If you walk around the top end of Aberystwyth, between the market hall and Old College, you may have noticed a pensioner picking up litter.

If you have, you are seeing William Baxter, an 80-year-old who has been picking up and recycling litter on the streets of Aberystwyth voluntarily for more than 20 years.

Speaking to the Cambrian News, the humble octogenarian explained this week: “I do this because I fear that this rubbish might get swept into the sea. I’ve seen pictures of plastic being in the sea, affecting animals and the environment. I hope my work helps stop that happening here.”

His efforts have made him something of a local celebrity, and he is highly commended by business owners and locals in the area.

During an interview with the Cambrian News, a staff member from the Home Cafe came out to him and brought him pieces of chocolate.

The owner of Home Cafe on Pier Street, Ahmed Acikel said: “He’s an amazing person, we always see him walking past with a bag of recycling in his hand. He comes in here a couple of times a month, and always stops by at Christmas. His favourite foods are rhubarb crumble, hot chocolate and ice cream.”

Brian White, the owner of Millwards, added: “He’s a real asset to the town. He’s been doing this for years, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was praised by the council for it.

“I’ve seen him out there late at night, past 10pm, even in the winter – he does this day and night, no matter the weather.”

Richard and Jacqui Ireland from Nicely Hung Frames called him “the original recycler”. They said “he’s very well known, and he really does do a good job. He’s been here all my life and I’ve seen him doing this for years. He even brings some of his stuff to us in case it is of any use, before he takes it to the recycling bins.”

Everyone who spoke about Mr Baxter called him an incredibly clever man. He graduated from London University in 1964, completing an external degree in chemistry and physics – not long afterwards he moved to Aberystwyth.

Mr Baxter has an interest in the relationship between languages, knowing phrases and facts about a catalogue of languages: Japanese, Polish, Finnish, Bretonic Celtic and Native American.

He said “I believe you can learn a lot from these relationships, they give you an insight into the history of the people who spoke them, and how culture travels with the language. It’s surprising how much these languages interconnect, people seemingly separated by miles of ocean and land can share similarities within their languages.”