# UK: How do you stop others putting their rubbish in your wheelie bin ?



## abvidledUK (Nov 18, 2006)

Here in the UK, there is an ongoing problem with rubbish collection.

A lot of councils are introducing bi-weekly collections now, to promote re-cycling.

This leads to problems with other householders placing their overflow rubbish into your own bin, once you have placed the bin OUT for collection. 

Sometimes not "the correct rubbish" so that your bin is not emptied.

Some councils will not empty your bin if the lid is not fully closed.

Also, possible introduction of being charged by weight.

I'm contemplating different methods to stop this happening.

Magnetic alarm, or micro-switch, tied in with mercury switch so that they don't go off when emptied, early hours of the morning.

Margarine on handles, etc. (Not razor blades !)

Some sort of auto lock, that opens when bin upturned?

Suggestions ?


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## Manzerick (Nov 18, 2006)

what about just a good old fashion lock?


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## Monocrom (Nov 18, 2006)

Any alarm you put on it will annoy the Hell out of you after a couple of days.

A lock is a better idea. Or drill a couple of holes on either side of the lids, then on either side of the pastic bodies, run a couple of chains, secure the chains with locks.... There you go!


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## abvidledUK (Nov 18, 2006)

Manzerick said:


> what about just a good old fashion lock?



As above, it needs to be "Bin Emptying" compatible.

The need is for the bin to be inaccesible, once placed out for collection.


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## abvidledUK (Nov 18, 2006)

Monocrom said:


> Any alarm you put on it will annoy the Hell out of you after a couple of days.
> 
> A lock is a better idea. Or drill a couple of holes on either side of the lids, then on either side of the pastic bodies, run a couple of chains, secure the chains with locks.... There you go!



OK, to clarify.

The bin is normally within my property, so no problem there.

It's once the bin is placed outside, at communal collection site, the night before, that the potential problem occurs.

Any locking device, or alarm, etc, has to be Bin Collection emptying compatible.


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## Monocrom (Nov 18, 2006)

abvidledUK said:


> As above, it needs to be "Bin Emptying" compatible.
> 
> The need is for the bin to be inaccesible, once placed out for collection.


 
Get a videocamera, and put up a sign saying the property is being watched.

Or.... just put up the sign.


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## abvidledUK (Nov 18, 2006)

Monocrom said:


> Get a videocamera, and put up a sign saying the property is being watched.
> 
> Or.... just put up the sign.



I already have CCTV cameras, recorded digitally, one of which covers the "Bin" area !!

Problem is, it doesn't stop them, they think they can't be seen under cover of darkness.

Then, of course, bin not emptied.

I think a more "personal" deterrent is best.

This is not actually a problem, yet. Just the annoyance when they do it, on small scale.

Just planning ahead.

My most effective deterrent so far is to smear a little margarine under the bin lid opening handles, they don't like that.

Not enough to be obvious I am doing it, just enough to make them think WTF.


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## Monocrom (Nov 18, 2006)

Silly me, I forgot where I was for a moment....:lolsign: 

Get you a good spot light, attach it to a motion sensor!


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## Concept (Nov 18, 2006)

Yeh a motion sensor light and then motion sensor sprinklers if that doesn't work. Maybe even a siren and lights?


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## DM51 (Nov 19, 2006)

You need a mechanical device that is activated when the lid is opened, squirting zoo effluent or something over them.


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## [email protected] (Nov 19, 2006)

Don't set the bin on the collection site until morning.


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## chevrofreak (Nov 19, 2006)

Find out who is doing it, then go empty your "wheelie bin" onto their lawn.


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## London Lad (Nov 19, 2006)

Put out an empty bin with a spring loaded 'ejector plate' in the bottom. When the miscreant dumps in their rubbish they get it straight back all over them!


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## LumenHound (Nov 19, 2006)

Print out the best picture captured of the person illegally dumping in that public place and discreetly post it a dozen high traffic spots in your area with a bold caption like "Local resident is creepy late night garbage dumper" or something similar and under the picture print the line "Do you recognize this person?"

Someone may recognize the person by their clothing or stature and ask them about it. Could be just enough to get that person to dump their stuff elsewhere.


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## Pydpiper (Nov 19, 2006)

chevrofreak said:


> Find out who is doing it, then go empty your "wheelie bin" onto their lawn.



Yup, I agree.


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## abvidledUK (Nov 19, 2006)

[email protected] said:


> Don't set the bin on the collection site until morning.



5am !


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## 9volt (Nov 19, 2006)

I had a similar prblem with a new neighbor. They were dumb enough to dump their old mail, so I knew exactly who was doing it. I dumped all their crap on their front porch.


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## dmdrewitt (Nov 19, 2006)

Which council makes their poor bin men start at 4am to get you your house for 5am??? They dont arrive here until after 9am 

I think Barts suggestion is the best. 



> Don't set the bin on the collection site until morning.


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## Amonra (Nov 19, 2006)

how about some kind of timed lock ? i bet you could use a cheap alarm clock and use the alarm tone signal to trigger a switch that turns on a solenoid that pulls the lock open at 4.30am. the setup could be mounted on the under side of the lid.


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## Coop (Nov 19, 2006)

How about this:

Create a magnetic lockingsystem under the lid of your wheeliebin. Use an electromagnet powered by a rechargeable battery and make some sort of docking system for charging. 

