What can I do about someone who is putting their garbage in my trash bin?

Question

I have noticed the last few weeks that when I go to put garbage in my bin, someone else has already made a "deposit". In our community, trash pickup is not included as a civic service. All homeowners must hire their own private waste removal company for this. There are mainly one-family homes in my neighbor hood with stable residents. If it was one of these families, I'd suspect it would have been occurring for a while now. There are two apartment houses, but they have their own dumpsters for the tenants to use. I can't figure out who might be doing this - only a cheapo who doesn't want to pay $50 a month for trash service and who has to trespass on my property. I had considered telling the local police, but they likely have more urgent things to do than chase this miscreant. Putting a lock on the bin would prevent the automated truck from emptying it. Any suggestions?

Update:

P.S. It is not in a location conducive to a security devices.

Update 2:

I did contact my trash service. They said there is nothing THEY can do about it. I'd have to catch whoever is doing it and take it from there.

drip · Accepted Answer

I agree with locking it.  But I would contact the police. Call the non emergency number and let them know it has been happening.  It may be happening  to others around you. If the police gets more reports about the same thing in the same area, they do take an interest.

? · Answer

maybe people who don't have much money. Try and put out the bin as close to the pick up date as possible. Even if u put the bin out early on the day of pick up.

Aussie Devil · Answer

get up at 3am and put your garbage out then

? · Answer

easy empty there rubbish and leave it at there front door , the can use  there  bin , after all you are paying to get your rubbish picked up , not theres ,.

Christin K · Answer

First you need to find out who's doing it. I would suggest you stand outside and watch--and take pictures of the person or persons who are using your cans. Then you can actually tell them to stop doing that, too.

If you can't get pictures, which might take a few days, then you should get locks for your cans which can be unlocked on the day they are collected. Putting your can in a locked area will certainly prevent them from using the can. your only other alternative is to take out the trash you find in your can and put it in the dumpster they have for their use. IF they are the ones doing this. And yes, you CAN call the police and report it, if nothing else. Calling them about trespassers is a perfectly reasonable thing to do.

18 gibbs 20 · Answer

You can put the lock and remove it just before pickup

debodun · Answer

The trash pick up can come anywhere between 5am and 2 pm. A long time to wait in hiding for an intruder. And unlocking it the night before leaves a big window of opportunity.

T C · Answer

As already posted ....put a lock on it …remove it the night before…it’s done all the time.

Either that or hide in the garbage can and wait for the intruder…that is rarely done

Anonymous · Answer

You've already discarded the cheapest and most obvious solution.

A locking can only requires that you remember that tomorrow is the day they come for your trash, and you unlock it before you go to bed, or before you leave in the morning. It's no harder than the people who have to remember to roll it to the curb.

It's a tacky, cheap-azz thing for someone to do, of course, and I suspect you're right that the police have more serious concerns.

The only other thought I had is a little investigation to see if the trash they add includes any of their junk mail, with their name and address. Then you can confront them.

Anonymous · Answer

You could set up a video camera or security system.

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What can I do about someone who is putting their garbage in my trash bin?

19 Answers