Using Neighbor’s Garbage Cans

[Sue]

I rent a house here in WS. My garbage service is included in my rent, but my landlord pays the bill for garbage (and I will be billed for anything over the basic service they’ve selected). Everything has been working out well since we moved into this house in May – the one garbage can is enough for the two of us without going over (and incurring more charge) and I love having a large recycling bin for us to use without sharing it (like we did in the old apartment complex). Some weeks we fill it full, other times we don’t, but it’s nice to have the option.

About 2 months ago, I went out on Sunday night to put out recycling. That’s when I found our recycling bin (plastic/paper) was stuffed full. Not only was it not our stuff, but it was filled with non-recyclable things like styrofoam and platic bags. I did not see who did it, but I find it coincidental that it was the same week that the duplex next door had a new family move in – the styrofoam and plastic was along with boxes for furniture that presumably had been put together, as well as moving boxes. Since I had not enough room for my own stuff, and I didn’t want my landlord (or us) to get in trouble for putting trash in there, I took out the non-recyclables, put it in a bag, and put it with the neighbor’s garbage that I suspected it belonged to.

The next week I went to put garbage in my single can and found that it was half full with a bag that was not ours. (I don’t use that type of garbage bag.) I took it out and also left it next door, on top of their stuffed-full mini cans. A week later, there is more stuff in our recycling bin, and more stuff in our garbabe.

I am very frustrated by this. Garbage pickup is a paid service here, so in essence, somebody is stealing my service. It’s inconvenient for me to have to try and cram my own stuff in there because someone thought they had this sense of entitlement to use a neighbor’s can without permission. Now, if the same person came to my door and said “gee, I see that you have a lot of extra room, and I’m out – can I use your can?” I’d be more than happy to help out (if I had the room). But the fact that this is being done on the sly, and without regard for anyone but themselves, is what is most frustrating. Plus I never know if, after I put out my garbage, if someone is going to add to it – and incur a larger cost for my landlord (which they’ll blame me for), or getting us in trouble for putting the wrong thing in the wrong can.

I feel uncomfortable knocking on the door and blaming a particular family (even though it started as soon as they moved in) because I’ve never actually seen anyone do it. Besides, I don’t know which part of the duplex they live in and don’t want to knock on the wrong door. I’ve thought of putting a sign up, although I’m not even sure what I’d say.

If this were happening to you, how would you handle it? Do I confront someone? Put a sign up? Contact non-emergency police about it? Call the city trash/recycling people? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

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[Anonymous]

Sue.. This has not happened to me, but I have had experience with this issue as being on the other side, in a way. When we first moved here, we had no idea about recycling and separating everything. Where we moved from, they don’t recycle like they do here. Obviously, just moving in, we had a lot of trash (recyclable and otherwise). For a couple of weeks, they weren’t picking up our stuff because we were doing it wrong! Well, we needed to do something because we had NOWHERE to put it!!! However, never in a million years would we have considered using a neighbors trash! We took care of it, but I think you should contact the city trash/recycling people and go from there. If those people moved from out of state, they probably don’t know all of this stuff (like you can be charged for their trash). Hopefully they don’t know and aren’t just that inconsiderate. Good luck!

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[Bernicki]

Can you clearly mark the receptacles with your address, right on the lid? Perhaps that will get the idea across that they are “owned” by a certain house, and not just for general use by anyone.

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[Anonymous]

Since we are kind of on this topic… how do people feel if someone is out walking with their dog and they have brought a bag to clean up any waste, then still have a ways to walk and there are several garbage cans along the way? Should that person carry the bag containing the waste until they have reached their own garbage, or is it ok to use a garbage can along the way? Assuming it is a one time thing? This is a debate my husband and I have had.

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[charlabob]

Yup, I think that person should carry that bag until they get to their own garbage can. I had a very big dog who went for very long walks and frequently made multiple deposits — it never occurred to me to leave the bag in someone else’s can. I tied the baggies to Max’s leash until we got home, so I wasn’t really walking along a bag of dog dung.) Bottom line, if for some reason I have to (or choose to) root around in my garbage, I don’t want surprises…I want it to be my garbage.

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[Ken]

The receptacles should all have an address written on them. (otherwise I would never get mine back after a wind storm.)The city contractor does it here.

Have you called the 6843000 number for SPU customer service?

Look up the owner of the duplex if you’re shy.

http://www.metrokc.gov/gis/mapportal/iMAP_main.htm

Especially if it is rented via an agency.

