Pulling bottles from your neighbor's recycle bin - thrifty or across the line?

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strantor

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I've scored about 50 empty wine bottles from my neighbors' recycle bins in the last few weeks. Saved me ~$40 over purchasing from my home brew supply. Just wondering if anybody else does this or only me.

BTW I plan to wash these bottles thoroughly, boil them, and sanitize with star san. Overkill maybe, but I hate not knowing their history.
 
I just told my neighbor that I was going to grab his empties. This way I didn't get stuck in that awkward moment where he/she is dropping off empties and your in their bin.

It wouldn't hurt to bring them a bottle of wine or a 6 pack to break the ice.
 
Yeah, I'll second and third asking them. There's no reason they would say no, unless of course they hate you for some reason. And then stealing bottles from their trash probably won't make them like you any more.
 
Why not just ask.

Well my neighbor who unknowingly donates me the majority of these bottles is a severe alcoholic, although he doesn't know that I know that. I get at least a dozen bottles from him, twice per week. Asking him for his empties would place him in an awkward position. He would either, in an attempt to hide his alcoholism, tell me no, or he would have to divulge to me personally just how much he drinks. If he told me no, I'd have to stop taking them because then he would know who the culprit is.

I prefer to just avoid this awkward situation and just dart out into the night on the day before recycle day.
 
I found, that once my neighbors knew I brewed they started saving me bottles. Especially after I shared my beers with them. In fact it was funny in the loft I used to live in, I'd come home from work and have a bunch of bottles (usually really cool ones like Grolsh Bottles or bombers) from out building super. He'd let himself in and leave them for me. It got so that I told him whenever he did that, to go ahead and take a couple of my beers out of the fridge for his trouble. I did tell him to only take from the front of the beer shelf, never the back or the sides, or any other part of the fridge, because they may not have been ready yet or something I was saving. But if it was at the front of the mid shelf to help himself.

He was never greedy, never took more than a couple, but would always leave me bottles of his.
 
I guess it depends on whether the recycle bin is inside or outside his house.

Or does it if he's passed out drunk? Seriously though, I guess this makes a little more sense now that you've set the background of your situation.

Do you speak with them occasionally? Small talk here and there? If so I would try and work it into conversation and see if they are willing to give you some. Maybe don't ask for everything they can supply because that would force them to out their level of drinking but maybe just for a few here and there.
 
There are definitely ways to have the conversation without being awkward.

"Hey I'm making some wine, do you have any empty bottles I can have?"
"I'm collecting wine bottles. Could you save a few for me?"

Receiving 10 honestly is better than getting 50 dishonestly. I can promise you if he catches you rummaging through his trash, your relationship will be ruined.
 
I don't think pulling from the curbside recycle bin is crossing the line at all. I wouldn't worry about it. If they ever catch you, just tell them you make wine and offer them a bottle. Although, if they drink that much, you may not want them knowing you make wine. ;)
 
I'm sure he remembers placing the bottles in the bin. Eventually he's going to wonder why every time he puts out his recycling bin there are no bottles.

Honestly man just share a 6er with him and save yourself the trouble of snatching from his bin at night.
 
Alcoholic or not, I think would ask him. Sooner or later he's going to catch you and then you're going to find yourself in that awkward moment you're trying to avoid. What are you going to do then?

For all he (or some nosey ass neighbor) knows, you could be going through other things he recycles like shredded bank statements or something.
 
Alcoholic or not, I think would ask him. Sooner or later he's going to catch you and then you're going to find yourself in that awkward moment you're trying to avoid. What are you going to do then?

For all he (or some nosey ass neighbor) knows, you could be going through other things he recycles like shredded bank statements or something.

If shredded bank statements were of any use, why on earth would you bother to shred them?
 
You could always ask him if his friend's might have some bottles and if he could grab them for you? This might relieve the awkwardness and he might just give them all to you.
 
If shredded bank statements were of any use, why on earth would you bother to shred them?

You got me there, but never underestimate what people would do for money. Not everyone shreds important stuff like that. I know some of my co-workers that complain about all the credit card applications they get and how they just chuck it in their recycle bins. Who knows if someone else comes along and see that and tries to take advantage of that?


When garbage hits the curb, it's public property. Raid the whole neighborhood.

I don't think that's how that works, but I'm also not 100% sure on that. There was a guy that got fired at my job last year for stealing copper out of the recycle bins. This guy was going out to the recycle barrels each day after work and taking a few plated copper pieces each day. Technically it was "thrown away" but it was still considered company property and the guy lost his job over it.

I know my posts in this thread may sound trivial to a few, but my main point is what's wrong with just asking the guy for the bottles? I don't think the OP is a thief, but if you have to start a thread about whether or not you're crossing the line, then maybe you should also ask yourself what's a better option or approach?
 
You got me there, but never underestimate what people would do for money. Not everyone shreds important stuff like that. I know some of my co-workers that complain about all the credit card applications they get and how they just chuck it in their recycle bins. Who knows if someone else comes along and see that and tries to take advantage of that?




