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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbour using our recycling bin

45 replies

Thankfuckitsfriday1 · 24/03/2019 14:02

Now i know this is a first world issue and not really a big deal.

But our neighbour has started using our recycling bin.
We’ve always had two and they’ve always had 1 and recently their one hasn’t been out so i’m not sure if it was pinched or what but it’s now only our two. And they have recently started using ours and we don’t really have the space for it. Both kids drink a huge amount of milk so that alone fills them up!

Today i went to put ours out and again it was filled with theirs so i took all theirs our, put it in a carrier bag and went to give it back to them but no answer so left it on their doorstop.

They don’t speak english so when i tried to tell them it fell on deaf ears unfortunately which also means they probably won’t know how to order another one... so i’m feeling a bit bad about it and annoyed.

We do now keep them in our back yard which is fenced off but last time after the recycling was collected they immediately put theirs in before i got home to put it back into a garden IYSWIM

OP posts:
SnowyAlpsandPeaks · 24/03/2019 14:04

Why don’t you order another for you? I have three as I recycle everything I can.

Cranky17 · 24/03/2019 14:04

Our neighbour used ours a few times too, takethe stuff out each time

MrsJayy · 24/03/2019 14:07

Where i used to live my neighbour used to use everybodies bins so hers didn't get dirty she was a bit of a fruitloop a neighbour offered to phone the council as she clearly needed more bins Grin put a stop to it.

SparklesandFlowers · 24/03/2019 14:12

Definitely keep returning their recycling to them. Hopefully they'll get the message, English or no English. Failing that, I've heard of bin locks, which might be worth looking into.

The house on one side of us is empty as the neighbour is doing it up. They have a bin for garden waste which you have to pay the council for. We don't have one (rented house). I haven't even used it for all the garden waste from our garden as I feel it's cheeky, although she almost certainly wouldn't find out as she's hardly ever there.

MrsJayy · 24/03/2019 14:21

My dd has a bin lock at her house apparently it is bin wars

wigglypiggly · 24/03/2019 14:28

Buy bin locks and maybe print out the info from your local council on how they can buy a bin, they come printed in several languages. Keep taking their stuff out.

eddiemairswife · 24/03/2019 14:28

If they don't speak English, why don't you ring or email the council to explain the situation, and maybe someone will get in touch with them.

Sunshine1235 · 24/03/2019 14:30

Is it definitely theirs that is missing and not one of yours? We had a wheelie bin go missing and it wasn’t clear if it was ours or our neighbours so we shared for a while and then split the cost of a new one

FizzyGreenWater · 24/03/2019 14:40

If there's a language issue, why don't you help them out? Order another and take it round?

MrsJayy · 24/03/2019 14:43

I missed a whole paragraph they don't speak English they might not know about bins

TheInvestigator · 24/03/2019 14:44

How hard would it be for you to order another one and give it to them? It seems much easier than getting into a twist and planning to empty it into their garden etc.

I'm all for stopping cheekiness but I'm also for helping out your neighbours when it's this easy.

LadAlive · 24/03/2019 14:46

SparklesandFlowers In my area garden waste is paid for by householder every year, having a bin doesn't mean your neighbour has subscribed to the service.

OP eddiemairswife's idea is a kinder solution, though I do understand your frustration.

Dueinnov19 · 24/03/2019 14:49

I would order them another one

MaudesMum · 24/03/2019 14:50

Put your house no. on your bins - it makes it much easier to claim them, especially if your neighbour doesn't have good English. In our road, the bin men are very bad at returning them to the right house, and numbering them makes it much easier to track them down.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 24/03/2019 14:51

Go onto your council website and order two for them. You should have space to explain that they are not good English speakers and may not know how to do it for themselves. There will also be a phone number.

When they arrive take a Sharpie and put numbers on your and theirs, so they can relax about which they are allowed to use.

I did this a while ago for my older, deaf and catankerous neighbour. I could see him getting wound up about it and decided to do something before it caused a real problem. His daughter popped in about 3 months later to say thank you!

PeapodBurgundy · 24/03/2019 14:54

I agree with PP about emailing the council. If it's free replacements (it's not here, it's almost £60 for a replacement bin), just order a new one. If not email the council to explain the situation. That way either the problem is fixed, or you've passed it on to somebody else to fix. It will save you time and effort in the long run compared to an indefinite amount of time removing and returning their recycling.

whataboutbob · 24/03/2019 14:57

I had that too. Our elderly neighbor was doing it under cover of darkness. I caught her and told her off, then felt immediately guilty. I realised that whatever was leading her to use ours was a reason more important than my annoyance and wished I’d said nothing/ been a lot more diplomatic.

Grumpelstilskin · 24/03/2019 14:59

As a non-English speaker who did her hardest to learn the language on arrival in a timely manner to get by, I find it quite out of order and entitled of anyone to use the language barrier to be a CF!

Ellenborough · 24/03/2019 15:07

Why don’t you order another for you? I have three as I recycle everything I can.

Seriously? Hmm

They are not free, you know.

OP get a big permanent marker and write YOUR door number on YOUR bins with the words FOR and ONLY. And keep getting their stuff out and leaving it on their doorstep.

And when they are home, grit your teeth, smile nicely and tell them they are both your bins, you pay for them and they need to stop.

Ellenborough · 24/03/2019 15:08

I didn't know you could get bin locks. That is definitely the way forward.

QuitMoaning · 24/03/2019 15:16

Not the main issue but why don’t you compress your milk cartons? I compress all my bottles and cartons, fold my cardboard and get loads in?

CuriousaboutSamphire · 24/03/2019 15:16

They are not free, you know. They canbe if you put in a good argue=mnt. If OP expains the predicament,suggest some loutih other peson has taken advantag eand nicked her neighbour sbin they might get freebies.

If OP is feeling truly worthy she can then keep the new ones and gift her neighbour the used ones!

And I'm with Grumpelstilstkin on the CFery!

Boysey45 · 24/03/2019 15:23

Go on Live chat with your council tomorrow and tell them the problem, they can send a bin out and a letter to the neighbours in their language. The council has loads of leaflets in different languages and people who can speak everything.

PeapodBurgundy · 24/03/2019 15:24

QuitMoaning you're told not to compress cartons and bottles in our council. Apparently it causes contamination. They ignored my comment -and the comments of several others when asking how!

Dimsumlosesum · 24/03/2019 15:41

"why don't you just buy another"?

Because not every area allows that? Not everyone can afford a £60 extra bin?

You have to have a special house assessment to get an extra bin here, and only for families with over 5 members.

OP, I'd get a bin lock. A pain you have to, but at least then you wouldn't have to worry.

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