Several council workers emptying bins in a lay-by on the A30 at Kempshott, Hampshire, put the bag containing Jack in the back of their van.
At only a day old, he was tied up in a plastic bag and left to die in a bin by the side of a road.
He may be only a few inches long, but his loud miaow saved him from perishing in a rubbish dump.
Several council workers emptying bins in a lay-by on the A30 at Kempshott, Hampshire, put the bag containing Jack in the back of their van.
As they drove away they thought they could hear a mobile phone ringing.
They stopped to investigate the matter further and discovered Jack and another kitten inside a tied-up plastic bag.
Worker Brian Bartlett took the kittens back to his depot and nursed them as they warmed up under his portable heater.
It was a happy ending for Jack, who is now recovering with the RSPCA, being bottle-fed with milk every few hours.
The other kitten did not survive the ordeal.
Mr Bartlett, who plans to adopt Jack, said: "I'd just like to get my hand on the person who did this. It's unbelievably cruel and heartless. They were thrown into the bag and left to die in the cold and dark.
"There's enough rescue centres around nowadays for people to place their unwanted pets. How callous can people be?"
He added that although he has never owned a pet, he was determined that Jack should have a "good life" and that he would make sure the kitten would have one.