A BIN BY ANY OTHER NAME WOULD SMELL LESS SWEET

I have spent much of the past few months observing people’s bin behaviour, writes Fred Street of the New Town Clean Streets Campaign.

Not just communal bins – also gull bags, red and blue recycling boxes, food caddies, and trade waste bins. I've noted and plotted all sorts of psycho-social variables; performed extensive regression analyses; and have have now arrived at the following conclusion.

If my understanding of the laws of cause and effect is correct: the mere act of inscribing your house and flat number clearly on your pails is sufficient to effect a complete character transformation over your whole household.

If you previously tossed random junk into your boxes and hoped for the best, those days will suddenly be behind you. If you tended to leave your box for days on end, bowling round the streets, knocking over pedestrians and tripping up the postie, suddenly you will find yourself responsibly taking it indoors as soon as it is emptied.

If you used to find that the slightest gust of wind would spread the contents of your recycling far and wide, suddenly you will find that it is no trouble to pick up a plastic cover from your local library and use it to secure your recyclables. And if your stuff does from time to time end up blowing around, you might tut a bit but you’ll find that it doesn't take that long to pick it up and keep your street tidy.

If you used to hope that your neighbours would never trace you as the source of all the mess they have to pick their way through twice a week, you’ll find yourself transformed into a smiling paragon of virtue and that your neighbours smile back at you.

Go on ... if your bags and bins are not labelled, give it a try!