Surprise note found on man’s yellow bin after kerb collection

A man has shared his surprise online after finding a note on his yellow recycling bin once it was placed on the kerb for collection.

A man has taken to social media to share his surprise after a note from the council was stuck to his yellow bin while out on the street for collection.

The image shared to Facebook was of a bright yellow slip, attached to his recycling bin, that informed the Canberra resident that his rubbish had been inspected.

It had two options — that the bin contained no contamination, alternatively there was a list of possible items to tick if they appeared in the bin despite not being recyclable.

The list includes plastic bags, textiles, e-waste, batteries, paper towel/tissues, coffee cups, nappies/sanitary items, as well as an option for the inspector to add their own comments.

This particular man’s recycling bin included soft plastics and receipts — which meant he received “a B” rating on his contents.

A man has posted a surprise note that he found on his yellow recycling bin after it was placed on the kerb for collection. Picture: Facebook/Canberra Notice Board

Bin inspections in various states

Every council has its own rules when it comes to recycling, and fines for contaminating yellow bins. In New South Wales, fines can vary between $1000 and $1700. Penrith City Council was the first to implement the fines back in 2011. However some councils, including ACT Government, have bin inspection programs. Many have operated for close to 20 years.

This particular bin inspection program was introduced in the ACT in 2017 after the introduction to the green waste and FOGO bins.

Each week, random streets are selected by the ACT Government of Envirocom Australia, aiming to inspect 600 bins across various suburbs weekly.

The ‘waste educators’ only look at bins that have been placed out for collection, and do not trawl through the container. Instead, they simply look at what’s on top.

The green waste and FOGO bins are also inspected at random. The program is purely for educational purposes, with no fines or penalties imposed.

The image was of a yellow slip, attached to his recycling bin, that informed the men that his recycling bin had been inspected.

A similar scene was captured in Essedon, in Victoria, after mum Kali put out her bins, grabbed a coffee and returned to find a note reading “Oh no” attached to her yellow bin.

The note claimed that she put reusable shopping bags — which aren’t recyclable — in her yellow bin. She wasn’t the only one on her street who had copped a similar notice.

“I thought it was funny that I got bin shamed. I’m sure we’re all guilty of [recycling incorrectly], it’s an easy mistake,” she told Yahoo at the time.

Surprisingly, instead of kicking off about the bin inspections, many social media users praised the initiative for helping people learn about what can and can’t be recycled.

“I think it’s a good initiative. Constructive feedback to improve habits,” one person commented.

Another said: “This is actually really cool. I’m often shocked by what people think is recyclable (pulled a lump of styrofoam out of the communal recycling the other day).

“Issue is that these things aren’t always able to be sorted out at the recycling centre, meaning often lots of recyclables get scrapped because a batch is ‘too contaminated’.”

“Jeez, recycling is getting complicated. I must confess, not knowing any better, I have put receipts in my recycling bin,” one person said.

Someone else added: “Actually very useful info, thank you.”

“This won’t stop my neighbour from dumping all their general waste and food scraps into their overflowing recycling bin. They asked me why it’s not being collected and they wouldn’t believe me,” one added.

One person said: “No one told me this was on the test?! Man and I only just got a C social skills! I’m gonna flunk adulting for sure now!”

Garbage workers revealed how they know what is inside your bin. Picture: TikTok/conspiracytrucker

He revealed video footage highlighted what was in the bin. Picture: TikTok/conspiracytrucker

Back in April, TikTok user @conspiracytrucker revealed another way that garbage collectors know when you break the rules.

He showed the vehicle had a camera on either side of it, including the front. It also showed a camera inside that could see what was being emptied from the bin into the garbage truck.

Recycling is typically governed by local councils, and therefore there are different rules and regulations and fines. In New South Wales, fines can vary between $1000 and $1700.

Many social media users shared their own experiences, revealing people have put everything from an airfryer to a lawnmower in their bin when they weren’t supposed to.

“This whole time I’ve been hiding my rubbish under grass and thought I was getting away with it,” one social media user said.

Another added: “Worked this out when I got caught out putting an airfryer in my red bin.”

“So the garbo KNEW I put that whole lawnmower in the bin,” another commented.

One social media user commented: “I’m genuinely baffled by the comments, I can’t believe people put litter in the green bin on purpose.”

“My 90-year-old neighbour thought he’d be sneaky and put concrete slabs in my bin. Luckily I saw him and took them out and placed them neatly on top of his bin lid. Ready for the garbo,” someone else said.

Originally published as Surprise note found on man’s yellow bin after kerb collection