Sharing a black bin

[0lly]

This is a bit silly but here goes. I live on my own and recycle my cans etc. in the blue bin which isn't a problem, but the amount of rubbish I get (tea bags and chip paper etc.) is so small it doesn't even fill a carrier bag in two weeks, so what I do is that I wait while the neighbours put their bin out and then I put my carrier bag in one of their bins.

The trouble is my neighbours don't like it and sometimes I come out of my front door to find a pile of rubbish on my doorstep.

My questions are these
1. Am I doing wrong? I admit I haven't asked them.
2. Am I committing an offence?
3. Are my neighbours committing an offence by littering. As I understand it bins are there to have rubbish put into them, but to take rubbish out and put it by someone's front door surely has to be an offence. They even put rubbish on my step that is not mine.

I feel I would like to stand my ground and I had an enormous row with them yesterday because two of them like to think they own the drive and I feel that if I give into them, my life won't be worth living.

The bin men simply tip the rubbish out of one bin into another anyway and then simply empty the one bin into the back of the lorry.

What course of action do you think I should take, I could use my bin but it seems so silly and I am 68 years of age but fairly fit. Answers appreciated.
Thanks.

[2sp_]

Honestly, I would just start using my own bin. I know it seems daft to use it for such a small amount of rubbish, but if it's causing problems with the neighbours is it really worth the hassle?

Don't think of it as backing down or giving in, more being the bigger person.

[snags]

The bottom line is 'your neighbours don't like it'. For the sake of harmony and to stop the hassle you are receiving, stop doing it.

[woofgang]

well given that you are using their bin space, i am a bit surprised that you decided to do it without asking. Why don't you suggest, as you have so little rubbish, that you share both bins?

[snags]

''I feel I would like to stand my ground''

But, strickly speaking, you're in the wrong.

[sherrardk]

Ask the bin men if you can just put out the carrier bag of rubbish.

[rockyracoon]

My mums neighbour did this to her a couple of times, this left my mum no room in her bin to get rid of her own rubbish, the binmen won't take extra. So, you should use your own bin.

[jackthehat]

Do you not have your own black bin?

[vodkancoke]

I live on my own, I have my own black bin and whatever rubbish I have and however little it is, that's what i put out. I wouldn't dream of putting my rubbish in someone else's bin. I think you should just start using your own bin.

[Baldric]

Black bins are not for sharing!

[2sp_]

It's amazing how quickly full scale war between neighbours can start over something trivial.

[Mamyalynne]

Your rubbish goes in your bin, simple.

[sherrardk]

Would you like it if they started to put recycling in your blue bin?

[shaneystar2]

You're not forced to put your bin out .Wait until it's full of chip paper and tea bags then put it out .
I'd be a bit peed off if my neighbour thought he had carte blanche to shove his rubbish in my bin without asking first.

[MichaelZZ]

It seems the mistake that you made was not to ask the neighbours before you started putting your rubbish in their bin.
If you had asked, it's possible that they would have understood and accepted that you were doing it for all the rightr reasons. However, it's a bit late now so I agrre with the 2sp and snags that the best thing to do now is to use your own bin.
In my area we have green bins for garden rubbish and, particularly at this time of year I generate more of this than all the other near neighbours combined. I therefore asked, several years ago, if I could use their bins for my garden waste - especially leaves from my mature trees. This didn't present a problem to anyone especially as I volunteered to clean their bins with my pressure washer whenever required.
Is there anything that you can do to help your neighbours?

[boxtops]

1. Yes you are - and you know you are, because you sneak your stuff into their bin
2. The council provide a bin (or several) for each household, they are not supposed to be shared facilities
3. If you only have a weeny amount of rubbish, just tie it in a bag and put it in your own black bin - but don't put the bin out for collection, leave it until your bin is more full.
4. If your neighbours put stuff back on your step which isn't yours, it could be that other people are copying your example - your rubbish isn't identifiable.

It's just not worth standing your ground because, IMO, you are in the wrong. Use your own bin, that's what it's for. I would be highly annoyed if my neighbours put their rubbish in my bin.

[0lly]

MichaelZZ. That is the anoying part. I cut the hedge for all six houses and clear the snow off the shared drive. There is only me who does it and no-one else lifts a finger.

[shaneystar2]

My neighbour has very little rubbish .On the odd occasion when we've had a bit extra she's quite happy for us to use her bin ,but we ask first if its OK to do so.

[jackthehat]

Your neighbourliness in those areas still doesn't entitle you to use someone else's bin, I'm afraid.

[cazzz1975]

Why are you not using your own black bin?

[Barmaid]

There is a very good reason why you should use your own bin - given time, the Councils are going to start spying on what goes in whose bin (indeed some are already doing it). It's not fair to make your neighbours potentially liable for your (potentially) incorrectly sorted rubbish.