading to landfill.

There are 6.25 million school-age children in the UK according to the Department for Education – and, as the Government begins its plans to get the nation back to normal, they are heading back to schools as of Monday 8th March.

But what, asks rubbish disposal experts Divert.co.uk, is to become of the uniforms they have outgrown in the year since most students have been in full-time school?

Children – particularly primary age children, of which there are 4.5 million in the UK – outgrow uniform on a regular basis, with many parents bemoaning the cost of kitting out each child with several new sets of trousers, skirts, polo shirts and blazers each year.

“It costs a fortune,” says Kerri, 32. “I’ve got two children in primary school and even the cheapest supermarket uniform adds up when you need to buy a few pairs of trousers, a few polo shirts, a few jumpers – they’re filthy after one day, so you need plenty in the wardrobe.”

Lara, 36, agreed. “I’ve got no choice – I’m going to be sending my little boy in trousers that look like shorts until I can get some in a bigger size… after that they’ll get binned, because he looks ridiculous.”

Divert.co.uk is warning that these multiple pieces of uniform for each child could be heading to landfill as parents realise their little ones have shot up since lockdowns began.

Mark Hall, spokesperson for Divert.co.uk, said:

“If each school age child has outgrown two pieces of uniform – and that’s a conservative estimate, as many will have multiple items – then that could be 12.5 million pieces of clothing heading for landfill. Add to that the fact that many uniform pieces, especially for primary age children, are not biodegradable, and we have something of a small environmental disaster on our hands.”

Many uniform items are marketed as easy care or ‘no iron’, appealing to time-strapped parents who want fuss-free mornings with their children. But non-iron shirts, shorts and skirts are made with polyester – which, as a synthetic material made from petrochemicals – does not biodegrade.

It’s clear to see that a mass dumping of outgrown uniforms will be introducing colossal amounts of permanent waste into the environment – but what alternatives do parents have?

Hall continues:

“Now is the time for parents and schools to think smart – many families will have bags full of barely worn uniform which could easily be given to children in lower school years and get plenty of use. Schools or parent groups should be organising Covid-secure swap ‘sales’, where you donate your old uniforms to the school or a designated point and are given uniform in the size you need in return. That way, most people will be able to replace their children’s uniforms for free, and countless pieces of clothing won’t end up going to landfill unnecessarily.

“Schools could have donation bins outside the drop-off point for parents, allowing for a safe and easy way to drop old uniforms off, and teachers could even help coordinate during the school day – if they spot a child wearing their trousers at half-mast, it’s easy enough with parents’ permission to give them a suitable pair to swap into.

“Of course, parents may organise this informally amongst themselves, too – speaking to friends with similar-aged children can often yield great results, especially when most uniforms bought last year will have had hardly any wear. You’ll get almost-new items for your children and save a landfill catastrophe all at once.”

The perfect night’s sleep is the ultimate quest for many – but is our growing love of Instagram-friendly mattresses with generous returns policies doing more harm than good?

In recent years, a glut of social media-savvy businesses have sparked a revolution of mattresses fit for the social media age. Bright, modern designs and lofty promises of space-age technology designed to provide a restful slumber have charmed thousands of buyers, especially thanks to their consumer-friendly returns policies.

“They turn up in a box, with next day delivery, and you can send it back if you hate it – and there are always voucher codes online so you never pay full price,” says Lara, 29, who purchased one such mattress this year. Other buyers agree that the appeal of these mattresses is in the ease of purchase and the generous returns policy, with 26-year-old Matt commenting: “If you’ve got to sleep on it every night, it has to be perfect. I wouldn’t spend hundreds of pounds on something for it just to give me backache and then not be able to return it.”

Many of these modern mattress firms offer long ‘no quibble’ return guarantees, giving consumers upwards of three months, some even 365 days to try out their sleep-giving properties before either keeping or returning the mattress. Divert.co.uk, a rubbish removal expert, say these policies are causing an unacceptable rise in landfill waste – and should be banned.

A spokesperson for Divert.co.uk, Mark Hall, said:

“These returns policies might seem like a no-brainer for buyers – and some companies promise returns are refurbished and re-sold, appealing to the eco minded consumer. But the more sinister reality is that hundreds of these mattresses are returned each day and, in order to cope with demand, brands use cheap local waste removal firms who are taking them straight to the tip – destined for landfill.

