A wheelie bin from Hampshire has been found by a war reporter 1,200 miles away in Ukraine. A journalist covering the conflict sparked by Russia’s invasion in February spotted the bin from Test Valley Borough Council close to the Polish border.
Philip Crowther, who works for the AP news agency posted a video of the bin on Twitter and wrote: “Hey @TestValleyBC, how did one of your wheelie bins make it all the way to Ukraine, and when is pick-up?”
The council, which covers the towns of Andover and Romsey, replied: “Hi Philip, umm, hmm. I’ve checked the notebook, but we don’t seem to have a stock answer for this query…
“Can I ask where in Ukraine this is? I’d just to make sure this collection address is added to our fortnightly rounds and not reported as missed.”
Waste and recycling portfolio holder at Test Valley Borough Council, Councillor Nick Adams-King, said: “It’s good to see our bins are well travelled and to hear that it’s still of use for the border guard station between Ukraine and Poland. Residents have been able to buy our bins for a number of years now, and therefore in theory they can end up anywhere, even eastern Europe.
“While we’re not sure exactly how this one made its way there, it’s always interesting to see where they end up – even if collection does prove to be a bit of a challenge. I’m afraid I can’t promise we will be able to deliver a new blue bin and food caddy to accompany it when we roll the new recycling system out.”