Biffa has recorded 740 incidents relating to people being found in and around bins in the last seven years. A report completed by The Open University and sponsored by Biffa, alongside CIWM, St Mungos and StreetLink, has shown a 14% rise in reported incidents of people sleeping in and around bins between 2014 and 2019. This is coupled with a 70% increase in the number of people reported to be sleeping rough in the same timeframe. As COVID-19 restrictions start to ease and hotel accommodation for homeless people is suspended we expect to see a rise in those seeking shelter in waste containers. People in and around bins isn't exclusively focused on the risk to the homeless, with people also being found after seeking shelter following a night out. Read the full People in Bins report.
What resources are available?
To help reduce the number of people sleeping in and around bins, we have produced videos and posters to be displayed and shared with your employees at any offices or sites where waste containers are placed. We’d also encourage sharing any of the materials with friends and family to help promote how to identify the signs of people taking refuge in a waste container and how to report it. All of these, along with additional links to news articles and reports, are available to download on this page.
How do I identify if someone is sleeping in or around my bins?
There are a number of things to look out for including:
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Broken locks |
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Open lids which are normally closed |
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Pallets and boxes stacked to the side that could be used as a step |
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Dispersed waste next to or around a container |
What can I do?
Prevention is always the preferred solution, making sure your bins have a working lock and are stored somewhere secure and well-lit will help to discourage people from using them for shelter.
Should you become aware of an incident at your site, or suspect someone is sleeping in your bins please contact StreetLink, or another local organisation for the homeless, so they can arrange help. Please also make your Biffa Customer Service Team aware so they can advise your local depot and driver to take extra precautions.
Streetlink
To watch how StreetLink works please click play on the video below.
StreetLink exists to help end rough sleeping by enabling members of the public to connect people sleeping rough with the local services that can support them. StreetLink has received over 370,000 alerts since launch in December 2012. This includes more than 70,000 alerts in 2019 with over 13,000 confirmed instances where the rough sleeper was found and offered support as a result of the Streetlink alert.