I don't think that's how that works, but I'm also not 100% sure on that. There was a guy that got fired at my job last year for stealing copper out of the recycle bins. This guy was going out to the recycle barrels each day after work and taking a few plated copper pieces each day. Technically it was "thrown away" but it was still considered company property and the guy lost his job over it.

I know my posts in this thread may sound trivial to a few, but my main point is what's wrong with just asking the guy for the bottles? I don't think the OP is a thief, but if you have to start a thread about whether or not you're crossing the line, then maybe you should also ask yourself what's a better option or approach?

A recycle bin for work may go to a place that PAYS the company for the metals (I can tell that they most assuredly do.)

A recyce bin for a homeowner is different in that they do not get paid for the materials being recycled. As far as I know, placing stuff next to the curb for pickup is an indication that they are being disposed of and that the owner is giving up ownership.

That is why anything that could be easily construed as being thrown away (such as in a trash pile by the curb) is fair game for collectors in the eyes of the law.

However, finding a watch on the side of the road and keeping it could be considered theft as the watch would be considered as lost property and ownership is not transferred in that case, only possession.

IMO opinion (having had a single business law course in college many years ago) setting bottles by the curb for pickup constitutes the intention to give up ownership.

I don't think he would have a problem with you taking them if you ask either. Most alcoholics dont' even think they ARE alcoholics!! ;)

I would ask him, even though I don't think you need to, legally.
 
I would say that grabbing your neighbor's empties out of the recycling bin is the epitimy and definition of recycling. If they aren't OK with you repurposing and reusing those bottles instead of buying new ones, then they need to re-examine their committment to recycling, don't you think?
 
I don't think that's how that works, but I'm also not 100% sure on that. There was a guy that got fired at my job last year for stealing copper out of the recycle bins. This guy was going out to the recycle barrels each day after work and taking a few plated copper pieces each day. Technically it was "thrown away" but it was still considered company property and the guy lost his job over it.
QUOTE]

The police do not need a warrant to search garbage, just as the paparazi can search through trash without repercussion.


Its more of a moral thing than legal though.

I personally dont see a problem with it, but really the only opinion to worry about is your neighbors, and angry neighbors are no fun.


Also 2 dozen bottles of wine a week, DAMN. That is impressive and sad...especially because of the schwill he must be drinking.
 
Why in the world would the neighbor be angry at you for taking his trash?

Good grief people, it is going to be recycled. It is on the curb for pickup. Do any of you care who picks up your trash once it hits the curb? I know I don't.
 
I
don't think that's how that works, but I'm also not 100% sure on that. There was a guy that got fired at my job last year for stealing copper out of the recycle bins. This guy was going out to the recycle barrels each day after work and taking a few plated copper pieces each day. Technically it was "thrown away" but it was still considered company property and the guy lost his job over it.

That is a completely different situation.

Your company most likely has a policy prohibiting people taking trash out of the bins so there is no possibility of someone throwing something out that still has value and taking it from the trash for their own gain. It is a very common type of policy used to stop people from throwing out a "broken" tool or a perfectly good spool of copper wire and later taking it from the trash to take it home to "fix" or sell.

Neighbor puts his stuff on the curb for pick up? No such policy.
 
Why in the world would the neighbor be angry at you for taking his trash?

Well I have an idea why someone could be angry.

I pay some amount every month (roughly ~$70) for trash hauling and recycling for my building. However, without the bottles & cans in the recycling, that could cost me even more because some of the money the trash company earns is through recovered deposits on those bottles & cans. Here in CA, the redemption value on a 12oz bottle or can is 5 cents, and on larger bottles (e.g. a 750ml bottle) the value goes up to 10 cents. In other words, people taking bottles & cans from my recycling indirectly raises my trash bill every month.

Now if it's JUST my recycling bin being pored over every week, that probably doesn't do much to impact my bill. But suppose every week some enterprising individual decides to go down the street and collect every single bottle & can from every bin on the street. Suddenly, we're talking about a lot of money going into that individual's pocket, and coming out of my neighborhood's collective pockets. I mean, potentially hundreds of dollars every week. My neighborhood is essentially paying that guy's rent every month. Do I want to pay for some guy's rent that pulls crap out of my trash and makes a mess in my driveway every week? Probably not.
 
Really?

So you really think that there are enough people throwing away nickles and dimes rather than cashing them in themselves that is somebody picked them out of the recycle bin it would impact the trash company's bottom line? I highly doubt it.

And if you can afford to recycle your nickel and dime bottles rather than cash them in, a minor increase in your trash bill shouldn't be an issue...

Ha!

If a guy needs to go through my trash to pay his bills, he is welcome to it.
 
Really?

So you really think that there are enough people throwing away nickles and dimes rather than cashing them in themselves that is somebody picked them out of the recycle bin it would impact the trash company's bottom line? I highly doubt it.