With a bit of effort you could make a system that charges the battery while the bin is in it's usual spot in the yard. Make it in such a way that connecting to the charger automatically disables the locking system, so you can use the bin as normal. 
But when the bin is put on the street for emptying, the electromagnet locks and the bin is safe from illegal dumpers. Put a mercuryswitch in the system too, so that when the bin is turned for emptying, the magnet shuts off and can be emptied as usual. As soon as it is put back on the ground, the magnet activates and the bin is locked again. When you put it back in the yard, connected to the charger, you can open the lid again like normal 

An automated mechanical lock could work too, but as you throw trash at it on a regular basis, might be a little more sensitive to malfunction...


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## carbine15 (Nov 19, 2006)

Stake out the bins and shoot the perps with paintball guns and waterbaloons filled with ****.


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## monkeyboy (Nov 19, 2006)

I think the council is to blame more than anyone else. I'm glad we still get weekly collections here in Edinburgh.

I don't know who came up with the idea of bi-weekly collections but I'm guessing it was a bunch of environmentalists sitting round a table with some silly ideas that look good on paper but make no sense whatsoever in the real world. Here are other such schemes in the UK that annoy me:

1) mini roundabouts

2) "Traffic calming measures" that block off half the road to "slow down" traffic

3) Bus lane cameras in London.

4) Massive tax cuts for hybrid cars but none for diesel cars and biodiesel production.

5) Unemployment benefit for chavs

etc....
etc....
etc....
etc....


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## Raoul_Duke (Nov 19, 2006)

carbine15 said:


> Stake out the bins and shoot the perps with paintball guns and waterbaloons filled with ****.




LOL 

You'd never bother to do it, but Hiding inside the bin and bursting up & out when they opened the lid would be enough to scare then sensless, especially with a big modded m*g 6 D


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## DrJ (Nov 19, 2006)

Well first I'd put a sign on the bin, something like:

Please do not put your stuff in my bin...if I catch you doing it I'll [fill_in_the_blank]....

Where [fill_in_the_blank] could be something like "call the (garbage) police", huh.

Most small time garbage anti-thieves (a.k.a. garbage molesters) will be easily driven off with a warning, (they'll most likely just decide that's it's easier to infest someone else's bin with their trash).


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## TedTheLed (Nov 19, 2006)

show your pictures of the perps to the police?

here we have the same system; we have three different color bins, 1 for recyclables, 1 for yard waste (brush, branches, grass) and 1 for trash (includes gargbage).. I live about a quarter mile from the highway where is is liable for collection from 6am to 7 pm or so..(!) luckily it's all down hill to the highway so walking the thing down is no problem..and acouple days later I put it on the roof of the car on the way back up..

so far no one has put any significant litter in it after it is emptied. once some one put a whole nother container in my pick up area full of scrap metal -- I just called the trash company and told them -- when they came by they took the scrap metal, and the container, with them.. then I wrote my address on my containers in big indellible numbers..


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## Martin (Nov 19, 2006)

In my area in Germany, I can order a bin with a lock for a little extra money. It's a fully mechanical thing, the collecting truck has means to release the lock. After the empty bin is put back down, it's locked again.

Possibly someone in UK had the same idea and maybe it's even available if you ask ?

Any type of solution may be very well worth the extra money, due to the fines involved if the wrong type of rubbish is found in your bin. Putting electronics for example is fined up to EUR 2500.


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## London Lad (Nov 19, 2006)

:lolsign: :rock: 



Raoul_Duke said:


> LOL
> 
> You'd never bother to do it, but Hiding inside the bin and bursting up & out when they opened the lid would be enough to scare then sensless, especially with a big modded m*g 6 D


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## greenlight (Nov 19, 2006)

How about some chains? To keep the lid closed.


Or a sticker like this:


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## TedTheLed (Nov 19, 2006)

seems a lock that released only when the bin was upside down would be ideal. it wouldn't really need a release mechanism on the truck; just a simple weighted latch kind of thing would do it. of course, while in use the lid would have to be kept open, till it was time to put the bin out..


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## Sub_Umbra (Nov 19, 2006)

We've had many similar issues here about garbage since Katrina blew through.


TedTheLed said:


> show your pictures of the perps to the police?


In many places putting your trash in someone else's bin is called *Theft of Services* and is against the law -- of course to get action taken you have to rely on the same loopy government that created the problem by goofing up the pickup schedule in the first place. I like solutions that avoid the government....

It's too bad you can't coat parts of the bin with a permanent die that would stain the abuser.


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## Monocrom (Nov 19, 2006)

dmdrewitt said:


> I think Barts suggestion is the best.


 
Well sure, if you want to do things the easy way.
But where's the fun or challenge in that?


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## Pwallwin (Nov 19, 2006)

Just stay up late for a few nights and catch the culprit.

When you see them, confront them. A simple threat would do the trick.


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## Size15's (Nov 19, 2006)

Martin said:


> In my area in Germany, I can order a bin with a lock for a little extra money. It's a fully mechanical thing, the collecting truck has means to release the lock. After the empty bin is put back down, it's locked again.
> 
> Possibly someone in UK had the same idea and maybe it's even available if you ask ?
> 
> Any type of solution may be very well worth the extra money, due to the fines involved if the wrong type of rubbish is found in your bin. Putting electronics for example is fined up to EUR 2500.



