Binned: A kitten, €4,500 cash, and a host of presents

Large sums of cash, Christmas presents, and a live kitten are just some of the strange items found in Irish bins, according to Greyhound Recycling.

The largest sum of money found was €4,500 — the owner of the cash was never located.

A range of Christmas presents were also found at the recycling depot. It is thought they were hidden in a bin as a surprise and accidentally dumped.

Elsewhere, a kitten had a lucky escape when it narrowly avoided being baled in a recycling machine.

After its fortunate rescue, a worker at the company adopted the feline, christening the cat Bailim.

Our counterparts in Britain have equally bizarre recycling habits, it seems, with cremated remains, a motorbike engine, and 10,000 condoms topping the list of unusual items discovered in rubbish bins.

A wedding dress, an engagement ring, and a whole wedding cake were also found in British bins.

Greyhound Recycling released the data as part of its search for Dublin’s Recycling Champion.

As part of the competition, nominated households will have their bins appraised and judges will assess their recycling techniques.

The top prize is €1,000.

Michael Buckley, one of the owners of Greyhound Recycling, said the competition is designed to increase awareness about waste management in homes.

“The recycling habits of Irish households have improved dramatically in recent years,” he admitted, but said more was needed to meet EU waste directives.