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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

A bin is a bin, surely?

64 replies

BMOT · 22/11/2018 23:21

I dont see how I am being unreasonable at all, however a friend I spoke to today seems to think I'm out of order.

We have a (general waste) bin collection every other week which is fine. It makes us more conscious about what we do with waste and encourages us to recycle. However last weekend we had a party which generated a lot more rubbish than our single wheelie bin could cope with the bin men will not take anything that is not inside the bin.

So to cut a long story short last night, when everyone put their bins out for a morning collection, I simply distributed my rubbish among my neighbors bins (quite a lot of them are old and have practically empty bins) job done. Trip to the hideous tip avoided.

When I mentioned this to a friend today over coffee she was horrified and seemed to think I was totally out of order.

Granted I probably could have asked first but it didn't occur to me until about 10pm by which time all the houses were in darkness.

OP posts:
MeredithGrey1 · 22/11/2018 23:41

I think a lot of people might disagree, but I’d have no issue with someone doing this to my bin provided they didn’t make mine overflow, and only did it right before the bins were collected (so I was unlikely to be planning on putting more in it). As long as I can get all my rubbish in my bin (which is normally half empty anyway), and my bin still gets emptied I don’t care.

BackforGood · 22/11/2018 23:55

I'd have no issue, but I've seen MN threads complaining about the CFs who have DARED to put something in the space in their bin Grin

Because I'm on good terms with my neighbours, I've already got a 'carte blanche' to put any spare rubbish in the bin of the old couple who only ever fill about 1/4 of their bin, whenever I want, so it wouldn't occur as a problem for me.

this will divide MN though! Wink

EBearhug · 23/11/2018 00:00

As long as all my rubbish fits in - and if it's on the pavement for collection, it is as much rubbish as I'll be putting out - then people are free to use the spare space, as long as it's the right sort of rubbish in the right sort of bin.

My glass box went walkies at some point. I don't have much glass rubbish, so I tend to distribute it between one or two of the neighbours' boxes when I do. I just choose ones with space rather than the ones who have clearly been celebrating...

Queenofthedrivensnow · 23/11/2018 00:08

I really wouldn't bat an eyelid at my neighbours using my bin the night before collection! Sometimes the bin men walk in front of the truck condensing the trash anyway!

BakedBeans47 · 23/11/2018 00:08

I wouldn’t mind if someone did it to our bin. Our neighbour came round a few months ago with a bottle of fizz for us - she told us that she had put stuff in our bin when we were on holiday and she’d felt guilty! I would only do it if I asked though.

chickywoo · 23/11/2018 00:08

I wouldn’t mind at all if there was room in my bin.
What I do mind is when I haven’t brought my bin in yet and I see someone walk past walking their dog and they bag up some dog shit and put it in my emptied bin Shock

PickAChew · 23/11/2018 00:10

Better it goes in a bin and gets collected than remains ignored and smelly in a bag on the pavement.

80sMum · 23/11/2018 00:11

Seems perfectly reasonable to me.

Greensleeves · 23/11/2018 00:14

If they'd already put their bins out, so wouldn't be using the remaining space, then this is a perfectly sensible act and I'd go so far as to say it's none of the neighbours' business.

I do think putting rubbish in other people's bins at any other time though, reducing the amount of space they have for their own rubbish, is antisocial.

MyArris · 23/11/2018 00:15

I would be livid if you used my bin! Rude!

Looks like I'm in the minority though Blush

Greensleeves · 23/11/2018 00:17

MrsArris, why?! If you'd already put it out? What impact does it have on you?