Am I right in thinking this is so in some parts of German (and other forward-thinking countries) they can fine you for throwing away too much of the wrong type of rubbish. Since each bin has a key to open it but the dustbin vans have a master key/mechanism and it weighs the bin before and after too.

I live in a "court" of nine flats and due to various reasons we only have six bins out 'all-the-time' (I'm sure there will come a point when we'll be told off). 

One day nine gray bins for garden waste turned up. I explained to the collection dudes that there are no plants or gardens and that nine bins is totally excessive for the court. The next week we have one for garden, one for cardboard, one for glass, one for cans, one for plastic and one for paper. I do my part on the beer bottle and can part and cardboard.

Something has to be done without a doubt but it's a like everthing else we do in the UK - halfarsed and cheap. These bins will all have to be replaced by "smart" bins like they have "in Europe" in a few years so we can be fined/taxed some more.


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## IsaacHayes (Nov 19, 2006)

lol @ some of the suggestions like hiding inside.

I know some of them aren't legal or could get you in trouble but amusing none the less. Perhaps some hot pepper spray/mace rubbed all over the trashcan. The trashmen won't notice because the wear gloves.


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## TedTheLed (Nov 19, 2006)

Subu,
here going into another persons recyclng bin is illegal.


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## The_LED_Museum (Nov 19, 2006)

I don't live in the UK, but here, we have two dipsty-dumpsters (I don't know what they call those things in the UK); one for garbage and one for all recycling. They are collected three times a week. No individual dustbins or "wheelie bins" to contend with here.

When I lived in Seattle though, we had two wheelie bins - one for garbage and the other for recycling. They were collected once per week - every Wednesday if I remember correctly. The garbage company would charge you for an extra can if the lid was up even an inch, so we had to be careful that the lid was all the way down on garbage day.

We did not have much of a problem with other people putting their garbage in our wheelie bin, so I never had to come up with a "stopper".


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## abvidledUK (Nov 19, 2006)

I did have one thought.

Cut off the handles...

Probably not on as you are damaging council property, but then can they prove you did it ?

Then, you need to work out a way of opening the lid yourself.

I did try the "Don't put your crap in my bin" A4 poster suggestion earlier on last year, inside bin lid, but 
a) that demonizes yourself if you have house number on bin
b) it's not easily seen in the dark.
c) it encourages people to do just that, if on outside of bin.

I also considered the gravity mechanical locking device type of suggestion, but considered that would get in the way of the rubbish if inside the bin, and if it didn't unlock, you'd still be left with a full bin !!

I think the best suggestion so far is to have lockable bins, with master key device fitted to garbage truck.

Jack in the box type deterrent works for me too..

PS: We also have the open top green boxes, for tins, bottles and papers. The main problem with that, for me, is privacy.

It's amazing just how many drinks tins and bottles some households get through. And they put them out for all to see.


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## greenlight (Nov 20, 2006)

TedTheLed said:


> Subu,
> here going into another persons recyclng bin is illegal.



I think you're wrong, once the trash is put out, it's fair game. That's how PIs do it.


This is a real problem, and the solution is probably an industry in itself.

How about making the lid heavier? Adding some weights to the underside would make it more difficult to open for the casual perp.


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## BB (Nov 20, 2006)

A funny article from Portland, Oregon...

Rubbish! (2002)




> Police Chief Mark Kroeker echoed this reasoning. "Most judges have the opinion that [once] trash is put out...it's trash, and abandoned in terms of privacy," he told _WW_.
> 
> In fact, it turns out that police officers throughout Oregon have been rummaging through people's trash for more than three decades. Portland drug cops conduct "garbage pulls" once or twice per month, says narcotics Sgt. Eric Schober.
> 
> ...



-Bill


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## WNG (Nov 20, 2006)

A lock mechanism that sense loud noise of a garbage truck's engine, plus tilt detection, to release a lock. Or like one post, a gravity lock mechanism.

I prefer to rig a booby trap...
Have a bin with a compressed air cylinder filled with human waste, loud siren, and flashing lights. If the lid is opened, it fires the contents at the perpetrator.
A video camera to capture the fun is optional.
Just chain this bin down so that the garbage men don't lift it. Have the system deactivate via timer for when they are expected to make their rounds.
:-D

Man, it sounds like the UK is getting pretty restrictive on their citizens, the cameras, silly taxes on everything, the penalty fee to drive a SUV/sportscar in London, now this!
Our civil rights are also being eroded here in the 'States no thanks to the Bush administration, and it's getting worst.
It's getting so blatant that our governments are herding us like sheep. Need to take back control and remind politicians that they are supposed to be in service for the people.


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## Sub_Umbra (Nov 20, 2006)

> Police Chief Mark Kroeker echoed this reasoning. "Most judges have the opinion that [once] trash is put out...it's trash, and abandoned in terms of privacy," he told WW.


 We can thank the hapless 'War On Drugs' for this and many other irrational erosions of our rights. The doddering idiots at the Supreme Court caved in on this way back in the 70s. It's absurd. By the same reasoning they should be able to legally eavesdrop on all of your phone calls when the signal or wires leave your property -- and thus, control. Actually it's worse than that. Municipalities sign contracts with waste management companies and then write ordinances that specify how, when and exactly where citizens must place their garbage for pickup. Many towns specify that the garbage must pe placed _on one's own property_ near the street. In these cases, according to the Supreme Court, you have abandoned property *on your own land* and from that point on anyone may have at it. Well, at least it's not all for nothing -- it did solve the illegal drug problem...didn't it?


