Pinching from a skip. Yes or No?

[Rainyrunway]

My NDN are having renovations done and they have a skip outside their house full of random stuff. I just saw someone drive past, then reverse the car, get out and start rummaging. They grabbed a couple of bits out, stuck in their car and drove off. I found it quite funny (but a bit cheeky) personally and dont think id mind if someone knicked something from a skip outside my house. But it got me thinking. Would you do it? Is it ok? Or is it's stealing?

It’s fine. It’s saving something from landfill.

^ that.

I think it is technically stealing, but I can’t see the harm.

I think it's fine, but then I am not averse to rummaging for a really good useful bit of wood in a skip. I am aware some think it's not OK, and if it looked like I would be caught in the act someone was there to ask I'd ask first.

I think it's fine in theory but I'd be worried in case they changed their mind before the skip was removed.

it's totally fine to take out of skips, but not to chuck stuff in.

On the road fine but if you have to go onto a driveway or similar then you should knock and ask

Much worse to put stuff in without asking.**

I suppose you could always knock on the door and ask.

I dint think anyone would mind as long as they don't make a mess... at least it gives you more room in your skip!

We had a skip recently, I was amazed at the amount of people having a good old nose in it quite brazenly even though it was on my drive!

Absolutely fine. Much better than it ending up in landfill. A lot of my neighbors have been having work done recently and some of the stuff carelessly thrown into the skip which is not broken or damaged but simply not to their taste is quite eye opening.

I think it's polite to ask. On a couple of occasions I've hired skips and ended up rescuing a few bits from it before it was collected, so would have been annoyed if someone had come along and just helped themselves.

Came here to say this. And I wouldn’t enter someone property to access the skip. But otherwise: we need to be reusing things wherever possible rather than buying new, so it’s fine.

You're supposed to ask first or it's stealing

It's rubbish, being thrown out, so no, not stealing. people don't store their belongings in skips, they use them to get rid of things.

That person provided a free rubbish removal service so far from cheeky.

Prob good manners to knock and check its ok. But ultimately the rubbish is destined for landfill so if someone can make use of it thats much better and most people would be pleased its having further use.

Of course it’s not stealing. The stuff has literally been put out as rubbish.

It is theft, so anyone thinking of doing this would be best advised to knock on the door and ask before taking anything from a skip, whether it is on the road or a driveway.

I'm about to have a skip for a total kitchen and bathroom renewal so if anyone wants any manky old cabinets and basins please have at it, no questions asked!

We had a couple of skips when we were emptying my Dad’s house after it sold. We were thrilled when we saw people rummaging and taking stuff as it gave us more space to add more.

There were a few vans who pulled up and obviously already knew the skip was there. I suspected the skip companies tell them. Or the just drive around but we were not on a main road so you would have had to know it was there.

It is technically stealing but you're doing the owner a favour - they'll have more room in their skip.

I feel guilty about putting useable stuff in landfill so I'd be happy for someone to take anything they can make use of.

Who on earth would bother calling the police to report that their rubbish which they are paying to get rid of, has been taken? The police don't even turn up when wanted items are stolen in my area.

They used to call it tatting in my area. Yes it's fine to take stuff out, not put stuff in.

It’s fine to take from skips as far as I’m concerned. I don’t want people knocking on my door to ask, that would be annoying.