FeckingEjit · 23/11/2018 00:18

I do this and my neighbours have done it too. It's always the night before/morning of collection when the bins are out on the street anyway. They're going to be immediately emptied so I don't see the problem? It's not like you're hopping the fence to dump maggot infested food in someone else's bin

UsernameTaken2 · 23/11/2018 00:22

I don't mind people putting rubbish in my bins as long as it has been bagged. Someone went through a faze of putting rubbish in my bin that wasn't in bags and it would leak out and dribble down the sides, collect in the bottom and stink and attract fliesAngry

UsernameTaken2 · 23/11/2018 00:23

*phase

MyArris · 23/11/2018 00:27

Greensleeves because it's mine and I'd feel you were cheeky to do it and not ask. I put my bin out the night before (on my drive, not blocking pavement) and I often have another bag to squeeze in the next morning.

If someone asked, I'd say yes, but not asking would make me rage. Silly really.

PodgeBod · 23/11/2018 00:29

Me and my neighbour share a bin storage area. They tend to fill up their bin and sometimes start on mine which pisses me off no end because I tend to fill mine up by myself! If they did it when the bin was already on the road for collection, I wouldn't mind at all and in fact one elderly neighbour told me I should feel free to use her bin which was very sweet.

Sparklesocks · 23/11/2018 00:30

I wouldn’t care as long as it fit in ok and was what they take - once a neighbor shoved bags of garden waste in my bin on top of my general waste, the bin men must’ve opened it - saw it was garden waste (which my council don’t collect unless you use a specialist extra cost bin) and didn’t take it - even my standard bags underneath!! They must’ve thought it was all garden waste. I was fuming..

Sitranced · 23/11/2018 00:31

I'd rather it in any bin than littering the streets or hanging around the neighborhood attracting rats/foxes/stray cats.

Ilovelblue · 23/11/2018 00:32

I have an arrangement with three other houses near me and if any of us are stuck for bin space, we don't mind taking in each other's stuff. That said, I would always ask before using their bins and in the case of the elderly lady (who has very little rubbish indeed), I offer to wheel her bin to the front if I've put bags in it. This arrangement proved useful a few weeks ago when I was having a new kitchen fitted and although I took loads of stuff to the tip, my bin was still full so I used theirs as well. Only put bags in, however, the night before the collection was due and I could see how much space there was going begging!

TealTurnip · 23/11/2018 00:37

I wouldn’t have a problem with my neighbour using my bin if I wasn’t using it. Or parking on my drive if it was empty and they had too many guests. Or hanging their clothes on my washing line if they did a massive wash. As long as it didn’t inconvenience me and they weren’t doing it all the time.

arranfan · 23/11/2018 00:40

I'd prefer to be asked. Mostly because I live in an area where the collectors will tag bins that contain inappropriate items so I'd be apprehensive that somebody put a 'wrong' item in my bin and earned me a tag (depending on the violation, my bin wouldn't be emptied).

We aren't allowed to use rubbish bags in our area - and there's no collection of anything that's not in the bin.

Greensleeves · 23/11/2018 00:41

"because it's mine" sounds pretty mean-spirited tbh! Are you the sort of person who would be upset if someone ate food you'd left as well? Because it's yours? Confused

StillMedusa · 23/11/2018 00:48

We 'bin share' as needed amongst a few neighbours.
We are a family of 6 so sometimes run out of recycling bin space...so we add it to our elderly neighbours with her permission. We always drag her bins out for her whether we have used it or not.
Our other neighbour recently cut his bushes and trees down and asked if we had space in our garden waste... yes no problem. And I'd far rather passers by put rubbish in our bin than left it on the road.

The only time it looks bad is after Xmas, when we have at least 11 adults staying here and the recycling looks like AA (alcohol not the recovery service) should pay us a visit! Our elderly neighbour finds it funny to have her recycling full of beer and wine bottles!

Butterflycookie · 23/11/2018 00:48

My parents do this all the time Blush

DaphneBlake101 · 23/11/2018 06:28

I'd be unhappy - just because my bin is out does not mean I don't have more bags to put in. I put my bin out the night before out of consideration for my neighbours as it can be noisy to roll wheelie bins around at 6am. If you did it after I'd left for work however, I'd never know.