WASH-A-WHEELIE
Do you ‘wheelie’ know
what’s living in your bin?
ost of us put out the rubbish, wheel the bins
out on collection day, perhaps give them an
annual spring clean and then never really give
our dustbins a second thought. The most
complex bit is working out which week they’ll be
emptied, so why should we worry about our bins?
Well Ben Schoop of Leek based Wash-a-wheelie
explains: “Your wheelie bin can harbour germs and
bacteria. The Daily Mail’s Great Bin Revolt was a
campaign run a few years ago to increase awareness
of dangerous bacteria that can exist in our bins and
includes Salmonella, E-coli, Legionella, Clostridium,
Listeria and Yersinia Pestis (a relative of the black
death and associated with Crohn’s Disease).
“The campaign was used to convince councils to go
back to weekly rubbish collections. The environment
agency failed to listen and councils with stretched
budgets were unable to make the changes. This
doesn’t however change the facts.”
As Ben went on to explain: “In summer months the
issue is compounded as your dirty bins become a
breeding ground for flies and other insects that can
cause germs and bacteria to spread.
“There are things you can do however to reduce the
risk: Always ensure that the lid of your wheelie bin is
closed and do not overfill your bin. Also ensure that
waste food is disposed of quickly. Maggots will only
develop if a fly can make contact with the waste food
either in your kitchen or in your bin.
“Bagging your waste before you bin it. Some
councils suggest double
bagging waste food to
prevent contamination.
Although this keeps your
bin
cleaner,
the
consequence is that
you’re back to using
plastic bags or liners
(at your expense) which
won’t decompose as
easily. This defeats the
object of having a
wheelie bin. Plastic bags
are not suitable for use in
your recycling bin and
you need compostable
ones for your garden
waste bin.
“Regular cleaning of
your bin can be a messy
and time consuming
process unless you use an
M
32 Leek Life May/June 2014
expert. Licensed companies have systems to filter the
water. Householders need to be aware that when
hosing out their wheelie-bins, just like cleaning the car
has environmental issues.
“If any chemicals or bacteria in the surface water
enters the water table via the drains it can have an
adverse affect on the environment.
“Specialist wheelie bin cleaners will clean and treat
with deodorant and disinfectant. Check that they are
fully authorised by the recognised agencies such as the
environment agency and Severn Trent etc before
hiring someone to do the serious matter of processing,
transporting and disposing of effluent. All local
authorities are now imposing hefty fines up to
£50,000 for the incorrect disposal of waste.”
Ben who owns Leek based Wash-a-wheelie
ensures that customer bins are cleaned on a four
weekly cycle. Anyone wanting to know more about
cleaning their bins should call Ben on Tel. 01538
383710.
And as a thank you for his customer loyalty, Ben
currently cleans the bins at Haregate Community
Centre, which is used by a number of his customers,
including members of The Stroke Club. Which is why
Wash a wheelie will be holding a special charity
wheelie bin clean later this year to help raise funds for
the Stroke Club. Details of the event will be released
nearer the time.
Ben extended a huge thank you to all his loyal
customers and team of four, adding: “I must have the
best customers in the world and be supported by the
most dedicated team. I would like to thank my
employees Jon and Dawn for their ongoing support,
Carolyn from Reflections Coaching for her support
with staff development and Kevin of Ironage Designs.”
Ben Schoop
Was XK]