Half of Brits think their neighbour’s bin etiquette is rubbish

Bad bin etiquette is a source of annoyance for nearly half (49 per cent) of the nation, over 30 million people, reveals new research from Churchill Insurance. People do not like bins to be left outside on the street, with one in five people (21 per cent) believing they should be taken in from the street immediately after collection if the resident is home. More than a third (34 per cent) think bins should not be outside for more than 12 hours.

The research explores the bin habits people find most frustrating, with overfilling bins (15 per cent), leaving bins out for several days after collection (14 per cent), and not clearing up rubbish from bin bags that have been ripped open by wild animals (14 per cent) topping the list.

Table One: Top five annoying bin habits people have experienced from neighbours

Annoying bin habit
Percentage of those surveyed who have experienced from their neighbours
1
Overfilling bins
15 per cent
2
Leaving bins out several days after collection
14 per cent
3
Not clearing rubbish from bin bags that have been ripped by wild animals
14 per cent
4
Leaving excess bin bags on the floor when bins are full
13 per cent
5
Putting things in their bin
11 per cent
Source: Churchill Home Insurance

When it comes to resolving conflicts around bad bin behaviour, two in five (42 per cent) people prefer to tackle it head on, speaking directly to their neighbour. While they still favour the direct approach overall, younger people (18-34 years old) are more likely than older groups to opt for alternative indirect methods, such as slipping a note under their neighbour’s door, writing a message on a communal notice board, or posting in a group chat.

In the West London town of Uxbridge, resident Steven Halo has faced several bin issues on his street: “There’s an ongoing situation where one of the houses puts their bin out on any given day. As a result, we often have rubbish piling up on the corner of our street, including nappies and cat litter, which, unfortunately, attracts foxes.

“It’s become so frustrating that some of our other neighbours took matters into their own hands – they’ve made a sign and placed it on these neighbours’ bins to let them know about the issue and letting them know when the bin day is. At one point the area was even cordoned off with red and white tape.”