Whitney the Wasteater and the Wrong Bite
Our family of colourful bin-loving Wasteater monsters have come to life in a new children’s book, designed to spark curiosity about recycling from an early age.
We're on a monster-sized mission to turn sorting the recycling into something fun.
Biffa is on a mission to help communities reduce, reuse and recycle more. Our wild and wonderful crew of Wasteaters have been leading the charge, bringing recycling to life in schools up and down the country. To help spread the word, we're celebrating World Book Day with the launch of our new illustrated book, "Whitney the Wasteater and the Wrong Bite".
Storybook out now!
Written by top-selling author Yasmine Anane, the book tells the story of our friendly Wasteater monster, Whitney, who gets sick, due to the wrong waste being placed in the recycling bin.
Using rhyme, storytelling and bold character illustration, the book aims to make recycling fun and relatable to children by bringing the Wasteater characters, which are portrayed on some of Biffa’s trucks, to life and turn everyday recycling rules into an engaging adventure.
The book is also unique in that it is one of the first in the world to be printed on paper made from recycled coffee cups and the proceeds of the book will be donated to Biffa’s charity partner, WasteAid.
Whist being fun and playful, the message in the book is a serious one as problems created by placing waste in the wrong bins or leaving food scraps inside packaging, including sandwich crusts and apple cores, cause major issues.
In the UK, nearly a fifth of recycling is lost due to contamination. Contamination from food remnants or liquid in packaging can mean that potential recycling is either incinerated to create energy from waste or sometimes sent to landfill.
Education:
Aimed at youngsters between three and seven years-old, it was launched with a book reading from Biffa driver Graham Phillips at Lancasterian School in Manchester.
The book’s illustrations bring the much-loved recycling monsters from the road to the page.
By using rhyme and imagination, we’re helping youngsters see how their choices matter, and how small everyday actions can make a big difference to the environment.”
“When some of our Eco Council heard it was made from recycled coffee cups they were really excited by this concept, finding out there are new and novel ways you can recycle was great.
“The way the characters are portrayed is really engaging and it’s got that message at the heart of it and the line running through the book ‘Everyone knows that Whitney is picky’ is something that will stay with them and something they will remember when doing their recycling in class and at home.”
Recycled coffee cups:
Even the paper the book is printed on is unique, being only the third book in the world to be produced from recycled coffee cups, delivered by Biffa from major chains including Costa Coffee and Greggs.
Advanced materials and paper specialist, James Cropper, says the book is made from 100 per cent recycled coffee cups through a unique process called CupCycling™, last year they recycled 58 million coffee cups.
Used cups are collected then recycled into high-quality paper to print the book – 15 recycled coffee cups are used to make each book.
This blend of storytelling and sustainability means every copy of Whitney the Wasteater and the Wrong Bite is both a narrative and real-life example of positive environmental impact.
A spokesperson said: “At James Cropper we’re proud that our UK-made sustainably crafted paper plays a central role in bringing the Wasteaters book to life. Through our CupCycling™ technology, the world’s first recycling process dedicated to turning used coffee cups into premium paper, we transform cups from well-known brands, including Costa Coffee, into beautiful, functional materials that inspire new possibilities.
“By keeping fibre in circulation through local UK supply chains, we not only reduce waste but create meaningful impact close to home. Each copy of the Wasteaters book is made from fibre from 15 recycled coffee cups kindly donated by James Cropper demonstrating how something as simple as a takeaway cup can be reimagined into a product that educates, engages and supports environmental awareness.
“This project embodies what matters most to us, collaboration, circular thinking and unlocking the hidden value in materials. It’s a powerful example of how innovation and partnership can turn everyday waste into something with purpose and for an excellent cause.”
Helping WasteAid
All proceeds from the book will go to our charity partner, WasteAid, the international charity working with communities across the world, including The Gambia, Uganda and South Africa, to improve waste management, protect health and create economic opportunities. People in these communities don’t always have bins or ways to recycle so rubbish is often dumped or burned spreading disease.Ceris Turner-Bailes, WasteAid CEO, said: “We’re delighted to see Biffa using the power of storytelling to help children understand waste and its impact on our world. Whitney the Wasteater and the Wrong Bite is a brilliant way to inspire young readers to care for the environment and help them understand that everyone’s challenges are slightly different -all while supporting WasteAid’s work to improve waste management and livelihoods globally.”