“Firms should be required by law to limit their returns policies to a period which means most returned mattresses can be refurbished, cleaned, and resold – or face hefty fines for unnecessary pollution.”

“We’ve been offered various contracts to collect these perfectly good mattresses and turned them down as we refuse to take them to landfill, which is what is demanded from the client”

Pollution is even more of a key issue with modern mattresses, Divert.co.uk warns, due to the rise in demand for memory foam mattresses.

While comfortable and supportive to sleep on, memory foam is made from polyurethane, a type of plastic. While recyclable in some forms, once the material has been made into a foam, it can’t be returned to another form – diminishing its re-use potential. Additionally, many mattresses – while they do contain other, more easily recycled materials such as metal springs or fabric coverings – tend to be sent to landfill whole. This further worsens their environmental impact: a high price to pay, even for a peaceful night’s sleep.

Hall continued:

“Even something as small as mandating that mattresses should be stripped to their constituent parts and recycled before disposal could have an enormously beneficial effect. The impact that this boom in mattress sales could have must be caught before it is too late – and it requires bold moves and truly environmentally-friendly thinking by legislators. Shortening return times and requiring any reusable material to be stripped is the very least we can do to avoid sending thousands of tonnes of useless plastic to landfill after just months of use.”

Divert.co.uk has produced a guide on how to get rid of your old mattress.

The urban legend that’s not worth dying for

Every few years the ridiculous urban legend of burning bins to get high comes back round again, and with lockdown boredom on the rise it seems that Britain’s most stupid are back in town.

According to waste removal specialists Divert.co.uk, the original myth that began over a decade ago claims burning wheelie bins and sniffing the fumes has the same effect as highs from recreational drugs. Fact-check: It does not.

But now the word on Stupid Street is that different bins will give different highs, which Divert.co.uk says is absolute rubbish.

“The rumour has been doing the rounds for over a decade now, and every couple of years we hear of a resurgence in bin thefts and fires related to people chasing the idea of cheap highs,” says company spokesman Mark Hall.

“It’s incredibly dangerous and you could end up dead. Like actual dead-dead.”

Fumes are not fun

The craze, which last saw a major resurgence in 2017 with an 100% increase in reported cases, seems to be on the up due to lockdown boredom during the Covid-19 pandemic, with many recreational facilities closed and individuals looking for new ways to get their kicks.

While not every burnt bin is drug-related (as some of them could just be arson), police reports indicate that some perpetrators are doing it solely to get high.

Wheelie bins are made from high density polyethylene, which releases carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide into the air when set alight.

These dangerous gases can starve the brain of oxygen, creating an intense headache that people misinterpret as a ‘high’.

So in fact, you’re not actually getting high off of a burning bin – you are actually slowly killing yourself. And that’s before we even think about what potentially hazardous items are in the flaming bin to start with.

As for the new rumour about different colour bins giving different highs, particularly brown bins,  Divert.co.uk spokesman Mark Hall says it’s believed that different dyes used to make coloured bins give off different fumes.

“Ultimately, all wheelie bins are made of the same plastic and will all give off the same hazardous gases, so saying specific colours will make you more intoxicated is just a new twist on an already dangerous trend.”

While no one has been reported dead from huffing bins, Divert.co.uk are concerned that it’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt.

“There’s a whole list of things that could go wrong, ranging from serious injury or dying from the fumes – to starting a major fire which could put others at risk.”

“You don’t know what someone might have put in the bin, one rogue aerosol could cause an explosion and kill you.”

Stop ‘arson’ about

Stealing bins is theft and burning them is arson, so not only is bin burning hazardous to your health, but it will also get you a criminal record.

Divert.co.uk advise businesses and households to chain up their bins or keep them safely stored away from prying eyes to prevent adding fuel to the fire.

“If nothing, having your bin nicked and set fire to is a huge inconvenience. Someone has to clean up that mess and it’ll be such a hassle getting new bins with services running on limited lockdown capacity.”

So if you’re running around and huffing bin fires trying to get high, Divert.co.uk’s very own ‘Rubbish Spice’ Mark Hall says, “stop right now, thank you very much”.

What’s in your messy drawer?

