Sad reason why tear-shaped stickers are appearing on bins across the UK

Dragging an overflowing plastic bin onto the pavement once a week ahead of the following morning's clattering collection is a routine chore we all know too well. But for one family, the scene of lines of bins awaiting emptying in the early hours carries a particularly poignant meaning. Caroline Tiplady and her brother Johnny de Mouilpied are the driving force behind the recent appearance of brightly coloured teardrop-shaped stickers seen on wheelie bins across Greater Manchester and throughout the nation. At the base of the sticker sits the dark silhouette of a man. Yet it's not simply a standard image – it's the outline of their brother Philip de Mouilpied: a 47-year-old father of three from Stockport who passed away in October last year. Philip had left a note on the kitchen table of his family home just moments before taking his own life. It was an incident so unexpected that it left his devastated family utterly bewildered. Caroline, 53, described Philip as a "really lovable person," who "never had a bad word to say about anybody." The family grew up in Stockport, where Philip was the second eldest of four children, with two older sisters, Caroline and Andrea, and his younger brother, Johnny, reports the Manchester Evening News . The family were struck by tragedy early when their mother died of breast cancer when Philip was only nine years old. It was an experience Caroline believed had affected her brother throughout his life. "It really affected his mental health," said Caroline. "I think firstly because there was no bereavement support for children. It was in 1989 when she died, so in those days, it wasn't really spoken about, and it was just brushed under the carpet. Not by family, but just in general. There was no help for anybody, I don't think." Aged 16 and the eldest of the siblings when their mum passed away, Caroline described stepping into a maternal role, helping care for her family while her dad was out working. During his school years, Philip met Lucy. The pair would eventually marry and welcome three children – Jessica, 23, Emily, 22, and 19-year-old Callum. However, despite the joy of domestic life, he endured recurring bouts of deteriorating mental health, compounded by his battles with alcohol dependency. "I think he carried a lot of pain and anxiety in silence," said Caroline. We used to say to him, 'Oh, how are you doing? Are you okay?" And he'd be like, 'Oh, yeah, yeah, I'm fine.' "He always just wanted to please anybody. He didn't want to be a burden to anybody at all." Caroline revealed there were multiple instances over the years when Philip had tried to take his own life. There were also calmer stretches of abstinence following periods in rehabilitation, but he would inevitably slip back into drinking. "One time I just said to him, 'Look, if you don't stop, then you're not going to have a family because we can't keep living like we're living,'" said Caroline. 'I think it was his way of saying bye to everybody' Everything reached breaking point in December 2015 when Caroline said she delivered an ultimatum to her brother – quit drinking or face losing your family. Caroline's message struck a chord and Philip remained sober for the following nine years. Despite giving up alcohol, Caroline said Philip continued to live with anxiety and would only venture to locations where he felt at ease, such as popping round to his brothers' and sisters' homes. So it proved unexpected last August, when Philip turned up at a family wedding in Northern Ireland. "He was on great form," said Caroline. "But now, looking back at the pictures that were taken of him with my son and my other son and other family members – I think it was his way of saying bye to everybody. "He knew as a family we would all be there together and that would be his last time of seeing us all together." Just two months afterwards, Philip took his own life. Despite his battles with his mental health and alcohol, Caroline said the news still arrived as the most devastating shock. Several months following Philip's funeral, Caroline and her younger brother Johnny chose to establish a foundation in honour of their brother. Having been engaged with numerous charities throughout the years, they devised the concept of converting household bins into "micro-billboards" for sharing a positive message. They established the Bin Silence foundation to raise funds for mental health charities. The stickers they sell not only generate vital funds but also act as a prompt for neighbours and friends to look out for one another. The sticker's design, which features the outlined figure of Philip, "represents everyone who has felt empty, lost, or alone," Caroline said. She added: "We thought it was a great way of getting people to talk and binning the silence." Shortly after the stickers were produced, Caroline said they were overwhelmed with people eager to purchase them. It was at that point they decided to launch a website, with the short-term goal of selling 100,000 stickers, which would raise a million pounds for the nominated charities. To date, the stickers have been purchased by people living the length and breadth of the UK, from Cornwall to the Shetland Islands. Despite their devastating loss, Caroline regards the Bin Silence foundation as a 'beacon of hope' and believes Philip would be proud of its positive impact. "We're not people to sit around and mope and not do anything," said Caroline. "We're a family who just gets on with things. "That's not to say we're not saying we're not grieving him, we'll grieve him forever. But we feel like something good has come out of our grief." Caroline explained that, beyond fundraising for mental health charities, the stickers serve as a conversation starter, ensuring people don't remain "fighting the same invisible battles" in silence, as her brother tragically did. Caroline added: "You wouldn't have ever known meeting Philip that he had problems. And there must be so many people masking what they're going through." For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org , visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website