The charity collection bag from the NSPCC has beaten strong competition from Help the Aged, the British Heart Foundation and Mencap to be awarded ‘Charity bin-bag of the year’ in the prestigious annual award ceremony held on The Wirral.
Members of the public were particularly keen to praise the immense strength of the NSPCC bag, and this was a major contributor to its ability to hold almost 25Kgs of household refuse including broken bottles and take-out foil curry containers without any danger of puncturing the surface thanks to its ultra-tough design in the mistaken belief that it would be used to hold discarded clothes and household bric-a-brac that could be sold through the charity’s shops.
‘Although the BHF’s bag was pretty strong, it lacked a decent handle that could be used to throw it into a neighbour’s skip or into a local pond. Trying to throw a fully laden BHF bag can, ironically, be quite bad for your heart'. The Mencap bag was poor and could not even cope it hot discarded cooking oil without melting’ said chief judge Archie Smith.
The Local Government Associated, which sponsored the awards, said the contribution of charity bin bags to the economy was not given the recognition it deserves with ‘Millions being saved through the need to provide residents with council-funded bin-bags thanks to the selfless acts of these charities.’
A surprise lifetime achievement award, sponsored by Mary Bale who achieved notoriety for attempting to throw a cat into a wheelie bin, was given to the RSPCA for its innovative charity collection box, intended to preserve delicate items for later sale ‘The box is ideal for holding several cats and because of its strength they would never have escaped. Also it's practically sound proof. I just wish this box had been around whilst I was in my prime’ wept an emotional Miss Bale.