If you get over your shyness, knock on the door.

Approach it as a new resident unfamiliar with the system and offer to help.

If that fails call the cops and get a report for “theft of services”. :)

This may not work for recycling only since the service is listed as “free”

Remember: Carrot first, then stick.

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[squareeyes]

Re the dog poop comment — I really dislike coming home on garbage day to find a fresh bag of dog poop in my empty garbage can where it then gets to marinate for a week. But then I remind myself of the number of times (3-4) I have tracked dog poop into the house as a result of $*%&*#% people who allow their dog to poop on my planting strip and leave it there for me to walk on in the dark. Then I think “better a stinky plastic bag in my garbage can than stinky footprints in my house”. Not that one necessarily has to do with the other but it calms my ire anyway.

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[Anonymous]

I try to think about how I would feel if I found a random bag of poop in my trash, and I don’t think I would mind. I would probably think that it was nice they picked up after their dog. However, every time we are out walking and come across this situation, whether we should just drop it in someone’s garbage can or not, we can never do it. It feels, somehow, like a violation. This brings me back to the original question on this thread. I can’t imagine dropping a little bag of dog waste (and we have a tiny dog) in someone’s garbage can, much less, ALL of our trash!

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[JoB]

i just wish those biodegradable poop bags were a little better at containing odor. i don’t want to enshrine my dog’s poop in a landfill in plastic that won’t biodegrade .. but i don’t want to carry it home in the car smelling like that either.

i look for public trash cans.. but confess.. i have been known to utilize a private dumpster on occasion.

charlabob you are a better woman than i.

As for using someone else’s trash can for your trash.. you wouldn’t just throw your trash over the fence, would you? same thing.

write a note and tape it to your can. assume they don’t know any better and let them know there are rules to follow.

I think you are right to be suspicious of the new neighbors tho… if it wasn’t them.. how did they know to return that bag to your trash can?

make nice first. call landlord second. call trash carrier next. call police last.

and good luck!

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[CMP]

Never leave dog poop in someone else’s trash can! It’s completely rude. Either dispose of it in a public trash receptacle or bring it back to your own house. Non-dog owners don’t have dogs for a reason and carrying around big loads of poop might have something to do with it. Thankfully I live in an apartment with a dumpster (that I’m sure non-residents utilize, given how ridiculously full it is sometimes), but I would be pissed to open my personal can to find smelly dog poop in it. I have no problem cleaning up cat poop in a litter box and leaving it in my garbage, but at least it’s not inconveniencing someone else. Be considerate of your neighbors! And good luck to Sue with the neighbor issue, I hope the advice posted above works :)

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[Keith]

Sue, if your neighbors just moved in from an apartment, they might have no idea that those cans are yours and that you pay for them – they’re probably just used to putting their garbage in with everyone else’s.

I’d leave a nicely-worded note, although it might take a few weeks for them to actually notice it unless your cans are well-lit. I had a garbage can issue with a neighbor – I knew who it was but I never saw them in person, so I just wrote a note explaining my issue and hoping they’d understand. The problem was resolved. If that doesn’t work for you, try contacting them in person next. Leave the police out of it.

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[beachdrivegirl]

Do you have room to bring your trash cans in at night? I know that when I was living in my old town house I had run into the same problem- of bringing trash out to a full can–with stuff that was not mine. So, we brought the cans in for a couple fo weeks and just put them in the back of the garage after doing this a few times whomever was using our cans stopped even when we started leaving the cans out again. Onto the dog poop–typically I woudl never dump it in someons private garbage can; i have at one time in particular dumped it in an aparmtetn complexs dumpster after finding a hole in the bag i was using. Other than that I figure I go out fo the way to find public cans to throw the poop out in so my trash doesnt fill up full of poop so I cant imagine my neighbors wanting my dogs poop in their cans.

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[JoB]

i didn’t put it in anyone’s personal garbage can.. honest!

it grosses me out too.

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[flowerpetal]

I have put my tightly sealed bags of dog poo in my neighbor’s can but only when it was out for pick up (and not after pick up had occurred). Here’s what else I do. I always pick up trash can lids that have blown down the street; righted trash cans that have turned over and spilled their trash/recycle; carred empty containers up to people’s houses afterwards; and lastly, carry a plastic grocery bag on ocassion and picked up trash while I walk the dog…trash in other people’s yard. And I use my intuition to know who might not want me to put wrapped poo in their container…I only do that with neighbors whom I am friendly with. However, I pick up trash out of anyone’s yard; even the grumpy ones. Thats all part of being a neighbor.

