OV9

To me it seems obvious that you leave your wheelie bins with the handle(s) facing out (ie towards the road) as that's the direction the refuse technician binperson will address them from, and it allows them to immediately pull it/them towards the binvehicle.

Said binperson will do the reverse when they return your bin (if you are lucky) leaving it handles in (ie away from the road).

Following this process, you also know at a glance whether your bin has been emptied, or is yet to be so.

Via using my eyes however, it would appear that others do not apply (or align with) this logic.

Are you wheelie doing a poll about the orientation of bins? i refuse to answer this as it’s bin a waste of my time reading it. Stop posting this rubbish.

Rich B wrote: Mon Apr 20, 2026 11:14 am Are you wheelie doing a poll about the orientation of bins? i refuse to answer this as it’s bin a waste of my time reading it. Stop posting this rubbish.

Would you rather be spending your time out recycling?

In todays episode of pointless polls...

I concur Mik. I do the same with our garden waste bin - when it is full I leave it in its storage space handle out so I can tell at a glance it’s full and I don’t try to put more in it. Also easier to pull out on collection day.

Obviously. Be courteous and helpful when putting the bins out. Handle towards the street.

DeskJockey wrote: Mon Apr 20, 2026 1:33 pm Obviously. Be courteous and helpful when putting the bins out. Handle towards the street.

Yep, handle towards the street, placed parallel to where the neighbours opposite put their bin, for maximum efficiency.

DeskJockey wrote: Mon Apr 20, 2026 1:33 pm Obviously. Be courteous and helpful when putting the bins out. Handle towards the street.

Yeah, this. Although it's rarely reciprocated by said bin technicians. The green bin gets left about 5 doors down and the grey/blue/black bin gets left near the property if I'm lucky. Could be on its side in the road though. It's a lottery.

TBH, i couldn’t give a shit which way round my bin was or if i have to walk 20m down the road to retrieve it - they’re getting up at the crack of dawn on minimum wage doing a shitty job that i’d never want to do in a million years - cheers to all of them for doing as much as they do!

Swervin_Mervin wrote: Mon Apr 20, 2026 2:13 pm

DeskJockey wrote: Mon Apr 20, 2026 1:33 pm Obviously. Be courteous and helpful when putting the bins out. Handle towards the street.

Yeah, this. Although it's rarely reciprocated by said bin technicians. The green bin gets left about 5 doors down and the grey/blue/black bin gets left near the property if I'm lucky. Could be on its side in the road though. It's a lottery.

Was just thinking that. The most annoying thing is if they leave the bin in the middle of the pavement, there are quite a few people pushing prams up and down our road, and it hinders them.

I don’t really care which way it goes, it’s still my bin and I love it all the same

We've not got a bin store yet so I just put the bin out and then once the bin lorry has driven past, I know its emptied.

Only difference is at Christmas when I put the bin out and also a couple of boxes of celebrations or something on top. Merry Christmas everyone!

Ascender wrote: Mon Apr 20, 2026 3:04 pm Only difference is at Christmas when I put the bin out and also a couple of boxes of celebrations or something on top. Merry Christmas everyone!

I did that year 1 here but saw on my ring camera, some local yoof's nicking them

so now I leave a note as to where to find them and then stash them in my bin store... I also leave out water during the hot summer months.

Rich B wrote: Mon Apr 20, 2026 2:16 pm TBH, i couldn’t give a shit which way round my bin was or if i have to walk 20m down the road to retrieve it - they’re getting up at the crack of dawn on minimum wage doing a shitty job that i’d never want to do in a million years - cheers to all of them for doing as much as they do!

A standard wheelie bin has just enough sheet polypropylene to make a full skid plate set for a Polaris quad bike, in case anyone was wondering

Rich B wrote: Mon Apr 20, 2026 2:16 pm TBH, i couldn’t give a shit which way round my bin was or if i have to walk 20m down the road to retrieve it - they’re getting up at the crack of dawn on minimum wage doing a shitty job that i’d never want to do in a million years - cheers to all of them for doing as much as they do!

Yeah, this. My kids go crazy for the bin lorry when it comes around and like to rush outside and watch it. As we live in a cul-de-sac they wait watching until it's been down to the end, turned around and come back again. The binmen (yes, they are all men) know the kids well enough by now to all wave and beep as they go past. Super chill people.

Marv wrote: Mon Apr 20, 2026 1:39 pm Yep, handle towards the street, placed parallel to where the neighbours opposite put their bin, for maximum efficiency.

I knew you and I got on for a reason, that's almost arousing.

In NZ, the bins have a set of 'this way you moron' instructions printed on the lids (as in moulded in, not a sticker).

I don't even know which days are bin days and this is a little street with old terraces that don't have space for wheelie bins. The bins are where they are, which is usually on the pavement in some kind of chaotic mess. Hence I'm very firmly in the 'shake it all about' camp.

Today is bin day!

Paper and card, food waste, and non-recyclable items. Food waste is weekly, the rest alternate weeks, with garden waste (summer schedule) on Thursdays the week it is paper and card. Isn't that exciting?

DeskJockey wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 8:33 am Isn't that exciting?

I take care of bins at home. Mainly 'cos I don't enjoy asking the coonsil to come and pick something up just 'cos we are unable to follow a simple schedule, or making a special trip to the dump because we missed a collection.

Apparently my interest in ensuring we follow the schedule is interpreted by family mik as "you f'kin love bin day"