Yes there are certainly enough people doing that. Maybe not just my neighborhood, but if you consider the whole city...definitely a large swing in income.

And if you can afford to recycle your nickel and dime bottles rather than cash them in, a minor increase in your trash bill shouldn't be an issue...

If I put them in the recycle bin, it is with the understanding that I am still indirectly reaping the profits by having someone else recycle them for me. I am literally paying someone else to haul my bottles somewhere to redeem them for me. I don't get all 5 cents back, but maybe I get 2 cents instead, in the form of a cheaper trash bill than I would have otherwise.


If a guy needs to go through my trash to pay his bills, he is welcome to it.

I have had issues with people digging through my trash and then finding trash strewn all over my driveway. Maybe you don't have that problem, but I am not keen on cleaning up my own property every week because someone was stealing from me, regardless of that item's value.
 
*sigh* ye olde "why worry about X, when you could worry about this more important Y" argument. Which isn't an argument at all considering the context...you were more than happy to argue about it until I made some salient point to which you didn't have a quick rebuttal.

Yes, life is too short for me to spend it picking up other people's messes. Thankfully, that issue has cleared up somewhat because I moved the recycling bin to a different location that is not so easy to access. But I still get trash blowing into my driveway & yard from my neighbors after their bins are ransacked.
 
*sigh* ye olde "why worry about X, when you could worry about this more important Y" argument. Which isn't an argument at all considering the context...you were more than happy to argue about it until I made some salient point to which you didn't have a quick rebuttal.

Yes, life is too short for me to spend it picking up other people's messes. Thankfully, that issue has cleared up somewhat because I moved the recycling bin to a different location that is not so easy to access. But I still get trash blowing into my driveway & yard from my neighbors after their bins are ransacked.

And actually, my point was that life is too short to worry about someone picking through my trash, not to rebut a post in an internet forum. There is always time for that...
 
I wish someone would come and take my recycling. We don't have a community-wide program. We have volunteers who recently moved the recycle center and now the insurance company says they can't let unauthorized people enter the building during off hours. So that means I can no longer go down and drop off my recycling at the time of my choosing.

Their hours are: Not open past 3:00 pm on and weekday. Only open on the second Saturday of every month.

They have a large bin for cardboard outside, and nothing else. I don't see how it would hurt to be open 1 afternoon per week til 6:00 so working people can actually get there instead of having their recycling pile up for 4 weeks. And why can't they also have a large bin for #2 Milk jugs and #1 bottles?? That would allow for the majority of items people might have piling up!

Best of all, last time I went they had me throw away some #1 blister packs because the people they send to say that they melt at a different temperature than the regular #1 bottles... So now you can't even trust the recycle ID??

I'm about ready to give up on recycling. I know it has reduced the amount we send to the landfill by a LOT. But frankly, it's getting too difficult to do.
 
If I saw someone rooting through my trash I would think they're a total weirdo....

Just tell him WHY you want his bottles and I'm sure they will stop forming crazy opinions about you...
 
They are in his recycling bin right? By filling them with beer and using them again you ARE recycling them. I'd say you're good! :D
 
If I saw someone rooting through my trash I would think they're a total weirdo....

There's 3 or 4 different guys that make the rounds going through everyone's trash on my street on trash day. I don't bother them and don't care that much. They obviously need my trash much more than I do......
 
Sorry, I could only think of this when I saw this thread On a side note, I don't think it would really be bad taking someone's empties (assuming there is no return on them).
 
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There's 3 or 4 different guys that make the rounds going through everyone's trash on my street on trash day. I don't bother them and don't care that much. They obviously need my trash much more than I do......

That is pretty much my attitude toward it, but apparently there are places in the country where it has become a problem.
 
There is a restaurant that I frequent, they save their 22oz beer bottles for me. They love it because it saves them money, they pay for glass recycling.
The trash collector probably thinks the guys on the wagon now, win win if you ask me.
 
Well my neighbor who unknowingly donates me the majority of these bottles is a severe alcoholic, although he doesn't know that I know that. I get at least a dozen bottles from him, twice per week. Asking him for his empties would place him in an awkward position. He would either, in an attempt to hide his alcoholism, tell me no, or he would have to divulge to me personally just how much he drinks. If he told me no, I'd have to stop taking them because then he would know who the culprit is.

I prefer to just avoid this awkward situation and just dart out into the night on the day before recycle day.

So you're the one who's been taking all my bottles!
 
I would be very uncomfortable with someone going through my recycling bin. Besides bottles, there are torn up credit card applications, bills, etc. ID theft is a real concern. If I see someone sneaking around my trash, they are going to have a very uncomfortable time explaining themselves.

New Englanders are also notoriously private and get cantankerous when someone trespasses on their land without permission. People have been shot with rock salt for less. (ask how I know)
 
We have a recycling program in Ottawa and once it's in the bin it's the city's property. Although in my urban area the bottle hounds get to them long before anyone else has a chance.
 
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