Fess up – Every household has one

There are some unwritten rules that we all blindly follow in our homes, such as keeping all your carrier bags inside another carrier bag or putting clothes that have been lightly worn in a pile.

But the junk drawer is a thing of beauty – no one sets out to create one but somehow, all your odd bits and bobs find their way in, and before you know it you’ve lost track of what’s even in there.

Rubbish removal experts Divert.co.uk are no strangers to sorting out clutter and after conducting an online poll on messy drawers found that on average, items get abandoned for four years.

“We all do it, and you can picture now exactly which drawer you’ve been blindly throwing miscellaneous items into never to be seen again,” says company spokesman Mark Hall.

“It’s time to open the drawer and face the rubbish you’ve been hoarding for once and for all.”

The usual suspects

Messy drawers are the go-to place to shove everything that has nowhere else to go, but do you even know what you’ve been putting in there?

On-demand waste removal specialists Divert.co.uk asked 1800 customers to have a riffle through their messy drawers in an online survey to see what items were most likely to be banished to the junk drawer.

The most common items exiled to the drawer were:

Batteries – Usually out of the packet, and most likely do not work.

Instruction manuals for appliances – remember the toaster that broke three years ago? Still holding onto that manual JUST IN CASE.

Random keys – Are they for the windows? Are they spares for the back door? Are they even for your house?

Spare screws – You kept the spare screws for the ever-so-sturdy bookcase you built five years ago on the off chance it’ll fall apart. It hasn’t.

Wet wipes – The little ones from the takeaway that they always give you too many of, that might be usual if you remembered they were in there.

Desk items – Paperclips, rubber bands, and Sellotape which has mostly run out.
Takeaway menus – Even though most of the family order from apps now and the menus have changed in the last few years.

Old technology – You could open a museum of iPhones past and present with the collection you have in the drawer, not forgetting the tangled mess of old chargers!

And the average time something’s been in the drawer? According to our survey, it’s four years – although some people owned up and said “decades”.

Weird and wonderful things kept in the messy draw

• Baby teeth – Diana 53 “The kids have left home now”

Keys to the old house – John 38 “I honestly don’t know why I have them”

Lock of an exes hair – Taylor 44 “Yeah I should throw that out”

Old photos bought from a charity shop – Rhona 72 ” I have no idea who they are, but they do look so happy”

WW2 used bullet case – Tom 33 “My Grandpa gave it to me, I don’t want to throw it out”

Taxidermy Mouse – Dan 34 “I bought it off ebay”

Hall: “You have the usual suspects that most people seem to be hoarding, but sometimes people stash bizarre items such as birthday cards from exes or the ashes from old pets in their drawer.

“If you’re rummaging for batteries only to discover Fido’s remains in a box under a pile of Chinese menus – it’s definitely time for a declutter.”

How to get organised

You may have lost hope with sorting out your messy drawers, but thankfully Divert.co.uk has some tips for how to transform it into a useful space and finally ban the clutter.

The first thing you need to do is to take everything out and assess what you’ve actually got hidden away, and give the empty drawer a good clean.

Hall: “Considering most things spend on average four years in the drawer, you’re very likely to find things you completely forgot you had, so don’t be ashamed to throw things away that have found no purpose in this time.

Once you’ve faced the music and finally parted ways and correctly recycled the empty batteries and the instruction manuals for old appliances, it’s time to start categorising what is left.

Organisers such as Marie Kondo have perfected the art of organising spaces, providing plenty of inspiration if you’re stuck on where to begin.

(We’re totally aware that Marie says to throw out anything that doesn’t give you joy, and that leads us to think she is blissfully unaware of the concept of the junk drawer. But bear with us.)

A KonMari staple is the use of small containers or trays inside of drawers which she calls Hikidashi boxes, to separate different items to make them more accessible.

Instead of splashing out on a purpose made set, you could use old Tupperware boxes or ice cream tubs, anything that fits inside the drawer to help sort the spare batteries from the stationary items.

Hall: “Junk drawers by nature will end up in a mess within a few months if you don’t keep on top of them with regular tidy ups.

“Otherwise it’ll be another four years until that last bit of Sellotape sees the light of day again.”

More poo than people on the streets

Walking the dog has become one of the few opportunities to get outside for some fresh air during lockdown, but it has come at a stinking, germ-ridden cost..

