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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Bin Day Etiquette

79 replies

BinToHellAndBack · 01/02/2015 22:35

Tomorrow is bin day here (actually it's recycling day, but this thread refers to both bins and recycling in equal measure).

We always put our bins as early in the evening as we can because a) we'd probably forget otherwise and b) it saves the loud trundling and banging at 11pm followed by cussing as you somehow manage to make the bin grind your knuckles along the pebbledash

However, I do not feel that the bin being out on the street is a free-for-all for the neighbours to rush over and cram their refuse into our bin. Sometimes there's more to go in! So AIBU?

I'm all for using the neighbours leftover space if you've run out, but would it be so hard to just ask? Or at least wait until the morning when there's unlikely to be any more. Last week our recycling bin was overflowing with old school work-books, I'd estimate about 70-100!

And I have no idea who it is. I heard the tell-tale flap of the lid closing about 30 mins ago (fair enough it's probably late enough this time to not be unreasonable). I rushed to the window to see who was there... nobody. So they must be trying to sneak.

Hmm, I need to get a life Grin or maybe a bigger bin

OP posts:
crystal85 · 01/02/2015 22:46

Sorry can't really help you - ours goes down at night but as we live on a private road bin lorry isn't allowed up it so we have to take it to a 'bin area' at the end so once there we have no idea whats going in it x

Lepaskilf · 01/02/2015 22:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
BinToHellAndBack · 01/02/2015 22:54

Yes I think we do. I haven't had a skip myself but have seen people bickering over the contents of them!

However, our close neighbours are all lovely. Maybe it's just a cover so they can dump in our bins without suspicion...

And crsytal85 - that's a good system. You can't get in trouble for overfilling your bin as they have no idea it's yours!

OP posts:
Moanranger · 01/02/2015 23:04

Not on! I believe your bin /space in bin is yours - space or no, not for neighbours, nice or otherwise, to fill up.

yellowdinosauragain · 01/02/2015 23:10

I think your bin is yours. But once it's out it's fair game for others to add to, imho.

If it bothers you don't put it out until you've put out all the rubbish you need

wowfudge · 01/02/2015 23:10

Our council asks that bins are only put out after 7pm the night before at the earliest and that they are outside by 7am on bin day.

Can you not put the bin on your drive or path so you won't forget the next morning? You could try sticking a label on the lid asking anyone thinking of putting their stuff in there to check whether you have more to go in first? Might make them think twice.

Original poster
BinToHellAndBack · 01/02/2015 23:14

Yellow I do see your point, which is why I'm not furious, just a bit irked. It's the quantity I guess that really bothers me - overfilling someone else's bin so they risk the bin men refusing it is properly cheeky!

Wowfudge, I have considered a note but I don't want to be unnecessarily confrontational if it's a generally accepted thing to do...

OP posts:
Original poster
BinToHellAndBack · 01/02/2015 23:16

Oh and the next morning isn't an option as sometimes they come before 6am - if the kids are still asleep I'm not getting up Grin

OP posts:
kawliga · 01/02/2015 23:18

YANBU, my next door neighbours do this! They put some smelly rotting stuff in my bin, I think it was gone-off prawns in flour or something like that Hmm and when I went out in the dark to add some more rubbish to my bin I got it all over my hands, gross! I keep a very clean bin so I dipped my hands in to open the bag that I had left in there earlier, only to get covered in muck!! Angry Not bare hands but my naice mitts from M&S which I was wearing because it was cold out and I wasn't worried about getting them mucky. I know my bin is clean, and the whole story about cleaning it started because of neighbours who loaded rotting chicken bones into my bin in the summer (long story but now I clean it religiously!)

I knew it was them because there were footprints in the snow leading from their front door to my bin Angry

I keep a very clean bin (did I say that already?) and I don't like other people's smelly detritus going in it. Why don't people at least bag their stuff carefully if they are going to dump it in somebody else's bin Angry

Now, I put my bin just outside my door overnight and rush it to the street in the morning. The cheeky feckers wouldn't dare come up to my door to load their rubbish in my bin. Height of bad manners. YADNBU!

I know there are serious problems in the world but this issue makes me cross. Public Service Announcement: dump your shit in your own bin!

Lepaskilf · 01/02/2015 23:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

wowfudge · 01/02/2015 23:19

A note/label on your bin lid wouldn't be confrontational - it's all in the wording and, let's face it, only someone sticking their stuff in your bin would even see it.

I don't put our bins out until everything I'm bothered about getting shot of it is in them.

