I’ve stolen my neighbours bin

[MiriamShepherd]

I know there are bigger things going on in the world right now, but, I’m not sure how to fix this,

My neighbourhood is very, well, naice, it wasn’t like this when I moved here, but it is now,

We have our own bins and recycling bags, every house on my street has labelled their bags/bins with their house numbers,

As I’ve lived here the longest, I have the oldest grottiest bags, they do the job although they raise some eyebrows, but at least on one will steal them,

Well, earlier this week I got home from work, grabbed my bags and bins, put them down the side of my house and left them there, today I’ve gone to but some recycling out and found a really nice clean bag with number 10 printed on it, I had a peek into my neighbour’s and spotted my grotty bag there,

I know the obvious response is, swap them back, except we have fences, and gates and my neighbour and I both work and are never in at the same time and besides, what would I say? - I’m going to have to scale the fence aren’t I?

Leave it outside their gate?

I could, but I still need to get my grotty bag back so I can put my recycling out

Just use it, drop a note round as to what happened and tell them you’ll swap back next time they’ve been emptied.

Just swap them back. What's stopping you opening a gate? I'm sure they won't mind! If they come out and ask what your doing you can simply explain.

Whenever this happens my neighbour and I keep the bags we've got and swap back after next collection. No discussion around this has ever taken place, but it appears to work for both of us.

I think I’m going to keep it till the next collection and swap them back after that, I’m hoping not to make it a bigger thing than it is, I’m completely mortified that I’ve become a bin thief but, it is fixable I suppose

Pop a note through. Sorry I have your bag. I assume you have mine. I will make sure i take the correct one back next week

OP you've just reminded me of the time when my lovely neighbours very politely pointed out that our bins had possibly been accidentally swapped. Ours was still is disgusting and smelly inside and theirs was spotless. We politely swapped back with no further comment!
Your naice neighbours will probably ask for theirs back before you offer