Not your average shift as a bin worker… or is it? See how our crews are helping the community and it’s not just emptying your bins!

Throwing your partner’s wedding dress out the day before you get married? Losing your wedding ring? Or throwing away a sentimental item by accident? These are just some of the unusual (and unfortunate) incidents where bin crews have come to the rescue.

It’s not all about emptying your waste and recycling bins. Bin workers at North East Lincolnshire Council continue to go above and beyond, whether it be retrieving an accidently thrown out wedding ring, or coming to the rescue of a person who has fallen over in the street.

One crew even came to the rescue of a litter of kittens who were found dumped in a bin in a plastic carrier on the A180. The crew became aware of the situation after hearing lots of loud squeaks and noises coming from one of the bins in May last year.

Just some of the items thrown away by people include phones, wallets, purses, a wedding dress, a wedding ring, jewellery and money.

Everything is done to return items to those who have thrown them out, and in most cases, the majority of items have been retrieved. This involves the crew going through tonnes of waste and recycling.

As well as retrieving these items, crews have supported people who have had falls or incidents in the street by calling for an ambulance and staying with them until help arrives.

There’s still time for you to nominate your bin crew in our Crew of the Year competition by visiting www.nelincs.gov.uk/CrewoftheYear and telling us why they deserve your vote.

Councillor Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for environment and transport, said: “There have been some fantastic comments from people so far, with floods of positive comments coming in through the council’s Facebook page and the nominations have been coming in thick and fast. It really does mean a great deal to our bin crews who work incredibly hard to empty our bins, and have continued to do so throughout the pandemic.

“We must remember that they are doing all they can under current circumstances, which can see crews self-isolating and staff from other areas of the council having to step up. Please be kind and respectful. This is a difficult time for everyone.”