Bin lorry naming competition winners get behind the wheel of Ed Sheerbin

Babergh and Mid Suffolk’s bin lorry naming competition winners get behind the wheel of ‘Ed Sheerbin’ and ‘Binnie the Pooh’.

This month an event was hosted at Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils’ Sudbury depot, where the winners were able to ‘drive’ a bin lorry, see it in action, and ask crews their burning bin and recycling questions. They also received a certificate with a picture of their named bin lorry, and a high vis vest to take home.

Jason Alexander, who named the Bincredible Hulk and Mary Popbins lorries, said:

“It’s been absolutely brilliant, one of the best things was seeing the children’s faces as they got to sit in the cabs of the new bin lorries.
“I got to live a childhood dream as well by sitting in the cab of a bin lorry and it was fascinating to see how they all work.”

Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils, and their waste provider Serco, ran a competition last year asking residents to submit names for a new fleet of 22 environmentally friendly refuse vehicles, the council’s biggest upgrade to their 35-strong waste fleet in almost 10 years involving an investment of £2m. The vehicles were wrapped in unique designs created by the councils’ in-house designer and installed by refuse vehicle wrapping specialists Creative Vehicle Wrapping (CVW)

Jon Siviter, Director, Creative Vehicle Wrapping: “We love wrapping refuse vehicles and this was a fantastic project to be involved in. The feedback from residents has been so positive and the winners’ event was a fun day. It was lovely to see the reactions of the children and the adults as they got to see ‘their’ bin lorry.”

The *22 winning names were chosen by the councils’ waste team and crews at the end of last year, and the lorries began hitting the roads over the winter.  They saw off over 400 individual name suggestions sent into the councils - with locals of all ages, from villages to towns, all getting in on the fun.  

The fleet is fuelled by certified sustainable Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) produced from waste cooking oil, after Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils became the first rural UK councils to switch to the fuel in 2021. This slashes the lorries CO2 emissions by up to 90%, as well as reducing other pollutants.

And, as with their predecessors, they are expected to empty around a combined 40 million bins over their working lifetimes.

Cllr Elisabeth Malvisi, cabinet member for environment at Babergh District Council, said: 

“Collecting your bin is one of our most visible jobs, so it was great to be able to give our competition winners an insight into bin crew life.

“Their arrival is anticipated by many, and they carry out over 100,000 collections every week, rain or shine. Of course, to do this, it’s essential that we have a modern and reliable fleet. 

“It was great to see hundreds of you engage in the competition, and I hope the lorries, which run on special used vegetable oil, catch your eye as they pass by with important waste messages and catchy names.”

Cllr Jessica Fleming, cabinet member for environment at Mid Suffolk District Council, said:

“This competition gave us a great opportunity to give our winners a behind the scenes glimpse into the life of our bin crews.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re the street binfluencer or one of our youngest residents – the weekly arrival of our crews is eagerly awaited by many.

“And, with over 100,000 collections to carry out a week, they need modern and reliable lorries.

“They might be bright and colourful, but they also have important messages about recycling and waste too – so do keep an eye out for them when you’re out and about or watching from your window.”
Colin Wagstaff, Serco contract manager, said:

“We are delighted to have met the competition winners and answered all of their questions, but the best part was seeing the names on the lorries and the smiles on everyone’s faces.”

For more information about CVW Tel: 03330 150510; email sales@creativevehiclewrapping.co.uk; visit www.creativevehiclewrapping.co.uk

ENDS.                                                                                                           March 2023

*The winning names and their creators:

• Ed Sheerbin

Submitted by Margaret Sparkes

• Gary Bineker

Submitted by Gavin Pullen

• Stranger Bins
  Submitted by Spencer Brown
• Chitty Chitty Bin Bin
  Submitted by Belinda Betham
• The Binbetweeners
  Submitted by Ben Griffin
• Strictly Come Binning
  Submitted by Peter Batte
• Binderella
  Submitted by Jemima Jackson (16 or under) of Hadleigh Community Primary School
• Trashosaurus

Submitted by Xavier Mack (16 or under) of Yorley Barn Nursery, Little Cornard 

• Mission Binpossible

Submitted by Amber Friend (16 or under) of East Bergholt VCP School

• The Binner Takes It All
  Submitted by Patrick Nicholls (16 or under) of Littlegarth Nursery, Nayland
• Lord of the Bins
  Submitted by Lexi Underhay (16 or under)
• Beauty and the Bin
  Submitted by Erin Millin (16 or under) of Hartismere High School
• Waste warriors
  Submitted by Alyse Driver, on behalf of Year 5 pupils at Wood Ley Primary School, Stowmarket 
• Bin here, there, everywhere

Submitted by Jake Fullam (16 or under) of Norton Primary School 

• Binnie the Pooh
  Submitted by Trudy Jackson
• Bincredible Hulk
  Submitted by Jason Alexander 
• The Adventures of Binbin
  Submitted by Maxine Smith
• Binin' in the Rain
  Submitted by Simon Coulson 
• Bindiana Jones
  Submitted by Antony Price
• To Binfinity and Beyond

Submitted by David John Carruthers

• Mary Popbins
  Submitted by Jason Alexander
• Gone with the Bin
  Submitted by Sarah Carruthers