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AIBU?

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Original poster

Neighbours used my food waste bin without telling me

14 replies

ORYX99 · 18/09/2023 08:41

I have recently moved house. I have never had a food waste bin before but decided to order one a few weeks back. Had it for about 3 months but have only just got round to buying a food caddy for the house. Went to put my food out into the bin and it is absolutely rank. Full of liquefied food, what looks like hundreds of flies and maggots. One of my neighbours has put food in it without asking me and it's been sitting there for weeks. What's left of the bin bags is pink and I'm so tempted to have a look round all the other food waste bins for pink liners so I can ask them to clean mine!

My question is, will the refuse workers even take the waste with the bin in such a state? And what's best to clean it with so I can get rid of any remaining flies and their eggs?

I'm so annoyed as they will have had to open my gate to use it.

OP posts:
3dogsandarabbit · 18/09/2023 08:46

So your neighbours are actually coming in to your garden to use it? Put a lock on your gate so they can't get in. The bin men will still empty it, as I think in the summer it is quite common for flies to get in the food bins and lay eggs. They still emptied mine.

Put bleach in it and fill with water, that will kill any maggots.

Steev · 18/09/2023 08:47

Leave it open for an hour. The birds will eat the Maggots then empty and bleach it.

Original poster
ORYX99 · 18/09/2023 08:48

3dogsandarabbit · 18/09/2023 08:46

So your neighbours are actually coming in to your garden to use it? Put a lock on your gate so they can't get in. The bin men will still empty it, as I think in the summer it is quite common for flies to get in the food bins and lay eggs. They still emptied mine.

Put bleach in it and fill with water, that will kill any maggots.

I keep it at the end of my path by my gate so they could technically have just reached over the fence but yes it was on my property on the other side of a fence/gate

OP posts:
3dogsandarabbit · 18/09/2023 08:48

Just to add, why have you not put it out for the weekly collection, our food bins are emptied every week.

Original poster
ORYX99 · 18/09/2023 08:49

3dogsandarabbit · 18/09/2023 08:48

Just to add, why have you not put it out for the weekly collection, our food bins are emptied every week.

Because I've just put food in it for the first time and the collection is on Thursday...

OP posts:
CharlotteBog · 18/09/2023 08:50

Steev · 18/09/2023 08:47

Leave it open for an hour. The birds will eat the Maggots then empty and bleach it.

You have smart birds where you live! They bleach and clean bins as well as eating maggots! 😀

BananaSpanner · 18/09/2023 08:50

Steev · 18/09/2023 08:47

Leave it open for an hour. The birds will eat the Maggots then empty and bleach it.

They are some helpful birds!

Original poster
ORYX99 · 18/09/2023 08:57

I am really annoyed that I'm going to have to clean someone else's disgusting food waste. It's absolutely rank I could've fainted when I opened it.

OP posts:
Oldthyme · 18/09/2023 09:00

Fly spray will kill maggots etc. Buy some today.

Bin men will take it, they’re used to it, so when that’s done get a bucket of hot water with choice of cleanser and soak/wash it out really well. Get into any hinge crevices etc. Obs wear rubber gloves.

Going forward, think of a way to keep your slops bin out of reach. If you can’t, buy some cable ties to tie the lid down. Drill holes to facilitate that if necessary or buy a fine chain and padlock. (Cut cable tie and replace as necessary or take small key to padlock each time. Bit of a faff, but hopefully they’ll not try again once they discover your remedial actions and the habit will be broken.)

My suggestions might be rubbish but I had to do something similar to a landfill bin which others tended to fill with their really disgusting detritus. A chain & padlock stopped their habit and disrespect.

sunglassesonthetable · 18/09/2023 09:13

I'd be annoyed too OP. That's very cheeky of them.

Birds followed by bleach sounds the thing.

Perhaps there's another place to leave it from now on? So it's not so accessible.

It's a faff but you can buy actual bin and caddy locks on Amazon designed exactly for this.

billyt · 18/09/2023 09:31

Without telling you? I'd expect them to ask, not tell. CFs

Original poster
ORYX99 · 18/09/2023 09:33

billyt · 18/09/2023 09:31

Without telling you? I'd expect them to ask, not tell. CFs

They didn't ask or tell! I have no idea who it was. I feel irrationally angry about it.

OP posts:
NotObligedToArgueWithStrangers · 18/09/2023 09:40

That's really annoying! If there's any way to identify who did it, I'd just tip it out onto their doorstep. Infuriating that you don't know, cheeky sods.

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