Dad dubbed ‘Dustbin Dave’ on quest to find perfect public trash can

By Ben Turner via SWNS

A man with an unlikely obsession with trash bins who has scoured the United Kingom looking for unusual ones has now launched a quest to find Britain's best dustbin.

Dave Clark, whose nickname is unsurprisingly "Dustbin Dave," has lifted the lid on his "wacky" hobby that was sparked by a visit to a local dump when he was seven.

The handyman, aged 51, has photographed dozens of his favorite public bins in the UK with unique design, size and location earning top marks.

One of Dave Clark's favorite bins. (Courtesy Dave Clark via SWNS)

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Now he's after new contenders for Britain's best bin to topple his current favorite - a "fascinating" seaside bin styled as a Fab ice cream lolly in Thrigby, Norfolk.

Dad-of-two Dave said: "The Fab bin is still my number one.

"It's like your first girlfriend - it's the one you never forget.

"I'm after are the totally unique ones. If it's unusual then I'll take a picture.

"If you see a fun bin it makes you smile as you walk past. I'm fascinated by bins."

A member of the Commercial Bin Fan Club on Facebook, Dave loves to share his lifelong passion for beautiful bins with other enthusiasts.

He has established a checklist for the best public bins based on size, location and design.

Dave, from Caister, Norfolk, said: "The perfect outdoor bin has a big opening and is medium size - you don't want it massive.

"It needs to be nice and colorful with a wacky design.

"I'm looking for something that stands out. Nice and bright colors.

"But at the end of the day you can't beat a classic council bin."

Dave lives with his wife and two kids, who are apparently understanding of his passion for bins.

He has taken pictures of trash bins on beaches in Norfolk, car parks in Derbyshire and tourist spots in Cornwall.

Dave said: "My family just think it's a laugh really. I've been nicknamed 'Dustbin Dave' by a couple of friends.

"If anyone wants me to rate their bin I would happily look through hundreds or thousands to whittle down a winner."

Dave now works as a self-employed gardener and window cleaner but once had dreams of becoming a garbage man.

His first taste for the beauty of bins came at seven years old when he visited his local dump with his dad.

Dave said: "It started with having an interest in going down to the tip.

"The tip was like Aladdin's Cave - you could see all sorts of things.

"I was given a yellow bobble hat and used to pretend I was a binman. I was fascinated by how they picked up the bins.

"Over the past few years I've been seeing all these wacky designs.

"I saw the Fab lolly design four years ago and thought 'wow, look at that bin, it's so colorful. I wish there were more bins like that.'"

Dave has stopped short of customizing his own bins at home as he claims he likes the simplicity of the design.

Yet he hopes that his enthusiasm will inspire others to appreciate their local bins.

Dave said: "If you take the time to look you would be amazed by how many different types of bins you can get.

"It's about promoting bin awareness and making people take more notice and put their rubbish away."