A bin man has shared a common mistake that many households make when numbering their wheelie bins – and the simple solution that fixes it instantly15:46, 29 May 2026Updated 15:46, 29 May 2026A bin man has revealed one frequent mistake that many households make when numbering their rubbish and recycling bins which makes it far more difficult to return them to the correct homes. Self-proclaimed 'binfluencer', Ashley, who goes by the 'No 1 bin man' on TikTok, has highlighted this widespread blunder, before going on to offer a straightforward solution.‌In one clip, a viewer claimed bin men never return bins to the right house, jokingly suggesting that adding a postcode to them would help get them back to the correct homes.‌In response, Ashley encouraged people to display their house number on both their property and their bins so they can be easily matched up. He added that, on food bins, it's best to place the number on both the lid and the side, noting that they frequently fall over.‌"But your wheelie bin, put it on the lid," he urged people, as he showed a bin with a sticker displaying the house number it belongs to. "Don't put it on the side, put it on the lid so no matter where you're standing, you can always see the number."And then they go back outside your house, problem solved," Ashley said. "House number, bin number, win win."Content cannot be displayed without consent‌Despite this, viewers quickly flocked to the comments section to voice their own opinions, with many arguing it 'wasn't necessary' to add the numbers at all. One person suggested simply writing the numbers on the bin using a white marker pen.In response, Ashley posted a follow-up video, where he read out the comment before saying: "Or, you could do it correctly and write it, or you could just get a sticker with your house number and your road name.""And then you ain't gotta make the same mistakes as this dude, and then you can have the correct bin outside your correct house," Ashley said.‌Viewers were quick to side with Ashley, with many stating they preferred the appearance of stickers bearing house numbers on bins, rather than writing directly on them.Content cannot be displayed without consent"It looks tacky when people paint the number on the bin," one viewer argued, with many others agreeing with them.Article continues belowOthers went on to point out that not every property has a number, making it considerably trickier to label them. One viewer said: "All houses don't have numbers."Another also said: "Some actually don't have numbers they have names lol."So for the sake of your own peace of mind, as well as your local binmen and neighbours, ensure you mark your bins on the lids with your house number to help guarantee it finds its way back to the right property.