‘Frowned upon or illegal?’: Mum divides with rubbish bin act ‘everyone does’

An Aussie mum has sparked debate about rubbish bin etiquette after asking whether one common act was “illegal” or just “frowned upon”.

An Aussie mum has sparked debate about rubbish bin etiquette after asking whether one common act was “illegal” or just “frowned upon”.

In a video on TikTok, Brooke Bliss, who resides in Port Macquarie on NSW’s Mid North Coast, shared that general waste bins were only collected in her area once a fortnight.

With a family of five, the digital creator said her garbage bins fill up very quickly – before confessing that, as a result, she’ll often wait until the “dead of night” on the day before bin collection to toss bags of general waste in her neighbours’ bins.

While Brooke told Yahoo that her own “lovely” neighbours didn’t have an issue with her behaviour, she knew that wasn’t the case for everyone.

“I mean, if your neighbours aren’t letting you do that even if they have room in their bin, you then have the rubbish lying around your property because you have nowhere else to put it,” she told the outlet.

Brooke Bliss, who resides in Port Macquarie on NSW’s Mid North Coast, shared that general waste bins were only collected in her area once a fortnight. Picture: TikTok

As far as many of the people commenting on her video, captioned “Frowned upon or illegal?”, were concerned, there was nothing wrong with Brooke’s habit.

“I don’t think it’s a problem do (sic) long as it’s bagged and not smelly,” one person wrote.

“Be friendly with your neighbours and ask if you can.”

“I do this every week!” another viewer confessed.

“Thank goodness in Vic (sic) we have general waste collected weekly and I still run out at 9pm in the dressing gown dumping my rubbish.”

“We ask neighbours they ask us … not if we can but if there is room. Gotta help each other out. If they have space I say why not,” a third said.

“I totally do it,” another wrote. “Once it’s on the kerb it’s fair game.”

Someone else pointed out that while the act was, indeed, “not illegal”, it was definitely “frowned upon”. “Everyone has cameras now, be careful,” they added.

‘Unless there is an arrangement in place, council discourages this activity.’

A Port Macquarie Hastings Council spokesperson said it “discourages” the practice without prior agreement between neighbours.

“Some residents have neighbourly arrangements to use each other’s bins which is up to residents to agree on. Unless there is an arrangement in place, council discourages this activity,” they said.

The council does also offer a weekly collection service – albeit at a higher cost to the resident, due to the increase in servicing.

Waste can also be deposited at the council’s waste management facilities.