Wasteater truck in Glasgow

The Wasteaters

We’re on a mission to help communities across the country reduce, reuse and recycle more and have enlisted a little help from our wild and wonderful crew of waste-munching monsters – The Wasteaters. 

Spot a Wasteater

Wherever there’s waste, a Wasteater isn’t far behind and these eye-catching characters provide a fun, public-facing way to bring recycling to life in schools and across our communities.

You can see what they are getting up to on our social media channels.

Waste truck with waste eating monster on it

Meet the Wasteaters

Wes the wasteater

Wes

Chomp, chomp, chomp. Hello! My name’s Wes, a big red mouthy monster that opens wide for your rubbish. I’m a bit like your household bin but bigger and chompier. Whilst my Wasteater friends all prefer to eat recyclables, I like to feed on all kinds of disgustingly delicious, non-recyclable things, even nappies … good job I don’t have a big nose! Scoffing waste is fun!

Favourite food: Household waste
Favourite hangout: Wherever it’s bin day
Dislikes: An empty tummy
Winona the wasteater

Winona

Guzzle guzzle, I’m Winona, an eco-warrior that guzzles back biofuel or gets charged up on electricity to power through the day. I’m not fussy, but I’m always on the hunt for recyclables; plastic, paper, glass – you name it, I’ll recycle it with a mighty slurp of green goodness. Join me on my mission to clean up our streets and planet.

Favourite food: Well-sorted waste
Favourite hangout: Bins and green energy hubs
Dislikes: Lazy recyclers
Whitney the wasteater

Whitney

Grrrrrrrrrr, I’m Whitney. A wild monstress that devours your recycling but can be a bit picky. Chuck me your empty plastic bottles, cans of pop, glass jars, tins and cereal boxes. BUT if they’re not clean, I’m not keen. If the cardboard’s not flat, I’ll bat it back. Not sure if something should go in? If in doubt, keep it out – that’s what I say.

Favourite food: Ice cream tubs
Favourite hangout: Your dryest of bins
Dislikes: Non flattened cardboard
Willow the wasteater

Willow

I’m Willow. I’m a monster when it comes to cleaning up towns and clearing up local recycling challenges. Community litter picks, beach cleans, wildlife conservation, tree planting, fun runs and fundraising. It’s an easier job when we all work together, so join me in this monster effort to recycle and create cleaner communities. ROARR!

Favourite food: Anything sorted with love
Favourite hangout: Community events and recycling workshops
Dislikes: Seeing litter in Community spaces
Wayne the wasteater

Wayne

Bish bash bosh. I’m Wayne, a mighty monster that enjoys destroying the heavy stuff. I enjoy eating bricks, cables and pipes – anything that makes a loud crunch. When I’m done, there’s nothing better than washing everything down with some refreshing paint or varnish. Recycling the hard stuff isn’t for every monster, but I love it.

Favourite music: Heavy metal
Favourite hangout: Construction sites and builders’ yards
Dislikes: Buildings not designed for disassembly
Wrigley the wasteater

Wrigley

Nom nom nom. I’m Wrigley. I gobble up all your lovely leftover food and garden waste. I’ll eat anything – even bones. When I’m done, I turn food waste into electricity and garden waste into a big pile of compost. But I don’t like mixing my meals, so keep your plate scraps and piles of plants totally separate. And no packaging please, it’s bad for my tum.

Favourite food: Mouldy veg and garden clippings
Favourite hangout: Compost piles and shady corners
Dislikes: Anything synthetic or shrink-wrapped
Wilma the wasteater

Wilma

Wilma loves big city life and you’ll spot her roaming around busy cosmopolitan streets. At the weekend, you might even see her dining behind the best city restaurants.

Favourite hangout: Leeds Cathedral
Favourite food: Aluminium Cans
Favourite film: Bindiana Jones
Walter the wasteater

Walter

The oldest and wisest out of all the Wasteaters, Walter loves to learn new things about recycling and sustainability but he hates it when he finds cross contamination in the bins. Walter has wide eyes and can spot a Biffa red bin from a mile away, which is handy for his driver navigating the crowded streets of London. Walter loves to eat all types of waste but his favourite is segregated food waste, especially if there is some leftover cheese!

