J&B News & Updates

11.11.26

When we think of the Second World War, we remember the bravery and sacrifice of those who served on the front lines. But across Britain, thousands of ordinary workers were also helping to keep the country running, including the men responsible for collecting our rubbish.

During the war, refuse collectors, commonly known as dustmen, faced new challenges as Britain struggled with shortages of labour, fuel and raw materials. Their work became an important part of the national war effort, helping communities manage their waste and recover valuable materials for reuse.

This Remembrance Day, J&B Recycling looks back at the contribution of Britain's wartime refuse collectors, the early days of organised recycling and the men who left civilian employment to serve their country.

Keeping Britain Going During the War

When Britain entered the Second World War in September 1939, everyday life changed dramatically.

As men were called into military service and resources became increasingly scarce, local authorities faced growing difficulties maintaining essential public services.

Refuse collection was one of those services.

Household rubbish still needed collecting, and the safe removal of waste remained important for public health. However, the work of refuse collectors was about to become considerably more significant.

With supplies of raw materials threatened by attacks on merchant shipping, Britain needed to make better use of the resources it already had.

Materials previously thrown away were now urgently needed for manufacturing, agriculture and military production.

And Britain's dustmen had an important part to play.

From Rubbish to Resources: The Wartime Salvage Campaign

In December 1939, the government launched a National Salvage Campaign, encouraging households to save materials that could be recovered and reused.

Local authorities were central to organising collections, supported by voluntary organisations and members of the public.

Households were encouraged to separate materials including:

• Paper and cardboard: Recovered for papermaking, including packaging for ammunition and military supplies.
• Scrap metal: Used as a source of raw material for manufacturing.
• Rubber: Recovered for products such as tyres and other essential equipment.
• Bones: Processed into materials including glue, fertiliser and ingredients used in explosives.
• Kitchen waste: Collected for use as animal feed.
• Rags and textiles: Saved for reuse and recovery.

The government even produced posters encouraging people to put recyclable materials outside alongside their dustbins.

One wartime poster, preserved by The National Archives, called on householders to separate paper, metal and bones and join the Home Salvage Corps.

It was a nationwide effort that depended on cooperation between households, councils, salvage workers and the industries processing the recovered materials.

For refuse collectors, this meant additional responsibilities at a time when staffing and resources were already under considerable pressure.

The Original Recycling Collections

Although recycling existed long before the Second World War, the national salvage campaigns brought organised material separation into everyday life for millions of households.

The similarities with modern waste collection are striking.

Residents were encouraged to keep different materials separate, avoid mixing food scraps with other salvage and put materials out ready for collection.

In 1943, the government even produced an animated public information film called Model Sorter, featuring a talking dustbin explaining how householders should separate their waste.

Paper, rubber, rags, bones and kitchen scraps all had their own place.

The message was simple: properly separated materials were easier to recover and reuse.

More than 80 years later, separating recyclable materials remains a fundamental part of effective waste management.

The Dustmen Who Left to Serve

Like workers in many other industries, some refuse collectors left their civilian jobs to serve in the Armed Forces.

Their absence contributed to the staffing difficulties experienced by local authorities, and the problem did not disappear when the war ended.

An extraordinary record from the House of Commons on 20 December 1945 provides direct evidence of the difficulties facing refuse collection services.

MP John Lewis asked the Minister of Labour whether dustmen serving in the Armed Forces could be released under demobilisation arrangements because local authorities were struggling to find enough workers.

The request was refused, with the government acknowledging difficulties in some areas but concluding that the situation did not justify special early release.

During the exchange, concerns were also raised about the public health implications of uncollected household waste.

It is a small but revealing piece of history.

Even after the fighting had ended, the absence of refuse collectors was being discussed in Parliament because their work was essential to everyday life.

A Nation Learning to Waste Less

The wartime salvage campaign was also an enormous exercise in public participation.

Households were asked to save and separate materials, while government posters, films, radio broadcasts and local campaigns explained why their efforts mattered.

Historical research from the Ministry of Information provides an insight into how widely the message was adopted.

A wartime social survey found that, in 1943:

• 90% of respondents said they regularly collected metal for salvage.
• 79% regularly collected food waste.
• 76% regularly collected paper.

These figures reflect reported household participation rather than the quantities of material actually recovered, but they demonstrate the scale of public involvement.

Recycling during the war was driven primarily by necessity. Britain needed to conserve resources, reduce its dependence on imports and support essential production.

Nevertheless, the principles of recovering valuable materials and reducing waste remain familiar today.

Remembering the People Behind the Collections

The history of the Second World War is filled with extraordinary accounts of courage, service and sacrifice.

Alongside the Armed Forces, countless people contributed to the war effort through their everyday work.

Refuse collectors were among them.

Some served in uniform. Others continued working on the Home Front, maintaining essential services and helping recover materials needed by the country.

Their contribution may be less familiar than that of other wartime occupations, but it forms part of the wider history of Britain's communities and public services.

For those of us working in waste management and recycling today, it is a reminder of the long history of our industry and the people who helped shape it.

We Will Remember Them

This Remembrance Day, everyone at J&B Recycling joins the nation in remembering the men and women who served, those who lost their lives and all those affected by war.

We also take a moment to recognise the ordinary workers whose contributions helped sustain communities during one of the most difficult periods in British history.

Lest we forget.

Historical sources and further reading

The historical information in this article is supported by the following records:

• The National Archives – Waste for Weapons
• Imperial War Museums – Model Sorter (1943)
• Imperial War Museums – Salvage Saves Shipping
• Hansard – Dustmen and demobilisation, 20 December 1945
• Wartime Social Survey – Collection of Salvage
• Merton Heritage – Wartime salvage depot