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[karen]

I’m not a dog person and I think it would anoy me some to have someone drop the poo in my can. However, I would much rather that than be hit with it the next time I am out mowing.

OK. On the subject – how about this one. On recycle day there is a gentleman in the neighborhood who goes around and digs through the recycle containers. He has a little cart with buckets and long handled thing and who knows what. Obviously he takes this really seriously and I wonder if he is supplementing his income with recyclables. The thing is – it drives me nuts! I hate having his dig through my trash.

I have no problem with him having the cans or whatever instead of the city. I just hate having him out digging through my can.

Anyone else have this in their area?

I just wanted to mention it, I know it’s illegal and I could write a note or talk to him. I just don’t feel comfortable confronting him and it would be silly to call the police over something like this.

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[Bonnie]

I think it is absolutely rude to put dog poo in somebody’s garbage can. I wouldn’t put a dirty diaper in somebody’s garbage, don’t put dog poo in mine. We have somebody do that to us once in awhile and we started to put our garbage inside our gate and then move it out only on garbage days. Use your own garbage!

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[felicialh]

I have a dog and despite the fact that I want to vomit every time I pick up his poo, and can’t stand walking for blocks with it, I always find a public trash can. Since we have two babies and a dog, our garbage is always full of some type of poo but I remind myself that when I was single and without dog, opening up my garbage to that smell would really make me sick. I am with the majority that it is not ideal, except maybe if it is trash day!

On the other subject – completely not ok for dumping trash in your garbage. A long time ago a neighbor had a similar situation and they taped down a note on their lid saying something to the effect of “please do not dump your garabage in our trash” and it worked for them….

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[Anonymous]

I agree that for someone to use our garbage cans for the disposal of their pets poo would be very much a violation. Why would I want to see and smell their dogs poo? Most people I know who are pet owners are responsibile and take bags and paper towels along on walks and take their dogs poo home with them. So far we haven’t had anyone deposit poo in our cans.

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[Sue]

Sorry I didn’t get a chance to reply to everyone in this thread when you first replied. I appreciate the suggestions and comments.

I did start bringing the cans in and so far nobody is putting anything in it. Of course I had to get past the stubborn “I shouldn’t have to take them in” attitude <grin> but if it works, it works. I believe my husband said that the new people who moved in had a BC license plate at first, so it’s definitely possible that they had no idea of the rules. Although when I moved here from NY I didn’t know the rules either, and I asked my landlord and I called the city to find out, so it’s really not that hard. Fortunately, it seems to have stopped, but at least I have some ideas if it continues. Thanks again.

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[Anonymous]

Karen – I think you should separate your cans and maybe put them in a bag next to your recycle can and that way this gentleman wouldn’t be going through your trash, but he’d be getting the cans. Maybe the first time you’ll have to let him know, somehow, that you have already done the separating and that you will from now on.

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[JoB]

new resident.. i like that idea… although i would guess the recycling company wouldn’t. i am sure they count on the revenue from the cans.

but if it keeps one person off the streets.. i would do it.

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[karen]

Actually, I did tell him one morning when we met that we don’t have aluminum cans. We very rarely buy soft drinks in cans. However, he continues to dig through every other week.

I guess it’s one of those things that will just annoy me but that I don’t feel strong enough to do anything about.

I suppose I could have worse things to complain about!!

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[LAintheJunction]

I totally don’t mind if someone puts (bagged!) dog poop in my garbage. I mean, it’s garbage, right? In a sealed can, outside? Really, where’s the harm in that. Go for it…you just have to figure out where I live.

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[miws]

Re: dog poop. I think it’s rude to put any garbage in someone else’s can, but poop is especially gross. What if a can gets blown/knocked over and scattered? Sure, much of garbage is gross in and of itself, but poop is very gross. What if the bag gets torn? Then there’s possible poop to skin contact put upon the innocent party. Carry it home, or drop it into a public can, whichever comes first.

.

Sue, and any others who have the issue of others’ recycle/garbage in yours, look through the offending stuff for an address. Bonus points if it has enough of their personal info so you can steal their identity and teach ’em a lesson. (Okay, just kidding!) But look for the addy and you’ll have “proof” of the culprit, then you can take whatever action you desire.

.

Mike

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[JoB]

LAintheJunction… are you going to be a sport and give us clues;->

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