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An excellent thread on the political history of bins. https://twitter.com/jack_saundrs/status/1301476933239296000
At some point, I think I might research and write a monograph entitled 'Bins: A political, social and cultural history.'
You joke, but bins are a crucial component of the modern state. Providing waste collection is probably one of the first things the state did that wasn't related to fighting wars, policing or administering justice.
It's also worth examining the potent symbolism of bins in political discourse: Trotsky telling the Mensheviks to go 'back to the dustbin of history' + the images of rubbish piling up on British streets over the winter of 1978-9.
Even if you are a very wealthy person, who barely has anything to do with the state- your bin collections will supply a regular interaction with it. Everyone has bin collections.
Bins intersect with most political concerns. Obvious ones are public health and the environment. But also think about trading standards, regulations on food and packaging. Other countries collect our waste- so foreign affairs are important too.
Bins are also important for law and order: bins being stolen and set fire too is a common form of anti-social behaviour. More seriously, bins can be a security risk- bombs can be hidden in them. It's why you don't see conventional bins in railway stations.
Speaking as someone who occasionally knocks on doors for a political party: the one thing I always do to get them into a conversation is to ask them how they feel about bin collections. It almost always works.
