Waste vehicle naming contests return to Devon

Torridge Council has asked for help naming two of its new street cleansing vans

Two Devon councils have asked the public for help in naming waste vehicles after similar competitions last year.

Hundreds of people entered a competition to name four bin lorries in Torridge in 2023, with the chosen winners including Bagatha Christie and Optimus Grime.

Both Teignbridge and Torridge district councils waste and recycling departments have launched new contests, with a total of 23 vehicles needing names.

The competitions run until 30 August in Teignbridge and 20 September in Torridge, with both councils encouraging residents to be innovative with their ideas.

Torridge Council also has two cleansing vans it needs names for, which will be stationed in Holsworthy and surrounding areas to support with various tasks.

These include cleaning toilets, emptying litter and dog bins, street sweeping, picking up litter, managing missed collections and clearing any illegally dumped waste.

Torridge District Council's competition last year resulted in vehicles named Bindiana Jones and Bagatha Christie

The council said it would be looking for innovation, imagination and an "all-important humorous element" in the submitted ideas.

Torridge councillor Chris Leather said: "The cleansing team works extremely hard across the district and does a fantastic job of keeping our streets clean.

"The winners of the competition will have the honour of seeing the names they submitted displayed on the new vehicles as they carry out their work in the district."

Teignbridge has a fleet of 21 kerbside collection vehicles it wants names for

Teignbridge District Council has asked for help naming its fleet of 21 recycling collection vehicles.

The council said each vehicle visited different locations throughout the district, emptying an average of 2,500 recycling containers each day.

Its competition is open until 30 August with more details available on the council's social media pages.

The winning names for both competitions will be be printed and displayed on the vehicles.