I can see it would be annoying if it happens constantly - it suggests either someone doesn't have a bin or is regularly filling theirs and perhaps should contact the council for a bigger or additional bin, but they either haven't thought of that or just can't be bothered.

thatstoast · 01/02/2015 23:20

Have you thought about getting in the bin so you can pounce out on the offender? That might be more confrontational than a note but also more effective.

BlushingMeadows · 01/02/2015 23:22

My neighbours used my bin to get rid of smelly nappies and dog poo. I now take my rubbish and recycling once a week to the local dump. A lot less aggravation and I don't have to worry about my twatty neighbours mess or my bin being stolen.

JoanHickson · 01/02/2015 23:23

I have had an odd sneak at midnight to put rubbish in neighbours bins. Never manky fish or chicken bones and always in a tied up bag.

kawliga · 01/02/2015 23:32

I think it's probably ok if the stuff is in a tied up bag that won't get everywhere. For dog poo and nappies they should be double-bagged. And then should only be dumped very late at night/early in the morning when it's reasonably sure the owner isn't counting on the extra space.

Never dump smelly stuff in the neighbour's bin when the bin has just been emptied or when there is still a long way to go before the next collection, especially your rotting chicken bones in the height of summer Angry still pissed off about that. Had to pay pest control to come and clean out the bin as it was crawling with maggots. I just hate grotty bins.

Better still, use your own fecking bin or drive to the dump!

Toughasoldboots · 01/02/2015 23:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

2rebecca · 01/02/2015 23:38

I would never put anything in a neighbour's bin without asking. You just squish your own bin down if it's full. Life's too short to fall out with a neighbour just because you buy too much packaging for your own wheeliebin.

Original poster
BinToHellAndBack · 02/02/2015 00:12

Wow, some much worse bin things going on out there! I would not want the inside of my bin smeared with poo Envy (that's a green and pukey face, I'm not jealous of the poo bins).

Love the jumping out of the bin idea... but I think social services would quite rightly have a thing or two if I leave my children unattended indoors to spend my sunday evenings lurking in wheely bins!

Making sure it's full first is probably a good idea, the thing is we have forgotten to put it our before and had to venture out in the middle of the night. So putting it out early, then tossing in the last few nappies and rubbish after cleaning the kitchen works well for us. And it's not the end of the world if those last bits do get forgotten, whereas the entire bin would.

OP posts:
Original poster
BinToHellAndBack · 02/02/2015 00:14

Social services would have a thing of two TO SAY.

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BackforGood · 02/02/2015 00:22

We've not got wheelie bins yet, so this is just theoretical, but if you have put your bin out, I don't think it would be unreasonable to assume you put all your rubbish out ~ surely people collect all the rubbish from around the house before putting it all outside ? Or am I unusual in that ?

I don't think it's acceptable to put dog mess into people's bins though Hmm

Toughasoldboots · 02/02/2015 00:26

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
BinToHellAndBack · 02/02/2015 00:39

BackforGood, I only mean rubbish generated after the bin went out. But if we cook after that then there's kitchen mess which might as well go out. Sometimes a nappy or two, that sort of thing.

So nothing major, but if your bin if so full the lid doesn't shut anymore then there's nowhere to put it. And I can't take the rogue rubbish back out because I don't know where it's come from to return it to.

If it's recycling then DH sometimes brings stuff back from work as they don't recycle anything. If he's on a late shift it could be anything up to 4am, so I will have already put the bin out. Then it hangs around for 2 weeks until the next collection.

And I don't mind, just a quick knock at the door to say "would you mind me adding to you bin today?". It's unlikely I'd say no!

OP posts:
kawliga · 02/02/2015 01:03

I don't think it would be unreasonable to assume you put all your rubbish out

No, do not make assumptions about other people's bins! That's all. I do the same as a pp, I put it out early-ish in the evening and then top up the remaining stuff either just before bed or first thing in the morning. That's how I ended up with my hands in the neighbour's horrid muck.

I agree about dog poo. Some dog owners put the dog poo bag in their pocket (yuck, it must be all warm and squishy, gross) to take home with them and dispose of in their own bin, as they should. It's just good manners and very bad form to dump it in someone else's bin. People who live near parks where dogs are walked a lot suffer a lot from this with their bins.

goodasitgets · 02/02/2015 01:11

I've just realised I don't have a clue if anyone adds stuff to my bin Grin
My neighbours have put mine out and brought it in for the last um... 8 years Blush
Maybe I should look occasionally!

goldopals · 02/02/2015 08:02

goodasitgets

My neighbour does the same! He is amazing and even manages to do both wheelie bins when i have had a big clean up

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