Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have put my rubbish in the neighbours bin

209 replies

Cantheowneroftheredcorsapleasemovetheircar · 14/01/2026 00:04

The people opposite me, who were tenants, moved out just a couple of days before Christmas.
The house doesn't have a "to let" sign or anything up yet, and there's definitely noone living there. However, today was bin day and someone, presumably the owner, had been round and put the wheelie bin out ready last night.
The binmen come at 7am.
At 6:45am, I had the idea of maybe adding a bag of my rubbish to their black bin, if it wasn't full, as I am still trying to catch up from Christmas and have extra.
I nipped over the road, had a peek and there was nothing but one single Tesco carrier bag of rubbish in there.
I went back inside, tied up my own full bin bag of rubbish from my kitchen bin and carried it over the road. By this time, I could hear the bin lorries already coming so I know noone was going to be using that space in that bin.
I then took the bin back up their drive for them.
I went back inside, very pleased with myself for now having completely empty bins.
DH was horrified and said it was very cheeky behaviour and very embarrassing. He really hopes noone saw.

Was it cheeky and embarrassing?

OP posts:
Dolphinnoises · 14/01/2026 12:09

One morning (a while ago, maybe 10 years or so) I was in the street when a bin man (who came across as a a-little-power-is-a-dangerous-thing twat, but may have been a delight in his spare time) informed me that they could not empty my bin as it had been “overfilled” as the lid was more than an inch open. It was about two inches open.

I removed the bag, gave them my now-closed bin, and put it in the offending bag in the bin of my next door neighbour (and friend), a widow of 75 whose bin was always 20% full at most, and whose bin they were due to empty after mine.

The man then informed me he had just witnessed me fly-tipping, and that I could now be prosecuted. I replied that I was friends with my neighbour, and knew she wouldn’t mind. He said that made no difference. I said something breezy but conciliatory like oh well, I won’t do it again then, and went back inside.

IamnotSethRogan · 14/01/2026 12:06

I have also never heard of bins being weighed ?

IamnotSethRogan · 14/01/2026 12:05

I wouldn't care if one of my neighbours put rubbish in our bin. It's often not full and especially if it's already out ready for the bin men, meaning I've probably used all i need.

I also don't care if people put bagged dog poo in it as well if they're stuck.

Original poster
Cantheowneroftheredcorsapleasemovetheircar · 14/01/2026 12:01

Thanks everyone for replies.

I'm curious - who are these people that are charged by weight? Are you all in the UK?
Generally, bin collections are covered by our council tax, which everyone pays and the binmen just turn up and collect the bins, regardless of how full or not full they are.

OP posts:
bcski · 14/01/2026 11:58

If the bins are weighed and people charged according to weight then you are being unreasonable.
If you dumped something in the bin that shouldn't be in that particular bin (eg. recyclables etc) then YABU because the bin owner could be fined for not sorting rubbish correctly.
If neither of those, it's fine because you did it at the last minute before the bin lorry came.

Daysgo · 14/01/2026 11:56

Do you not pay by weight?If not, fair enough, if you do , you're essentially robbing whoever owns the bin.

Migrainedays · 14/01/2026 11:42

Rubbish is now gone no one was hurt move on.

CitizenofMoronia · 14/01/2026 11:16

its not just cheeky its flytipping and you can get fined if someone complains, your husband is correct.

Friendlygingercat · 14/01/2026 11:14

As a single childfree person it takes me quite a long time to fill a bin. So I dont put it out til its full unless its waste food. Cardboard, glass bottles and cans can wait until the bin is full to the top and no room for anyone else. I see no point in trolling out with a half empty recycling bin.

GreenJeIIy · 14/01/2026 10:39

It's fine!

Xkk · 14/01/2026 10:32

busyd4y · 14/01/2026 10:03

Different councils have different policies, here they would simply leave anything not in the bin. There's no choice really as the bins are automatically lifted and tipped into the lorry, there's no way to add anything manually

Show quote history

It makes sense, I didn't know that. I guess we are just lucky.

