Have you ever found yourself walking down the street and sneakily dropping your empty chocolate wrapper into your neighbour's bin? Or maybe you've been standing inside your home, and through the window, you've seen one of your neighbours sheepishly disposing of a full poo bag into your bin. Either way, you might have asked yourself the question – is this legal?
Whether it is a dog owner getting rid of their pet's waste bag, or a neighbour filling up your bins with their household rubbish, we see it happening time and time again, and it can be a contentious issue in communities around Australia. In this article, we'll answer all your burning questions about people using their neighbour's bins and provide some tactical tips to keep your bins secure and prevent people from dumping their trash on your property.
Is It Illegal to Put Rubbish in Neighbours Bins?
Many of us don’t think too much about it - sometimes we might even be guilty of doing it ourselves; but unwanted rubbish deposits can be a frustrating issue. The main question surrounding this topic is: is it illegal to put rubbish in neighbours’ bins?
No - there isn’t a specific law that will have you charged with throwing your waste into your neighbour’s bin.
But is it ok to put rubbish in someone else’s bin? Well, the moral dilemma of disposing your rubbish is more debatable. Most of us have experienced the frustration of readying our bins for the weekly collection and finding them already full, from someone else rubbish.
How Australians Use Their Bins
When looking at whether or not it is illegal to put rubbish in someone else's bin in Australia, it is important to consider the country’s waste management system. Australia has a well-developed rubbish disposal and removal system to help individuals dispose of their rubbish appropriately.
Every council in Australia supplies waste bins to residents to dispose of their household waste. In addition, there are bins in which passers-by can dispose of small items on most busy streets. Regular council chuck outs help residents dispose of bulkier items that are not classified as general household waste.
So, is it illegal to put garbage in someone else's dumpster? No, but there are plenty of ways in which you can dispose of rubbish on your own.
What Do I Do If I Have Too Much Waste?
For residents wishing to dispose of significant amounts of rubbish or construction waste, companies like Ridly provide professional rubbish removal services or skip bin hire alternatives. Technically, is it illegal to put garbage in someone else's dumpster? No. But it's not something that is widely accepted or should be necessary.
Can I Use My Neighbours Rubbish Bin?
In reality, there’s no reason why you should need to use someone else’s bin, and we would recommend against doing it wherever possible. However, whether using your nieghbours bin causes a problem or not will typically come down to what you are disposing of and how much.
For instance - if you decide to toss a small bag of rubbish into an empty bin on the street as you pass by - it is unlikely to cause any issues or gather much attention from your neighbours. On the other hand, if your neighbourhood is already dealing with a shortage of bin space, and you decide to load your excess rubbish into someone else’s bin - we doubt they would be too happy about that, and they could report you to the council for doing so. If it is a once-off occasion, though, and you ask for their permission - there is no problem. Once you get the owner’s permission, using a neighbour’s bin is not illegal.
Trespassing
Is it illegal to put rubbish in neighbours bin? No, but illegal dumping and trespassing are. So, it could be if their bins are on their property. If you are caught trespassing onto private property authorities may be involved, this is also important when asking the question, “is it Illegal to use someone else's skip?”.
Illegal Dumping
Illegal dumping is when an individual dumps rubbish in public or private spaces without prior permission from the Environmental Protection Authority. So, is it illegal to put rubbish in someone else’s bin Australia? It could be if you are trespassing and illegally dumping. Although it would be a far stretch to be convicted for trespassing or illegal dumping by putting your coffee cup or small bag of rubbish in your neighbours' bin, if someone were to dump hazardous or large amounts of waste where they are not permitted, they could be fined or legally reprimanded.
Tips for Reducing Your Rubbish Output
If you are struggling with having too much rubbish and can’t fit it all in your weekly bins, you might find yourself tempted to drop your excess trash in your neighbour’s bin. Instead, here are a few methods to help you reduce your weekly rubbish waste, so you don’t have to ask yourself every week, “is it illegal to put rubbish in neighbours bin?”
1. Sort Your Rubbish
Many people overfill their general waste bins with rubbish that could actually be disposed of in recycling or paper bins. When disposing of your garbage, implement a system where you can sort the various types of rubbish your council collects, such as general waste, paper recycling, plastic recycling, and green waste. This should spread the load between your different bins and stop them from overflowing.