A man and van rubbish collection company says that dog poo litter is up 200%, a clear indicator that not all dog owners are cleaning up after their pups. Just as bad are those who bag the poo, and then dump the bag in the street or up a tree.

Divert.co.uk who provide dog poo litter removal for councils and private landowners are alarmed by this increase and the implications this could have for public health and are calling on irresponsible owners to pick up after their dogs.

“It is disgusting to see that some dog owners are failing to pick up after their pets, when it’s an offence and the waste can lead to serious illnesses,” says Divert.co.uk spokesperson Mark Hall.

“There is more poo than people on the streets of the UK right now.”

Lockdown littering

With Lockdown Three in full-swing, current England guidelines allow for people to walk their dog alone, with their households or support bubbles, or while exercising with one person from another household.

Hall: “Walking your dog is important for both pet and owner for exercise, especially while we are all house-bound during the lockdown.

“Unfortunately, thanks to the thoughtless behaviour by a few individuals, dog owners are once again getting a bad reputation due to a massive increase in dog mess on the streets.”

Divert.co.uk believe that due to fewer people being out and about, irresponsible dog owners believe they are less likely to get caught, so are more like to leave the poo and run.

Thankfully, not all dog owners will leave poo on the pavement, as waste campaigners Keep Britain Tidy, who have run high profile campaigns such as the ‘dog poo fairy’, have found that 9 out of 10 dog owners do regularly clean up after their dog.

The 10% who do not clean up after their dog could be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice of up to £100 for failing to pick up their dog’s waste, which could go up to £1,000 if the issue goes to court.

“There really is no excuse for this behaviour, especially as the waste can be put into any public bin,” says Hall.

“It’s lockdown laziness, especially those guys who bag the mess, then don’t bin the bag. Get a grip!”

Poo pollution that can make you poorly

Not only is dog poo on the streets unsightly, but it could also be hazardous for you and your family’s health.

In extreme circumstances, contact with dog poo can cause toxocariasis, an infection which can lead to dizziness, nausea, asthma, and in worse case scenarios, blindness, or seizures.

And even more unfortunately, it’s often children who are the poor victims of falling into dog poo and putting themselves at risk of catching a nasty infection.

One girl, aged 5, was traumatised and physically sick after falling face-first into dog poo at a Halifax park, which was poorly disguised under a pile of leaves.

Emelia was walking home from school when she fell, and her mum is now calling for dog owners in the area to be more responsible, especially on busy routes around the school where children are more likely to fall into it.

Likewise, an 18-month-old ended up with a ‘face full of’ dog poo while out on a daily walk with his mother in a pack in Ascot, and just after the first national lockdown, one Scottish family had a close call as their 11-month-old picked up and ate dog poo in a local picnic area.

Hall: “We understand, it’s cold and we’ve had some snow recently, but thinking it’s quiet enough to get away with leaving it is no excuse not to pick up after your dog.

“The snow will eventually melt away, but your dog’s frozen turd will still be there for some poor bugger to step in.”

Divert.co.uk pitched a bin-based battle of the sexes, finding men less full of neighbourly love

Whether we like it or not, the last 12 months have seen us stuck indoors, generating more waste at home. But despite the marked rise in domestic waste during lockdown, and communities pulling together to protect each other from COVID-19, you can’t really count on your neighbours to take your bin out if you’ve forgotten – at least if they’re a bloke.

A new survey by rubbish removal company Divert.co.uk polled 1,600 members of the British public about whether or not they’d take their neighbours’ bins out if they’d forgotten to do it themselves. Luckily, forgetful Brits have a two-in-three chance that nearby residents will bail them out: 67% (1,080 of 1,613) say they’d wheel out waste for absent-minded locals.

However, the poll found women twice as likely as men to carry out the task, completely obliterating the stereotype that taking bins out is a “man’s job”. Of the 739 women surveyed, 671 (91%) said they’d bail out a scatterbrained neighbour, while just 409 men out of 874 (47%) would do the same.

