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Original poster

Is this bin behaviour unhygienic?

41 replies

Binbuddy · 28/08/2024 09:13

The food bins were collected this morning. Due to the time of year they get maggots and stink.

The bin men come round and take our smaller food bins over to a larger bin and empty the bags into it before they deposit this in their truck. They often fish out the green food bags with their gloved hands (these green bags are often covered in maggots).

They then put out smaller food bins back for us to take. I always clean mine after this as it’s so filthy and I hate the smell (not to mention the germs on it!)

My Neighbour has just delivered all our food bins back to us and then got straight in her car and driven off. She didn’t wear gloves and touched all the filthy bins.

I am shocked. Who knows what germs she could have picked up and are now all over her steering wheel etc.

AIBU to think this is really unhygienic?

YABU: it’s fine
YANBU: yes it’s unhygienic, she should have washed her hands.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
LoneHydrangea · 28/08/2024 11:01

I could be bothered to be bothered. I do have a relaxed approach to such things though.

MartinCrieffsLemon · 28/08/2024 10:41

Hand gel?

That's what we usually do if we have to move the bins before the car

newnamethanks · 28/08/2024 10:26

Blecch. Do they still have those free newspapers at stations? If so, grab an armful and wrap your food waste before binning it.

Zebedee999 · 28/08/2024 10:11

longdistanceclaraclara · 28/08/2024 09:15

What on earth does it have to do with you?!

Gross though.

The OP is expressing an opinion and seeing if others have the same level of cleanliness as she does. If you don't like peoples opinions why come on a forum!

Personally I would always wash my hands after touching a bin.

Zimunya · 28/08/2024 10:08

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 28/08/2024 09:47

Totally missing the point too, but I've seen Bin People gather (or collect) the bins together in a small group (or gathering, or collection) whilst waiting for the Bin Vehicle to reach them, and then they empty the Bins (into the Bin Vehicle) and uncollect the Bins back to the wrong house.

Show quote history

Brilliant. Especially love the “uncollect the bins”!

KreedKafer · 28/08/2024 09:59

YABU to give even the tiniest of shits about whether your neighbour touches the handle of a bin. Seriously, you really need to get a life.

pinkspeakers · 28/08/2024 09:55

We've also never had maggots!

pinkspeakers · 28/08/2024 09:54

I assume she only touched the handles rather than delved right in to the maggots. I probably don't always wash my hands immediately on carrying the large food bin back from the end of the road to the garage. Only if it felt obviously mucky. I would wash my hands before cooking, eating. When I take the small food bin to empty into the large food bin in the garage then that's a bit messier and I often wash the bin out so that would involve washing hands.

I'm moderately relaxed about hygiene I think. We're never ill.

Workcleansleeprepeat · 28/08/2024 09:54

Ahh thanks everyone, that makes sense. My bin is always quickly closed and we don't seem to have many flies around, I guess that is the trick, keep flies away and keep bin lid closed!

mondaytosunday · 28/08/2024 09:50

@Workcleansleeprepeat I've never had maggots either. I forgot to put the food bin out (it's outside but furgón to put it out out) last time so it's had three weeks in there, but it's sealed. The food was rotten but no maggots. The food caddy inside is sealed too - no flies get in there.

HelpMeGetThrough · 28/08/2024 09:50

Round here we get bags for ordinary rubbish. If any food goes in them, even a sniff, then the seagulls come and tear them open.

Seagulls around here get a real grump on when it's bin day. We've been given seagull sacks to put the bags in, they can't get through those. Bin day is uneventful now, as they don't bother trying.

They take it out on the postman instead.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 28/08/2024 09:47

Zimunya · 28/08/2024 09:21

Totally missing the point, but why are they referred to as "bin collections" when the bins are not collected - only the rubbish / recycling / food waste inside them?

To get back to the thread, as other posters have said, if she was carrying them by the handles she wasn't touching anything particularly gross.

Totally missing the point too, but I've seen Bin People gather (or collect) the bins together in a small group (or gathering, or collection) whilst waiting for the Bin Vehicle to reach them, and then they empty the Bins (into the Bin Vehicle) and uncollect the Bins back to the wrong house.

HelpMeGetThrough · 28/08/2024 09:46

I am shocked. Who knows what germs she could have picked up and are now all over her steering wheel etc.

Who cares. Her hands, her car.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 28/08/2024 09:42

Workcleansleeprepeat · 28/08/2024 09:25

Not the point of the thread but I have never seen maggots in my bin, how do they get in there?

We never get maggots, either. Any scraps of meat or fish, or e.g. the remains of a chicken after it’s been boiled up for stock, go in a bag in the freezer until the night before the bin men come.

I read somewhere that bluebottles can smell anything dead - so any meat or fish - from a mile away.

Oldinjuryhelp111037 · 28/08/2024 09:41

That's a nice neighbour. She did you a favour. Her hands, her business.

SwingTheMonkey · 28/08/2024 09:39

What an odd thing to make a post about. I wouldn’t give a second thought to what someone else does in this situation.

Screamingabdabz · 28/08/2024 09:39

I often have to move my bin to get my car off the drive and haven’t got time to unlock the house and go in and wash my hands. But I do agree it’s gross (along with supermarket trolly handles) so I have a large bottle of antibac in my glove compartment which I use until I can properly wash my hands. I don’t think you are being unreasonable - lots of people really are grim in their hygiene.

Butwhybecause · 28/08/2024 09:36

Viviennemary · 28/08/2024 09:28

The whole way food is recycled domestically is unhygeinic. I don't waste much food but just bin it in the ordinary bin. I'm not dealing with maggots.

Round here we get bags for ordinary rubbish. If any food goes in them, even a sniff, then the seagulls come and tear them open.

We wash all the recycling and have not had maggots in the food waste bin either, it has a handle which locks the bin.

Peonies12 · 28/08/2024 09:35

Who cares? Her choice. And I can't see any issue assuming she used the handles and didn't wipe her hands round inside.

NoSquirrels · 28/08/2024 09:34

She got in her own car, not yours. This is definitely none of your concern.

Butwhybecause · 28/08/2024 09:34

We've got hand gel in the car, perhaps she has too.

graceinspace999 · 28/08/2024 09:34

Workcleansleeprepeat · 28/08/2024 09:25

Not the point of the thread but I have never seen maggots in my bin, how do they get in there?

I’ve seen them in a disabled elderly relatives bin whose ‘carers’ didn’t care to take out the rubbish for him.
When food is left rotting too long flies lay eggs which turn into maggots (I think?)

I throw a bit of washing up liquid and vinegar mix into my bins after they’re emptied and turn the hose on them. A bucket of water and a good swill will help if you don’t have a hose.

Sahara123 · 28/08/2024 09:33

Workcleansleeprepeat · 28/08/2024 09:25

Not the point of the thread but I have never seen maggots in my bin, how do they get in there?

I’ve never seen one either . Although I don’t exactly inspect the food waste, just throw the bag in and leave it to be collected. No maggots to deal with 🤷‍♀️

dementedpixie · 28/08/2024 09:32

Workcleansleeprepeat · 28/08/2024 09:25

Not the point of the thread but I have never seen maggots in my bin, how do they get in there?

Flies lay eggs and they hatch into maggots. I only really get them in the summer when the sun heats the bins up and makes them smellier and attracts more flies. It's only my food/garden waste bin that is affected as it's only collected every 2 weeks

Andthereitis · 28/08/2024 09:31

Covid taught us that people need to be told to wash their hands.