LAMPS1 · 14/01/2026 10:31

Under those particular circumstances, I think it was ok to do what you did.
Maybe your DH would have preferred to make a special, less cheeky and embarrassing trip to the tip. He’s had plenty of time since Christmas to do that.

ForFunGoose · 14/01/2026 10:29

BlanketyBlankBlank · 14/01/2026 09:49

She pays for waste collection, it would’ve been collected the next week if she couldn’t have put it in the other bin. It’s not something she’s not paying for.

Show quote history

We pay for bins and it’s by weight.
Had not idea others didn’t, apologies.

pilates · 14/01/2026 10:25

In the circumstances you have described l, I don’t see the problem.

Luckyingame · 14/01/2026 10:19

Absolutely fine (by me).

BashfulClam · 14/01/2026 10:16

It depends. Our bin collection once didn’t happen till the afternoon and the inside bin was full so I nipped out to add the bag and my neighbour had pushed an extra bag into mine!!! No space, so I took it out put my rubbish in and left their bag in their garden. They were always overfilling their bin and trying to encroach on ours.

BlackCat14 · 14/01/2026 10:12

I think it’s absolutely fine, I don’t think it’s cheeky at all, it’s not harming anyone.

BlanketyBlankBlank · 14/01/2026 10:10

peacefulpeach · 14/01/2026 10:07

😂 it’s only drama if You think it is. Personally I’d just call it trespassing then make a cup of tea.

Show quote history

Yes a good idea a cup of tea, lots of sugar for the shock 😳!

Anyway, must dash bin collection day here, they’ve just collected and neighbour works until it’s dark, so I put their bin away trespass on their property, so they don’t have to get out of the car to do it this evening! I jolly well hope they don’t report me to the trespass police!

oviraptor21 · 14/01/2026 10:10

I would probably mind because our council are very fussy about recycling and I wouldn't trust anyone else to follow the rules and therefore prevent me from being fined.

sharkyroy · 14/01/2026 10:07

Zov · 14/01/2026 00:09

If there is no-one living there, then I may have done the same. Bit cheeky but no harm done. Hopefully no-one grasses you up, because the council love to fine people for shit like this. One woman was fined for sticking her own rubbish out of her car (a cardboard cup and a tissue I think) into a public bin. because it was her personal rubbish. (I know, batshit!) Also, someone got a fine in my area some weeks back for having their empty wheelie bin still on the public pavement, 3 days after it was emptied. They're so petty, so be careful!

What council was this? Have you got a link? What utter batshittery.

peacefulpeach · 14/01/2026 10:07

BlanketyBlankBlank · 14/01/2026 10:05

You surprise me, if you think someone putting a bin back could be deemed trespassing…….

I mean the drama!

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Show quote history

😂 it’s only drama if You think it is. Personally I’d just call it trespassing then make a cup of tea.

Liftedmeup · 14/01/2026 10:06

Yeah, that’s very cheeky.

BlanketyBlankBlank · 14/01/2026 10:05

peacefulpeach · 14/01/2026 09:56

😂 On the contrary..

Show quote history

You surprise me, if you think someone putting a bin back could be deemed trespassing…….

I mean the drama!

🤣🤣🤣🤣

busyd4y · 14/01/2026 10:03

Xkk · 14/01/2026 09:32

When is bin day and we have extra we just put the bag next to the bin. They would rather take the bin bag off the floor then having to remove it from an overfilled bin so they always send messages to us don't overfill just put next to it. Black or recycling doesen't matter it always gets picked up if is on the kerb. I sm surprised people look for space in neighbours bins, I lived here 10 years and it never was a problem for us.

Different councils have different policies, here they would simply leave anything not in the bin. There's no choice really as the bins are automatically lifted and tipped into the lorry, there's no way to add anything manually