dump story

Most of us have one and probably have had for most of our lives, but very few of us give the humble garbage can much thought. But in fact, the dump has gone through dramatic changes that have coincided with the changes our society has gone through over the last hundred years.

Whether you call it trash cans, trash cans, trash cans, or wheelie bins, the changes to our primary garbage collection bin have been dramatic and represent the changing way we live our lives.

Dustbins have only been around for the last 150 years or so. Before that time, there was little need for dustbins or garbage cans, as most of the waste people disposed of was ash (from fires), wood, bones, bodily waste, and plant matter which, in most cases, it was simply burned in the fireplace.

However, when the industrial revolution occurred, more consumable items were purchased and more plastics and other materials were used. The need to keep our towns and cities clean became apparent.

The Public Health Act of 1848 as the first time a government decided that every household should have access to a rubbish bin that was emptied by state-funded garbage collectors. Many councils introduced dustbins. These dumpsters were large metal containers and did not change in shape or design for decades.

In fact, it wasn’t until the latter part of the 20th century that concerns about landfill space and the need to recycle some of our waste became apparent and the style and shape of trash cans changed.

Along with the introduction of bottle banks, large plastic trash cans were introduced in many parts of the country as a cheaper method of producing trash cans compared to the heavy metal trash can. However, the need to recycle rose and fell with these old style bins as well and most people in England and Wales were given wheelie bins. Wheelie bins not only make garbage collection work easier, but different colored bins have been introduced to encourage recycling. Many areas of the country now have two or three wheeled wheelie bins. One is a conventional household rubbish bin, the others are recycling bins for yard waste or recyclable materials.