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## abvidledUK (Nov 20, 2006)

Can we stay On-Topic please...


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## Size15's (Nov 20, 2006)

Yes. This thread is about wheelie bins.
We're talking _about our_ rubbish! :naughty:


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## bitslammer (Nov 20, 2006)

I think this is a classic no win situation. I'd say you need to confront the guilty parties head on and let them know you'll report them (if that's possible) to the autorities in this matter. Sounds like the powers that be have conspired to create a truly screwed up system that is ripe for this sort of behavior. I know I wouldn't want to have to "guard" my trash.


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## Sub_Umbra (Nov 20, 2006)

Sorry.


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## Martin (Nov 20, 2006)

Size15's said:


> ... These bins will all have to be replaced by "smart" bins like they have "in Europe" in a few years so we can be fined/taxed some more.



You bet, once there's RF-ID on every bin and every bit of rubbish, the possibilities are endless. Fines will be automatically deducted from my bank account, no inconvenience caused.
If a neighbor puts rubbish into my bin, I receive an adequate compensation that is deducted from his account. If it's the wrong rubbish, there will be a fine for the guy.
This ends up in higher recycling rates, cleaner cities, better quality of life, more jobs for IT specialists ! Love it !


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## DM51 (Nov 20, 2006)

If the neighbor puts the wrong rubbish in your bin instead of his own bin, does he get fined more than he would if he put it in his own bin, or does he wind up in credit for having an empty bin, even though he's had to pay a fine for what has wound up in your bin? Or does the rubbish automatically get deducted from your bin and credited to his bank account at a higher recycling rate of interest?


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## LowBat (Nov 20, 2006)

I'd say install a hinge and padlock it until collection day.

However......

If you really want to reform others from using your bin, try attaching the back end of a rubber snake to the underside of the lid. With a little experimentation, you'll find the right placement that will make the rubber snake swing outwards when the lid is lifted. You'll have a good laugh when you hear the scream from the comfort of your home. :devil:


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## abvidledUK (Nov 21, 2006)

LowBat said:


> If you really want to reform others from using your bin, try attaching the back end of a rubber snake to the underside of the lid. With a little experimentation, you'll find the right placement that will make the rubber snake swing outwards when the lid is lifted. You'll have a good laugh when you hear the scream from the comfort of your home. :devil:



I like that !!


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## abvidledUK (Nov 21, 2006)

Thought >>>

They have to lift the bin lid to deposit their rubbish. Using the handle.

There must be a simple switch, probably touch switch, that will either shock them, or sound an alarm, for a few seconds.

Any guidance / pointers on a suitable simple circuit ?

The bin men don't touch the handles, unless they're checking contents, which they seem to temporarily have given up on.


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## [email protected] (Nov 21, 2006)

I wouldn't shock them, that might be illegal, I would opt for a piezo siren...   
It should be fairly simple to make an alarm that engages when the lid opens, there are a multitude of cheap kits for that.
Put it on a timer that runs say 10 hrs, you activate it at night when you put the bin out and when it gets picked up in the morning it's deactivated, keeping the binmen happy. :thinking:


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## Monocrom (Nov 21, 2006)

[email protected] said:


> I wouldn't shock them, that might be illegal....


 
Using Booby Traps generally is.

The alarm sounds like a good idea.... combined with my original idea for a bright spotlight.


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## BB (Nov 21, 2006)

My suggestion... 1st roll the container to face the wall--less easy to open... If that is your wall, I would put either a small bracket or shelf above the can to prevent it from opening unless it is pulled away from the wall--that would keep 90% of the lazy people from even trying it.

If it is not your wall (or is a community wall), I would drill a a small hole in the grout line (cement between bricks, just below the top of your can, so that it is hidden) to attach a concrete anchor, a few inches of fishing line (neutral color 50-100 lb test braided fishing line--if possible) and a pin (keep the pin fairly thin so you don't have to drill a big hole in the trash can--assuming it belongs to the trash company). Drill a hole in the lid/body of the can where the pin can be reliably slid in (by you) and slid out (by trash haulers pulling the can away from the wall). By keeping the pin/fishing line/wall anchor unobtrusive, the people dumping trash will just bypass your can when they can't easily open the lid.

When you go to take you wheely can home, just unscrew the concrete anchor (either with a tool, or attach a wingnut) from the wall (leaving the small anchor shield in the wall for next time)... You could also try to epoxy a small loop into a crack in the wall and use a clip with fishing line/pin if you cannot drill an anchor.

-Bill


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## TedTheLed (Nov 21, 2006)

greenlight said:


> I think you're wrong, once the trash is put out, it's fair game. That's how PIs do it.
> 
> 
> This is a real problem, and the solution is probably an industry in itself.
> ...



it's printed on every bill from Waste Management Corp. (in Ventura California) that going into the recycling bin is illegal. note they say "recycling bin" specifically -- not any of the other bins:

"*
REMINDER:* IT IS ILLEGAL TO REMOVE ITEMS FROM RECYCLING BINS

People have been observed taking aluminum cans from recycling bins left at the curb in several communities around the County. This is not legal. Once recyclables are set out at the curb, they become the property of the recycling program. People who take cans out of recycling bins are stealing and may be subject to fines.* If you see this happening, get a license number or description of the person and call your local police. Revenues from recycling help keep our taxes lower.."


