Bin wars - who's in the wrong?

[Recyclingbinbo]

Lighthearted

DH had a box delivered containing some items for a household repair. The delivery arrived over a week ago and he opened it, then left the box with all the contents and packaging inside by the front door.
We've had a lot of deliveries lately and I was taking all the boxes downstairs, after they had accumulated by the front door for a few days. (We live in flats with no lift so going down to the recycling bins tends to get put off even though it makes the job harder).
Anyway, as you've probably guessed, I appear to have mistakenly picked up DH's delivery and taken that down to the recycling as well.
Who is in the wrong?
YANBU - DH should not have left his item by the front door in its packaging for over a week. The cost of replacing the contents should be split (about £40 each).
YABU - You should have checked the box first before disposing of it and should pay to replace the contents yourself.

I refuse to answer on who should pay for it as I find this ridiculous between a married couple. But in terms of who is at fault here, definitely DH for leaving it lying around where recycling is normally kept for a week.

I would assume any box left by the front door (when that sounds like your 'place' for recycling) is rubbish.

Are boxes normally left by the front door to go downstairs for disposal?

If so, he’s very much in the wrong

If not, you’re both in the wrong.

Either way, he’s to blame mostly

How did you not notice it was a full box not an empty box? 😂

YABU in my eyes as if it's cardboard it should be deconstructed and flattened before being put in the recycling bins, especially shared bins! My old pet peeves when I lived in a flat was giant boxes taking all of the room! 😂

I don't know, I live alone and still double check most boxes before taking them out into the recycling bin just in case I've forgotten a small item in or something. I would notice anyway as I always flatten boxes to fit more in the bin though. How did you not notice a full box, was it not heavier too?

It all hangs on whether he left the box in the place recycling sits before it goes out.

@ohhooh

How did you not notice it was a full box not an empty box? 😂

YABU in my eyes as if it's cardboard it should be deconstructed and flattened before being put in the recycling bins, especially shared bins! My old pet peeves when I lived in a flat was giant boxes taking all of the room! 😂

This is what I was thinking.

I’m a bit obsessed when it comes to recycling so I always check inside for receipts or anything with the name and address together (they get shredded) and then flatten the box.

I can’t understand how you missed that the box contained £80 worth of stuff, unless it was a very small shallow box and the contents were tiny.

I agree with PP, cardboard should be flattened before being disposed of. It will leave more room in the recycling bin for other people to get their stuff in, and it's easier to transport. If you'd flattened it you'd have seen it wasn't empty.

That being said, leaving it in the box by the front door was a bit lazy and messy of your DH. If he didn't intend to do the repair straight away he should have put it away somewhere.

I also think it’s a ridiculous argument.

You probably should have noticed but if I made an equally human mistake I would expect my DH to laugh about it and say it wasn’t a problem rather than appropriating blame.

Money is shared money so it would be the same either way.

Both of you are in the wrong...him for leaving it lying there for a week among the recycle stuff...and you for not noticing you was throwing a full package out...

Also why are you letting it build up by the door for a week, wouldnt it be easier to each grab a bit of recycle as you head out the door each day and drop it in the bins...that way it's not building up by your front door and if you are passing the bins on your way out it's easier to get rid of some

I think you should both split the cost and consider it a lesson learned....him for keeping his package in what was essentially a rubbish pile...and you for lifting and throwing without double checking nothing important had got into the pile

Both.

YABU as boxes should be flattened and double checked for stray inside packaging that isn’t cardboard etc.

I think you are in the wrong as you obviously didn't flatten the boxes and thats really knobby in communal bins.

But you are married, it's for a household repair and it's £40- ridiculous to be arguing over who is paying for it.

To answer a few questions:
The financial side is relevant because we split everything 50/50.
By the front door is our usual place for boxes that need recycling.
No idea how I didn't notice it was full, i must must extraordinarily strong 💪. More likely though that it was pretty light and I am quite absent-minded and do things on autopilot so wouldn't really question it.
I know I should break up the boxes but I can never be arsed so I just force and squash them into the bins.

Both your faults for leaving recycling to build up for days and days (well 7 days !!!) and not bring down daily as you leave your flat.

100% your fault for not nagging him on day 2 for not having finished the repair yet. By day 4 you should have given up all hope that the repair would be done and been asking for advice on how to LTB. 🌻

I know I should break up the boxes but I can never be arsed so I just force and squash them into the bins
For that alone YABU and an arse.

Flip for it, you both sound as lazy as each other!

The financial side is relevant because we split everything 50/50. But are you in an argument about this where he is demanding full cost and you are refusing? - because if so I still feel it’s ridiculous.

Given the circumstances you have mentioned, your DH should not have left it near the recycling rubbish.

Reminds me of a debate I had about clothes in the washing machine and stuff being in the pockets, who checks it, the person putting in the washing basket or the person putting in the washing machine, definitely not the latter in my opinion!

@SolasAnla the recycling didnt build up for 7 days, the delivery sat there for that long. Then we had a few deliveries over the last couple of days that were put next to it.

@mizzo not lazy, just over worked, overtired and a household with small children to juggle in a small flat!l.
A few cardboard boxes at the front door for a few days is quite far down on our list of jobs.

@ohhooh

How did you not notice it was a full box not an empty box? 😂

YABU in my eyes as if it's cardboard it should be deconstructed and flattened before being put in the recycling bins, especially shared bins! My old pet peeves when I lived in a flat was giant boxes taking all of the room! 😂

This! 😂

@Wheelz46 completely agree. The person who leaves the box in the recycling pile should check its empty first.

You can’t be arsed to break up cardboard boxes? It takes a minute.

And you leave this all outside?

You’re a horrible neighbour.

@BooksAndHooks

YABU as boxes should be flattened and double checked for stray inside packaging that isn’t cardboard etc.

this.

You shouldn't be able to not know if it's empty. It's obvious as it's flat packed.