No wasting time as county team narrowly misses out on fastest bin men title
A group of county bin men weren't wasting any time when they went head-to-head in the final of the National Refuse Championships.
Teams from across England converged on Weston-super-Mare over the weekend, all vying for the chance to claim the title of the fastest bin men in the country.
In a hotly contested competition the Telford-based Cartwrights Waste Disposal Services made their way all the way to the final – only to lose out to the three-time winners Grist Environmental, who successfully defended their own crown.
The competition, which raises money for the Alzheimer's Society, sees teams of five going head-to-head.
In a madcap dash to prove their belting bin-collecting skills one driver has to run from a starting point to the bin lorry, before driving it up the road into position – checking cones are in place once parked.
Crews of two people from each team then have to sprint back to the start line to collect a wheelie bin each before pulling or pushing it as fast as possible to the lorry and depositing the contents in the back.
They then have to sprint back to the start line, and then onto the final pair to tag them in for the last leg.
The second pair than have to drag a larger bin to the lorry, empty the contents and sprint back, before the driver is given the green light to power the lorry to a finish line.
Cartwrights took 14 people to the contest, with a team of eight taking on the gruelling challenge – making their way through several rounds before unluckily losing out in the final.
Dave Wellings, 60, a weighbridge operator from Cartwrights, said they had been delighted with their performance – and would be hoping to go one better next year.
He said: "We are still buzzing. I have not entered myself before but this is the fourth time Cartwrights have and they had managed to get a third place before.
"We didn't go with any expectations, we just wanted to be involved and do what we could."
He said that the competition was no easy task, with the gruelling rounds taking their toll on the body.
He said: "It is hard work, especially the further you progress, because the more times you do it, it gets tougher, and you are coming up against faster people."
He added: "I am not the youngest in the group and it was hard work on the legs – let's put it that way."
Mr Wellings, from Telford, said that it had been great fun with real spirit and proper competition between the teams taking part.
He said: "The camaraderie was second to none. Everyone was friendly, after each heat everyone congratulates you, win or lose."
Mr Welling said that after their performance the team would be looking to try and take the title next year.
He said: "We will be more prepared next year. When you get a taste for it you want to win it. On the Friday night we were all having a chat and the atmosphere was 'we'll have a bit of fun' and you are not really bothered, then on Saturday when you get through the first heat everyone has got their eyes on the cup."