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## Regentag (Nov 21, 2006)

Over here in the (former) Colonies, we just put an old fashioned Glock on it.

Cheers,


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## Concept (Nov 22, 2006)

You could use a day night switch for that peizo.


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## soapy (Nov 30, 2006)

I just love how the whole situation turned up. In a stupid attempt to earn an extra buck, and save a few more, the councils decided to force everyone to recycle. Bins won't be emptied if this, that and the other... So now, everyone fly tips down every little alleyway, dumps bags of litter in public bins, and the police and councils start fining people £500 for putting the wrong thing in the bin!

Of course, the costs of cleaning up the flytipping means there are (seriously) wireless video cameras hidden in tin cans, leaflets every week through the door to "educate" and still the council tax goes up.

Never mind that the aluminium tin cans are worth 1p each. I made £10 by simply saving them all for a year or two, and then going to the scrapyard with them. The council must be making a fortune!


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## leukos (Nov 30, 2006)

I tend to give the council the right sort of rubbish....


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## BB (Nov 30, 2006)

And there is always the chance that governments go overboard on their policies??? Naw--....

Now there are spy cameras at the rubbish tips:



> Spy cameras are being installed at household rubbish dumps to check what residents are throwing away and to fine those breaking recycling rules. The sophisticated CCTV systems are capable of reading and storing car number plates to identify who is using the dump, how often, and what they are disposing of.
> 
> ...
> 
> ...



I am so glad that our governments have fixed every other problem in the world and now can focus on "quality of rubbish" crimes.

-Bill


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## soapy (Dec 1, 2006)

Hey, I know! Tony could simply pass a law, banning rubbish. That would work as well as the dog ban, gun ban, knife ban, terrorist ban, etc. etc. ad infinitum.


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## Size15's (Dec 1, 2006)

soapy said:


> Hey, I know! Tony could simply pass a law, banning rubbish.


As long as the EA isn't going to be expected to regulate and enforce it... We have enough to do as it is!


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## CodeOfLight (Dec 1, 2006)

Put a ball magnet in a closed copper tube. Mount the tube vertically inside the bin. Place reed switch at top top of outside of the tube attached to solenoid that pulls back a plunger type lock. Place reed switch close to front of bin. To get in yourself, bring a small magnet with you. Placing it close to reed switch will trigger it and pull the solenoid back. Tipping the bin up will roll the ball magnet to the top of the tube and trigger it.


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## soapy (Dec 4, 2006)

Size15's said:


> As long as the EA isn't going to be expected to regulate and enforce it... We have enough to do as it is!


No, no. That's the beauty of it. What Tony decrees, Tony gets. Next year he is passing a law to outlaw bird flu, it is expected to be as sucessful as the Chinese law he modelled it on.

Looking at how the bins are emptied, you need a pressure switch on (each of?) the handles, so that they have to be pressed down on by the emptying machine as it lifts the bin, which turns off the alarm which is otherwise tripped when the lid lifts. Otherwise it is going to be rather tricky for the bin men. Putting it on both handles would make it impossible to hold both handles and open the lid, unless you had a helper there. Of course, it would be impossible for you, too, without a secondary off!

With one handle rigged, you simply hold the handle pressure switch down, then open the bin lid, drop your rubbish in, and close it, then let go of the handle. If you want to get clever, use a latching circuit so you can let go of the handle with the lid open without it going off, otherwise it is two switches, a battery and a screamer, plus some wire.


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## TedTheLed (Dec 4, 2006)

my idea is simplest and therefor the best; a simple weight rotating on a pivot pin that latches in the upright position, and spins to unlatch when tipped..all it needs is to be contained in a box inside the bin so the rubbish doesn't interfere with it's movement.


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## abvidledUK (Dec 4, 2006)

TedTheLed said:


> my idea is simplest and therefor the best; a simple weight rotating on a pivot pin that latches in the upright position, and spins to unlatch when tipped..all it needs is to be contained in a box inside the bin so the rubbish doesn't interfere with it's movement.



With probably a hole in the side for insertion of a (keyed) stick to unlock for domestic use. Left in until bin day.


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## abvidledUK (Dec 4, 2006)

soapy said:


> If you want to get clever, use a latching circuit so you can let go of the handle with the lid open without it going off, otherwise it is two switches, a battery and a screamer, plus some wire.



I am thinking along the lines of both handles wrapped with some wire, fed from underneath, in conjunction with the capacitive Touch Alarm from 5th Unit, around £1.50 each.

Then, when handle touched, alarm goes off. For not too long hopefully.

Should scare them !!!

Again, main problem, is that bin (& owner) then becomes target for reprisals.

I have learnt not to put my house number on bins, just an identifying mark, plus general postcode, so that others, including council, cannot trace ownership.


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## BB (Dec 4, 2006)

abvidledUK said:


> I have learnt not to put my house number on bins, just an identifying mark, plus general postcode, so that others, including council, cannot trace ownership.