2. Avoid Single-Use Plastics and Containers
Is it illegal to put rubbish in neighbours bin? No, but it might soon be illegal to use single use plastics. Avoiding single-use plastics is something we should all be doing. If you find yourself accumulating a lot of single-use waste, try implementing reusable containers and cups. Many cafes now offer discounts when you bring a keep cup, and supermarkets and food stores are encouraging their customers to bring in reusable containers. Reusable containers will not only reduce the strain in your bins, but also save a lot of waste from going to landfill.
3. Start Composting
Some households can reduce their waste by up to 25% by using worm farms and composting.
Composting is a great way to remove items like eggshells, vegetable scraps, leaves and coffee grounds from your waste stream. While this might require some additional effort, this will also produce compost that you can use in your garden. So not only will it help reduce the amount of rubbish you put in your bins each week, but it will also help you save money on fertiliser and improve the health of your garden!
How to Stop People Dumping in Your Bins?
Generally speaking, it is unacceptable for anyone to put their rubbish in your bins. However, that doesn’t always stop people from doing so. If you have had enough of your neighbours (or random passers-by) dropping their waste into your bins - here are a few ways to stop it from happening again.
1. Keep Your Bins Out of Sight
Out of sight, out of mind, right? If you don’t want people dumping rubbish in your bins, keep them off the street and in a location that is convenient and accessible only to you. Whilst this might not be applicable for everyone, this is the easiest way to stop people from putting their rubbish in your bin. Don’t worry; if this solution doesn’t work for you, we have several other ways you can stop them too.
2. Keep Your Waste Covered
Whilst it might seem simplistic, having a lid on your bin can make it that little less convenient for others to throw rubbish in your bin and save you some hassle. So, next time your bin lid breaks, and you can’t be bothered to replace it, think again. If your lid is damaged or missing, most councils will provide you with a new one or repair it for you free of charge. In addition, most councils now have an online portal you can go through and submit a request on for bin replacements and repairs.
3. Use Bin Locks
Is it illegal to put rubbish in neighbours bin by breaking their locks? Most would say yes. This might seem like overkill but using bin locks is a handy way to secure your bins, particularly if you can only leave bins on the street or in otherwise publicly accessible locations. By securing your bin, you can also ensure no one gets into them if you’re getting rid of sensitive documents or items.
4. Use a Camera and Sign
A security system may seem a little over the top; however, if you have problems with people putting their rubbish in your bin, a camera is sure to discourage them. If you are being disturbed by individuals going through your bin, putting up a surveillance camera and sign will deter most people. Household surveillance cameras can be purchased relatively cheaply from hardware stores and monitored via your phone or tablet. Whilst some might see this as dramatic, securing your rubbish and the safety of your home might require this option.
Let’s Talk Skip Bins
Is it illegal to use someone else’s skip? More often than not, yes.
The difference between household bins and skips is that someone has paid for the drop off of a skip bin for a specific purpose. People hire skip bins when disposing of significant amounts of personal rubbish, construction waste or other demolition material.
Food and liquids, food packaging, gas bottles, fibro cement sheeting and fire extinguishers are not permitted to be disposed of in a skip bin. If an individual were to throw one of these items into someone else’s bin, they would complicate the process for all parties involved, including themselves. These items are prohibited as they can be dangerous or pose health risks to the individuals handling the waste, so it is best to seek out the appropriate channels for disposing of these items. Additionally, while some items may not be prohibited, they incur an added cost to be disposed of in a skip bin. So, while the extra space of a skip bin may provide a convenient way to dispose of their rubbish, there may be incurring added costs on the owners to dispose of rubbish that isn’t even theirs. Items that could incur added charges include:
- Rubber Tyres and Flooring
- Carpet and Underlay
- Cool Room Panels
- Synthetic Grass
- Vinyl
- Mattresses and Bed Bases
To reduce the hassle of dealing with unwanted dumping and added fees, many removal companies such as Ridly provide a skip bin hire alternative. We provide a same day rubbish removal option that is safe, secure and quick.
So, there you have it, is it illegal to put rubbish in neighbours bin? Not strictly. But we do not recommend it. If you would like help with safely and responsibly disposing of your garbage, Ridly Rubbish Removal deliver a number of waste removal services across Sydney. For more information call us on 0491 181 130 or send an enquiry through our website today.