Mia O'Hare

Refuse collector Ashley explains that whether excess rubbish left beside a wheelie bin will be collected depends on the household’s local council. Some councils permit limited extra waste, while others refuse it because loose or bulky rubbish can be difficult or unsafe to load. Residents are advised to check their council’s rules and, where extra waste is not accepted, wait until the bin has been emptied before putting more rubbish out.

Phuket was identified as the world’s most overcrowded destination with 118 tourists per resident, followed by other Thai locations including Pattaya and Krabi. Additional heavily visited areas include Mugla and Hurghada in Turkey, Heraklion in Greece, Venice in Italy, Rhodes, and Miami. Venice’s mayor, Simone Venturini, has proposed sharply increasing the city’s tourist entry fee, originally introduced in 2024, to help reduce congestion amid annual visitor numbers nearing 30 million.

Soft plastic crisp packets and chocolate wrappers cannot be recycled through household collections due to their mixed-material composition. A well-known binman advises disposing of them at supermarket recycling points if recycling is desired, otherwise placing them in general waste. Recycling rules vary between UK authorities, and WRAP notes that wider kerbside collection of soft plastics remains limited. Long-lasting plastic waste continues to surface, highlighted by decades-old packaging found on UK beaches.