Favourite hangout: Brick Lane
Favourite food: Yogurt pots
Favourite film: Dukes of Hazardous Waste
Wanda the wasteater

Wanda

There is no other Wasteater that loves life as much as Wanda. With a permanent smile painted across her face she brightens up the day of anyone that she meets. Don’t be afraid of those big teeth or horns, Wanda loves having her photo taken and entertaining the crowds when she’s not collecting rubbish at festivals and other events across the country.

Favourite hangout: Hampden Park
Favourite food: Milk cartons
Favourite film: Good Will Recycling
Wendy the wasteater

Wendy

Wendy is a tough cookie, she’s always on a mission to collect all of her bins in record time. She’s fierce, determined and her scary spiky exterior can be intimidating to many people who haven’t seen her softer side. Wendy loves the beach and nature and would love to see waste to landfill dramatically reduced.

Favourite hangout: Old Trafford
Favourite food: Tin cans
Favourite film: Bins of Anarchy
Willy the wasteater

Willy

Willy is the youngest of the Wasteater family but he’s by no means a baby, weighing 26 tonnes! He’s always keen to help out, whether it’s visiting schools or spotting hiding bins for his driver on dark winter mornings. Willy’s favourite past-time is listening to the Rolling Stones with his driver.

Favourite hangout: The Cavern Club
Favourite food: Cardboard and old newspapers
Favourite film: One Flew Over the Rubbish Bin
Winston the wasteater

Winston

Winston might look soft and fluffy on the outside but he’s Wilma’s Beta and is in charge of keeping all the waste collection vehicles in line around the coast. Some call him the “grumpy Wasteater” because he’s often heard growling but it’s really just his stomach because he’s always hungry for mixed recycables – paper, glass, cans, plastic, he loves them all!

Favourite hangout: Cardiff Castle
Favourite food: All the recyclables!
Favourite film: The Big Bin Theory
Woody the wasteater

Woody

Woody loves big towns and cities and isn’t afraid of exploring the narrow streets of York in order to track down bins which might contain his favourite food – glass! Doesn’t Woody’s exterior look strong? Wasteaters have to be in order to crush and compact the tonnes of rubbish they eat every day.

Favourite hangout: The Bull Ring
Favourite food: All types of glass
Favourite film: The Dark Knight Recycles

When and where to spot a Wasteater

 

Wherever there’s waste, a Wasteater isn’t far behind. These creatures are part of our delicate waste ecosystem – gobbling up the contents of our bins so we can all recycle as much as possible. 

Our trusty Wasteater trucks have been patrolling the streets for years, but they’ve now got additional back up and support from a bold new crew: Wes, Whitney, Wrigley, Wayne, Winona and Willow. 

The Wasteaters aren’t just eye-catching characters. They provide a fun, public-facing way to bring our message of sustainable waste management to life, so you won’t just find them on our trucks.  Head over to our educational pages to find them on our school’s resources too.

With 6 new members of the Wasteater crew, there’s an even better chance of spotting our new Wasteater trucks in towns and cities near you, so follow Biffa’s social media channels for the latest Wasteater updates. 

Wasteater truck in Manchester
What the Wasteaters eat
Wasteaters have big appetites, but what makes their tummies rumble? Organic food waste. Dry mixed recycling. General waste. Construction and demolition waste. And more!

But they can be fussy eaters. What makes their stomachs turn? Dry Mixed Recycling in the general waste bin. Contaminated items in the recycling bin. Wishcycling. Litter.

Feeding the Wasteaters with the right diet by recycling correctly is a team effort! So play your part in keeping our waste in order and our planet a little healthier.

For further information

Child colouring in

Waste education activities

Fun activities and tools for educating children about the impact of waste and the importance of recycling.
Biffa municipal collection behind leaves

Information and resources for local communities and households

We actively support in local communities up and down the country. With 100 depots covering over 98% of UK postcodes, our local teams provide practical help - from green waste collections for households to visiting schools to help teach children about the importance of recycling.