It only takes a day collecting and sorting recycling in Bristol to discover there is one mistake made by households that creates the 'grossest' part of the job. Nia Dalton, a writer at our sister site The Mirror, spent a dark, 'wet and miserable' morning as a recycle bin loader at Bristol Waste, although she was reassured by driver loader Simon Bohin that she was lucky it wasn't windy, or in the summer, when it's boiling hot.
Nia got a taste for what its like working as recycling bin collector, a job which employees had to carry on doing during the pandemic, cementing their role as key workers whilst most of the nation came to a standstill. At 6am, she headed out on the typical Thursday route with Simon and Dave McKenna, a loader who said the public 'really appreciated' their efforts in the pandemic.
Standing at 5'1, Nia found that she suffered a lot of 'splashback' when unloading the contents of the recycling bin into the waste compartments, with bin juice splashing on her face. Thankfully, torrential rain began to pour down, meaning the disgusting residue was washed off her face.
Read more: Winterbourne residents left ‘stranded’ now their buses have disappeared
She said: "Watching the three men weaving in and out of each other like clockwork was impressive. It was fast moving and hard work keeping up with their pace, and took me a while to suss out what went where. But with a little help from them, there really was nothing I couldn't do and I questioned why there were so few women doing the job, with only a handful of females at Bristol Waste."
According to Mark Purnell, there is 'no reason at all', as he blames the stereotypes associated with the job on why women are reluctant to apply. As the traffic picked up later in the morning, Simon explained that people often become 'angered' by the bright orange outfits worn by Bristol Waste, although workers try and be courteous of commuters trying to get past on their way to work.
Simon told Nia that there are 'a lot of risks and we prioritise safety', as members of the crew could recall a number of occasions on which they were nearly run over. On the topic of risks encountered by Bristol Waste employees, Nia wrote: "Whether that be speeding mopeds or potentially life-changing diseases, the crew always have to be cautious of where they are and what they're picking up.
"Every single loader could recall a time they'd found syringes in recycling boxes and moments they'd called the police after spotting dangerous weapons."
It is clear that some people in the city will try and recycle anything, as Simon informed Nia that they've found 'a lot of sex toys, mannequin heads, nappies and even a machete'. Whilst Nia did not encounter anything of the sort, she said she quickly realised how problematic it can be when households do not know how to correctly sort their recycling.
Simon told her: "Tins used to be recycled with paper, but now they're with plastic. A lot of people don't know it's changed."
Nia also learnt that tissues are not recyclable - something many people do not realise - and they just create a mess. Also, broken glass is a very common find, along with hard plastic that cannot be recycled with the thin kind. She spent a lot of time removing glass bottles from plastic bottles, which increased the time it took the crew to get down the road.
With the grit it took Nia to complete the job, and the dirt involved, she said she had a 'newfound respect for the trade' at the end of her shift. She wrote: "My whole body is feeling the weight of the day and I consider taking an afternoon nap when I get home, but Dave tells me that he powers through till bedtime, so I promise to do the same.
"It's been a messy and tiring shift, yet I couldn't've asked for a friendlier crew to show me the ropes, and I'd champion more women to give it a go - knowing the hours and pay would suit a lot of lifestyles. The job has a really negative stigma attached to it, but I have a newfound respect for the trade.
"Without Simon, Dave and Matt collecting our waste, the community simply wouldn't function. My height had its hurdles but Dave reassured me I'd '110 percent' make it as a recycle bin loader and he'd have me back next week - though I'm really looking forward to not setting a 4.30am alarm again."
Click here for more Bristol news.
Read more:
First Bus staff can't get to work because of cancelled services
Easton double murder trial defence barristers close their cases
New South Bristol road to be named after first female lord mayor after tobacco row
Striking teacher says salaries are so low some staff can’t afford to walk out for one day