But, as I posted above, and from an older article here with pictures, RFID tags have already been installed on, at least, 500,000 wheelie bins already:
*Germans plant bugs in our wheelie bins*



> Electronic spy 'bugs' have been secretly planted in hundreds of thousands of household wheelie bins.
> 
> The gadgets - mostly installed by companies based in Germany - transmit information about the contents of the bins to a central database which then keeps records on the waste disposal habits of each individual address.
> 
> ...



I can just imagine "moving" the RFID tag to your neighbor's wheelie and let them get charged for the excess rubbish fees (coming to a city near you).

-Bill


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## Danbo (Dec 4, 2006)

Hire a big, hairy and smelly biker dude to watch the bin for a couple of days. Once he stomps the guts out of a couple people, the rest will get the idea.


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## BB (Jan 5, 2007)

Sounds also like rubbish pick-ups have dropped to once every two weeks--helping to create a:

39% increase in Brown Rats in 2005:



> The reduction in rubbish collections is being blamed for record numbers of rats, which it has been claimed are an increasing threat to public health. The brown rat population has surged by 39 per cent in 2005 according to the National Pest Technicians Association. It said that fortnightly collections and the widespread use of composting bins was exacerbating the problem. The problem would get worse as more councils switched to compulsory recycling, the association said.
> 
> The rise will force a revision of how far every person is from a rat. Last year Londoners were estimated never to be more than 18 metres (20 yards) from a rat; the new figures suggest that the distance is now closer to 14 metres.
> 
> The 2006 National Rodent Survey highlighted compost bins, discarded fast-food containers, bird feeders, litter and poor maintenance of sewage pipes as some of the main causes of the rat boom. Other prime factors cited by the report are the rise in councils demanding payment for pest control and water companies failing to take sufficient action against the rodents infesting their sewers. More homes are also being infested by house mice, _Mus domesticus_, the survey found, with a 14 per cent increase identified....



Nice to see what good can happen when the government really focuses on a problem... :eeksign:

-Bill


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## Led_Blind (Jan 5, 2007)

Hehehe, we had the same problem here where our recycling bins were not being collected when someone would dump their general waste after the bin was out on the street. 

My little trick was obtaining the essence of the red savina chili and placing it under the handles. All garbage collectors use gloves so they are fine, and most collection trucks need no human to touch the bin..... 

BUT when the rubbish bandit came to dump we started hearing very loud conversations. THis prompted a visit to the front window to see several immigrants (nationality intentionally excluded) being quite agitated and running to taps   

Oddly my bins no longer appear to have the self refilling problem anymore


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## abvidledUK (Jan 5, 2007)

BB said:


> Sounds also like rubbish pick-ups have dropped to once every two weeks--helping to create a:
> 
> 39% increase in Brown Rats in 2005:
> 
> ...




See also

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/li...1770&ico=Homepage&icl=TabModule&icc=NEWS&ct=5


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## BB (Oct 10, 2007)

Interesting update on the UK getting ready to have the police confiscate your car if it is filled with black garbage bags:
Now the bin police get the power to take your car away



> Town hall bin police are to be given powers to stop, search and seize vehicles whose drivers are suspected of fly-tipping. Under laws to be introduced next year, bin wardens working for councils will be able to order drivers to stop and then search their cars for black bags of household refuse.
> 
> They will be entitled to impound a family car if they think it is being used to dump rubbish unlawfully.
> 
> This is the latest escalation of a campaign which has made it a crime to leave out too many rubbish bags, put them out at the wrong time, or fill wheelie bins too full. Ministers announced the new stop-and- search powers for bin police as they released figures showing a massive jump in flytipping in England in the 12 months up to this spring...


-Bill


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## The_LED_Museum (Oct 10, 2007)

O criminy...now we have the garbage police.
What's next...the "dream police"?


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## BB (Oct 10, 2007)

The_LED_Museum said:


> O criminy...now we have the garbage police.
> What's next...the "dream police"?



Well... There is that thread on "legal highs"...

I think we are getting into the realm of "too many laws" now (actually, that milestone was probably pasted a few decades ago--at least)...

-Bill

PS: Not to mention "thought crimes" via the Hate Crimes laws we have in the US...


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## TedTheLed (Oct 10, 2007)

"fly-tipping" ? gee those Brits sure come up with some quaint and inscrutable names for stuff, how did they ever come up with that one I wonder?
Seems the solution to the problem would be to simply switch to white plastic bags..
? But seriously are there not public dumps in England? What is this rubbish that is so difficult to get rid of? Are the landfils filled up? Do you recycle cans and glass and paper there? Compost the garbage? (here garbage means food waste, trash is the rest)


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## Jay R (Oct 10, 2007)

TedTheLed said:


> Seems the solution to the problem would be to simply switch to white plastic bags..
> ? But seriously are there not public dumps in England? What is this rubbish that is so difficult to get rid of? Are the landfils filled up? Do you recycle cans and glass and paper there? Compost the garbage? (here garbage means food waste, trash is the rest)


 
Plastic bags insted of bins do you mean ? The foxes tear them apart and why would a waster got to the public dump when he can just put his rubbish in your bin.
Yes, the landfills are full, that's the problem. We also have to recycle the paper, plastic and cans or face a fine. Depending on where you live it could easily be over £1,000.

