Blackburn with Darwen Council produces positive videos to promote their bin collection teams
Blackburn with Darwen Council have made two films promoting the work their recycling collection teams do.
These films gave residents real insight into the collection team as people, who turned out to be real characters.
It gave them a voice to be able to discuss the issues they come up against and inform and educate residents of how they’re able to help them do their job better.
These films gave residents real insight into the collection team as people, who turned out to be real characters.
It gave them a voice to be able to discuss the issues they come up against and inform and educate residents of how they’re able to help them do their job better.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Hi, my name is Sam Quine, Digital Report for the Lancashire Post, and Blackburn with Darwin Borough Council have produced videos promoting the work that their recycling collection team do.
00:12The films gave residents a real insight into the collection teams as people who turned out to be real characters.
00:19It gave them a voice to be able to discuss the issues they come up against and inform and educate residents on how they're able to help them to do their job better.
00:29This resulted in several people coming forward to express their thank you to the bin collection teams.
00:36One of them was four-year-old Rory's mum, Andrea. Rory has been waving to the teams since he was a baby and loves watching them every week.
00:48To thank Rory for his dedication, he received a nice surprise from the refuse collector, Paul.
00:59So today, we've got 1,433 properties. That's if everybody's got one bin. If people's got two bins, three bins, you have to rematch yourself in one thing.
01:16I'm just watching everything that's going on at back, front, sides, making sure that lads are safe, making sure there's no coming, no pedestrians.
01:27People nowadays, they don't want to wait. They want to get to where they want to be straight away.
01:32These tight corners, you can't get round with everyone's parts. Think about, you know, for just two or three hours of your day on one day a week, just be mindful that your bins are going to be emptied.
01:43Let's try and make it as easy as possible for them to get in and get out.
01:48You've got to make it fun when you're working, especially when it's raining. It keeps lads happy. That's the way to do it. Have the banter and laugh. Otherwise, they won't carry on. They'd stop.
02:02Something I'd tell the whole borough would be to recycle more.
02:06Firstly, you've got a wagon load of paper cart, and then you start putting bin bags in with food in, glass in. When it goes to the factory, the recycling factory, it can contaminate the full loads.
02:19So it's then costing council lots of money.
02:23It is a physically demanding job, not going to lie, and it does take its toll on your legs. You do go home and you can go to sleep straight away.
02:31I reckon I do about 30 miles a day.
02:34It's enjoyable. I enjoy it. Not going to lie. You've got to give 100% when you work, otherwise quit doing it.
02:50On average, you're doing over 1200 plus properties per day. On your bigger rounds, you could be doing up to maybe 2000 properties.
03:01That's just the properties. When you're on recycling, you can have multiple bins. Certain residents will have two bins, three bins, maybe four bins.
03:12This vehicle, from front to back, is probably around 25 foot, roughly.
03:19On some streets, you go down, you've got a turning circle of probably about 15, 20 foot.
03:26So you've got to make sure you position it right, and maybe have to do a few shunts to get it backward and forth without knocking a wall down.
03:36People nowadays, they don't want to wait. They just want to get to where they want to be straight away.
03:42So that's when they start getting aggressive, clipping.
03:44Some days, they'll come straight to the front of the vehicle, and they won't move. They won't want to go backwards.
03:49It's damn near impossible. This car's behind us, and this car's in front of us, where we're meant to go.
03:54So that's another thing that causes people to get, I think it's red mist, cold rage.
04:02I think it's red mist, cold rage, and it's every single day, and it's a bit annoying.
04:11Keep smiling.
04:13What do you mean about contamination? There's food and all sorts in the mud today. Slugs.
04:21That's pretty tame, is that one? No, no, a lot worse than that.
04:24We'll get a label now, put a label on it, and then I'll put it on the iPad, but it's contaminated me.
04:34Basically, you've got a wagon load of paper.
04:37Basically, you've got a wagon load of paper card, and then you start putting bins on what's got black bin bags in with food in, glass in, and paper card.
04:47When it goes to the factory, the recycling factory, it can contaminate the full loads.
04:53So it's then costing council lots of money.
04:56Also, on a daily basis, we've put up with car drivers screaming, aggressive, violent.
05:03They swear at you, they call you fit to burn, and some of them chuck stuff at you, but we just have to get on with it.
05:11You get behind, you come right up behind you, this blue car, and you're thinking, what's he doing stopping?
05:15But we're stopping to put bins on.
05:17You get behind, you come right up behind you, this blue car, and you're thinking, what's he doing stopping?
05:21But we're stopping to put bins on.
05:25See what I mean?
05:27Get some work done.
05:38We do get residents who are really hard work, and they really do try and test your patience.
05:44Even though you're trying to explain to them what the situation, the problem is, they still don't want to listen to you, and they're still adamant they're right.
05:56It's always nice when you get thanks.
05:57I mean, you know, you do appreciate it.
06:00You don't realise how many people do actually appreciate the service, to be honest.
06:05A lovely Asian lady, we take her bins back, because she's getting on a bit.
06:08So we take her bins back, put them next to her back doors, because sometimes she comes out with biscuits.
06:13Christmas time, she comes out with some chocolates.
06:18But obviously, I'm on a diet, so I don't eat them.
06:35Who are you waiting for, Rory?
06:36Bin, bin, bin.
06:37Oh, yeah.
06:39When Rory was 11 months old, Grandma started looking after him at home.
06:46Every Tuesday, Grandma thought it would be a really nice thing to do, to show Rory the bin bin and collecting all our bins.
06:54He's been waving at the window.
06:56Then when he started to get a little bit older, he started to come out and say hello and wave.
07:00They started to recognise him a little bit.
07:03Christmas of 2021, we gave them a little thank you for just making his Tuesdays so fun and special.
07:11And they actually, on the same very day, they gave him a little Refuge toy bin truck lorry as a little Christmas present as well, which was super cute, super special.
07:23And, yeah, just to say thank you for all the Tuesdays that they've put a smile on Rory's face.
07:33Dad!
07:34What?
07:35Christmas!
07:36Why?
08:03Oh, look at that!
08:05Oh, look at that!
08:07Wow!
08:08That's so beautiful!
08:11Oh, look at it!
08:13Wow, there's a boat!
08:14Wow!
08:17There you go.
08:18Oh, fantastic!
08:20Look at you!
08:28There you go.
08:33You can see him every Tuesday.
08:36He's always waiting for us, aren't you?
08:42Do you want to do this when you're older? Do you want to be a footballer?
08:56I think you brighten up the whole street on a Tuesday, never mind just Rory's.
09:00Yeah, so it's the highlight of the week.
09:16You need to do the rubbing, I'll try.
09:19There we go.
09:21Thank you very much.
09:22Thank you, Mr. Bin Man.