Despite being at home all day with nothing to do, some men showed a mixture of laziness and pettiness for their decision to pass on the opportunity to help their neighbours:

“Take his bins out? He’s always blocking our shared driveway.” Joe, Addingham
“Maybe. Maybe not. Depends if it’s raining.” James, Middlesbrough
“He’s never taken mine out. Why should I do the same for him?” Chris, Walsall
“He supports Man United. No chance.” Usman, Tameside

Meanwhile, women often appeared more aware of community spirit, or simply

“I’m more able to do it than some of my neighbours – two of them had to shield, so it’s the least I can do to help.” Rebecca, Kettering
“For the last two years, me and the other women on my road have been in a WhatsApp group, and we remind each other on the day, and get each other’s bins if we forget.” Agnieszka, Hull
“Coronavirus has helped us grow closer over the last few months, even if it’s just over the fence. You’ve got to help each other out.” Susan, Eastleigh

And yet, it’s more critical than ever to make sure your bins get emptied, thanks to changing habits:

Last October, the Local Government Association found that eight in ten councils had seen a “surge” in recycling collection volumes, with some even reporting double their pre-coronavirus takings;
In 2020, Brits took home 20% more booze, meaning more bottles to dispose of; Single-use plastic use in the UK boomed, especially due to PPE; and Bin collections are often delayed by understaffed crews due to self-isolation or positive COVID tests, as well as snow and ice in recent weeks.

Car charging cable theft on the rise. Is your electric vehicle safe from the metal thieves?

With the UK set to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, the future of the motor trade industry really is electric, but that’s leading to a new type of crime – the theft of car charging cables.

With this metal theft on the increase, a trusted waste disposal company asks: Can you leave your expensive new car to charge outside without someone making off with the cable?

Rubbish removal company Divert.co.uk say that you shouldn’t leave your electric charging cable outside your home, as scrap metal thieves have labelled them as must-have items.

“Car chargers are particularly appealing to thieves because they can be sold for up to £200 and they are selling them everywhere, eBay, Facebook, and to dodgy scrap dealers,” says company spokesman Mark Hall. “And they can be pretty costly and inconvenient for you to replace, so it’s best to keep it locked away from the crooks.”

Easy money for organised thieves

Unfortunately, metal theft is nothing new – and it seems that every new technological development brings with it a new type of crime.

While we are used to the copper in telephone cables and lead from church roofs being targeted by organised thieves, the metal in electric car chargers is becoming increasingly sought after by thieves looking to make quick money.

“With more people going green and choosing electric cars over petrol and diesel, there are more charging cables available for thieves to target,” says Divert.co.uk spokesman Mark Hall.

At the start of 2021, there are over 300,000 electric and hybrid vehicles on the road in the UK**, and plug-in cars accounted for one in ten of all cars sold in the UK in 2020.

Although many electric vehicles have systems in place that lock the charger into position, allowing the owners to leave the car charging securely overnight or while they are shopping, these security measures aren’t always fool-proof.

Tesla owners have noticed this winter that the locking mechanism wouldn’t work due to the freezing weather, causing cables to become detached from their vehicles which made them easier to steal – which prompted the automakers to release a ‘cold weather improvements’ software update to counteract the problem.

Hall: “This just goes to show that even the top-of-the-range models are still having teething problems with chargers, leaving them vulnerable to being stolen.

“And at £200 a pop, running off with a cable is easy money for any thief looking to strike it rich.”

What can you do to protect your electric car charger?

Charger cables are an expensive but essential accessory to replace and could cost you a small fortune if goes missing – so it’s in your best interest to prevent it from being taken by thieves.

If you’re concerned that your car charger could be stolen, Divert.co.uk spokesman Mark Hall has some ideas which could help secure your cable.

The simplest solution is to padlock the cable to your vehicle while charging it at home or out and about, similarly to how you would secure a bike with a bike lock.

Hall: “You should try and keep the charger locked when it’s not in use too, or even better would be to bring it inside and hide it in your garage.”

Speaking of which, another possibility, if you are charging your vehicle at home, is to powerup from while parked up inside your garage, out of sight from potential crooks.

But if you don’t have the option to charge inside, it’s best to park with the charging point nearest to your house, to keep the cable discreet to potential thieves driving by.

Hall: “Most charging cables available for public use are tethered to try and prevent people from making off with them, and you can purchase similar devices to be used at home.

“Because if it’s not bolted down or locked away – someone will try to pinch it.”