I say get a simple battery powered, magnetic switch window alarm down the pound shop. Screw the alarm on the lid and the magnet to the bin. It will go off when they empty the bin but so what. Above the noise of the dump truck the binmen will hardly notice and wouldn't care anyway however, at 2am in the morning it will sound a LOT louder.

Also, send a letter to the council stating that it's a problem and when thay don't do anything and try to fine you for overfilling your bin, you can point to the letter and they won't have a leg to stand on.


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## TedTheLed (Oct 10, 2007)

Jay "white bags" was just a joke, since in the article I was responding to, above, black bags led to the search and confiscation of the vehicle.. get it? 

as for bin alarms and locks I think I posted my brilliant idea some somewhere back in here.. under the banana peels..

yesterday my brother filled the "recycle bin" with only paper, to the top. The TRUCK with a ROBOT arm wouldn't lift it, too heavy.. for that they charge over $100 a month..


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## Size15's (Oct 10, 2007)

TedTheLed said:


> "fly-tipping" ? gee those Brits sure come up with some quaint and inscrutable names for stuff, how did they ever come up with that one I wonder?


Lets break it down:
"Tipping" is a very old British term for dumping - _the tilting up of a truck so as to discharge its contents; the emptying out of the contents of a truck, etc., by tilting; dumping._" [OED]

"Fly" in this context currently carries the connotation in Britain of "crafty" or "dishonest." 

So "fly tipping" is rubbish dumping done sneakily (and illegally). 

Fly-tipping is 'the illegal deposit of any waste onto land i.e. waste dumped or tipped on a site with no license accept waste'. Fly-tipped waste generally consists of large items of rubbish that are dumped illegally on land instead of being disposed of properly at a landfill site tip, often referred to as 'dumping'.

Fly-tipping is illegal. UK waste comes under controls that impose a duty to ensure that waste is disposed of properly. Only holders of a Waste Management License can recover, transport, deposit or dispose of waste. Waste can be deposited only at officially authorised sites. Anyone fly-tipping waste is committing a serious offence.



> But seriously are there not public dumps in England? What is this rubbish that is so difficult to get rid of? Are the landfils filled up?


Yes, most local authorities (councils) have a 'Civic Amenity Site aka 'local tip', paid for by local council taxes for household waste.



> Do you recycle cans and glass and paper there? Compost the garbage? (here garbage means food waste, trash is the rest)


We don't use the term "garbage" or "trash" - it is all "rubbish" to us. Yes, over the last few years we have become increasingly more aware of our terrible performance compared with our European neighbours when it comes to the quantity and content of the waste we produce. We are running out of landfill sites and there is resistance to having "waste incinerators" built close to the source of the waste (cities and towns). However, there is also resistance to recycling - the personal preparation (washing/cleaning) and separation of the waste we each produce and the actual putting it out for collection.

Each town/area seems to have its own method for collecting household waste - the types of products it recycles and does not recycle, the means of storing each waste type, and the time and manner of how it is collected.

Recycling is a significant change in culture - requiring far more time and effort - care and attention by each person. We are being required to conform to strict rules and methods that we are not used to, and they can sometimes seem to be just money-saving (penny-pinching) measures by the companies contracted by our local councils to collect the waste.

There is no national system for recycling.
Food manufacturers (especially) use a confusing plethora of packaging materials as well as over-package products.
There is poor provision of waste-processing sites - uneven distribution across the country.
Many areas operate a waste collection service that collects the recycling and general waste on alternate weeks - issues of smell and vermin etc in hot weather.
There is a big issue of lack of space for multiple waste storage systems (wheelie bins, coloured plastic containers etc) in urban areas. Bins are not allowed to be put out on the roads, or obstruct the footpath - but must be within easy reach of the waste collection people at the boundary of your property.

Is it no wonder that people are resorting to fly-tipping in ever increasing numbers? The cost of dealing with this seems to far exceed the cost saved by recycling.

Enforcement measures - fines, confiscations, prison sentences (etc) are becoming increasingly viable as means of trying to force change in attitudes.

I work for one of the Government bodies with powers to tackle fly-tipping - the Environment Agency. We investigate the larger scale incidents of fly-tipping, involving hazardous waste and incidents involving organised gangs of fly-tippers. 
Local authorities (aka councils) tackle clear-up of fly-tipping on publicly owned land, including roads and lay-bys.


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## Diesel_Bomber (Oct 10, 2007)

There's the solution! Buy some junker car that failed it's MOT inspection, don't bother filling out any paperwork on it. Fill it with your rubbish, charge others to dump their rubbish in the car too, and then just park it somewhere.  (Yes yes, tongue firmly in cheek.)

I'd smear chocolate or butterscotch pudding on the rubbish bin handles. Maybe peanut butter.

:buddies:


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## DM51 (Oct 10, 2007)

Mmmmmm chocolate and butterscotch


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## TedTheLed (Oct 10, 2007)

thanks Size that was very informative and interesting.
over-packaging is definitely a problem..
around here the only creatures that I hear of being 'tipped' are cows (supposedly mischievous kids topple them over while they're sleeping, for fun.) but I don't believe it is really possible; cows are too heavy to push over.. tipping a fly would be problematic; how do you know when a fly is sleeping? ..and certainly tipping a cow in the British sense would be illegal not to mention cruel and impractical..


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## electromage (Oct 10, 2007)

In Seattle, we have three wheelie bins, one for trash, one for paper/plastic/aluminium recycle, and one for yard waste. The trash is collected weekly, and the recycle/yard waste are bi-weekly on alternating weeks. Glass is in a separate flat bin, and picked up with the rest of the recycling.

We've never had someone else use our bins, but on a couple occasions, we have had someone hit them with a car and knock them over in the wee hours. Quite a mess, especially annoying to clean up when it's a dark frosty morning and I've got to get ready for work.


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## The_LED_Museum (Oct 10, 2007)

When I lived in north Seattle, we had two wheelie bins - one for garbage and the other for recycling (paper and glass).

Here in Sacramento, we have two dipsty dumpsters; one for garbage and the other for paper and glass.

In Seattle, only rarely did other people place their garbage in our wheelie bin, causing the lid to not close fully. And if the lid does not close ***ALL THE WAY***, you'll get charged for an extra can that week - even though they only dumped one.


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## lightemup (Oct 10, 2007)

When I read about Fly Tipping, I thought it was something similar to Cow Tipping i've seen in the movies. I was wondering how it'd work :thinking: 

I think the option I like best so far (although some of those contraptions sound funky) is if you've got cameras on it, provide the footage to police with a complaint, and hopefully if they're into community policing they'll pay the culprits a visit. They will probably only ask if they could stop etc. But hopefully once identified they will be suitably embarassed etc and stop doing it. At the very least they might find another bin... And I think the risk of reprisals would be relatively low with this approach?


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## soapy (Oct 12, 2007)

It's all bloody stupid.

One bad law started it, then they brought in another bad law to "correct" it, then a raft more laws for the next thing, then another, and now this.

Something else that happened at the start of the month was that 652 groups got access to anyone-they-wants phone records! The police I can understand (but even they should have some limits and be forced to ask nicely at least) but wtf? The Charities Commission, local councils, DEFRA, I mean, even groups you have never even heard of - the Gaming Board, anyone? - can now get lawful access to my phone records! WHY? 

Is it so they can track your mobile and ticket you for speeding whilst getting you for a drive-by fly-tipping at the same time?


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## Size15's (Oct 12, 2007)

soapy said:


> Is it so they can track your mobile and ticket you for speeding whilst getting you for a drive-by fly-tipping at the same time?


Joined up Government.
At least you won't have to call 'em to complain - they'll be listening already right? :green:


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## Bushman5 (Oct 14, 2007)

I think someone already posted it, but hide in the bin, dressed as a bloody corpse and pop up screaming and blubbering and spraying fake blood at them.........


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## Size15's (Oct 14, 2007)

Bushman5 said:


> I think someone already posted it, but hide in the bin, dressed as a bloody corpse and pop up screaming and blubbering and spraying fake blood at them.........


It's about the right time of year to be preparing something like that! :devil:


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## Windscale (Oct 14, 2007)

If everyone unsatisfied wrote to the Council saying tha unless things have changed soon they would vote for the opposition party in the next local election, I am sure things will change soon. I am in Harrow and I got fed up because if rubbish was not put in the proper bin, the binmen will not empty any of it. I have written to the Council and if things do not improve, I will vote for the minority party next time. I have also written to the minority party to see what their views are. But I am sure they will promise everything before the election.


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## basill (Oct 14, 2007)

This would do it;
http://www.wheeliebinlocks.co.uk/

*B*


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## soapy (Oct 15, 2007)

Ah, Windscale, you don't get it do you? We are now living under the "Third way".

If you vote for the little guy, and so does the next guy, etc. then the biggest party at the start will still win, just with a smaller percentage margin. And to ensure that the other party cannot win, in a two horse race like British politics, you simply put all your efforts into nobbling the secondplace horse, currently by simply copying all the ideas of that second party.

All your loyal guys still vote for you, and you split the vote of the other party, and the disaffected go off and vote for whoever - it doesn't matter because "first past the post" ensures they count for naught.

And, if you get someone like the BNP getting too popular, you do like they did to ETA and outlaw it, and eject their politicians, regardless of the democratic election results. Then you can carry on ignoring them and the reasons behind them.

I wouldn't mind so much if it were not that Labour have had total majority for 3 terms, yet are still claiming they have so much they desperately need to do, and are still blaming the Tories for the fact Labour have yet to improve a single thing!


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## Windscale (Oct 17, 2007)

Hi soapy,

The second guy is probably not the very little guy like the BNP. The second guy is probably one of the big three. If the next guy is the BNP guy then one has to strike a balance whether to have NF or rubbish outside his doorstep and vote accordingly. A difficult choice for some! 

Local elections are more interesting than national elections in that more local issues are involved. Therefore, in some places, votes tend to be more marginal even the same constituency is quite solid behind one party in national elections. Even if the majority party returned with a dramatically cut majority, it will start to listen to the voters because if they don't the next time round they may not be so fortunate. 

There is no such thing as a loyal guy. Loyality his its limits. One will tend to be less loyal if one's rubbish bin does not get emptied. Loyality is only there because one agrees with the policies of one party. This view can change when there is a disargeement right outside one's house. I do agree that some people vote blindly for one party. That's unfortunate. And I hope their rubbish will pile up! Circumstances will eventually force changes.


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