'Om nom nom': Residents realise this ‘common’ wheelie bin mistake
- Replies 3
As we all know, the weekly ritual of taking out the rubbish is one of those mundane tasks that we do without much thought.
But for some residents, this simple act has led to an unexpected and rather perplexing problem—their wheelie bins are disappearing into the back of garbage trucks, never to be seen again!
This 'common' issue has been brought to light by a recent incident captured on a home security camera in Melbourne.
The footage showed a council garbage truck making its rounds, stopping outside a home to collect the rubbish.
However, in a surprising turn, as the mechanical claw lifted the bin to empty it, the entire bin tumbled into the truck along with the rubbish.
This occurrence isn't as rare as one might think.
Many Australians have come forward admitting that they've faced similar situations, with some initially believing their bins had been stolen.
It wasn't until they reviewed their own security footage or heard from observant neighbours that they realised their bins had been 'swallowed' by the very trucks meant to service them.
‘Happened to my general waste bin. I thought someone had nicked it, but one of the neighbours saw it get swallowed,’ one commented on the video.
‘Same for me. A new one was easy to get and free but still seems like a waste,’ another shared.
The issue seems widespread, with photos from the Bulla Organics Facility in Victoria showing a veritable mountain of wheelie bins that have been inadvertently collected from across the state.
These images, captured by local photographer Marcus Wong, reveal that the bins are screened out of the incoming waste stream, then separated into plastic for recycling, with the wheels salvaged for reuse.
‘Apparently having a bin fall inside the rubbish truck on collection day is a common occurrence,’ Wong wrote.
‘They get screened out of the incoming waste stream, then separated out into plastic to be recycled and the wheels that are returned for reuse.’
Despite the frequency of these incidents, James Stirton, City Infrastructure Executive Director for Geelong City Council, insisted that ‘these types of incidents are rare’.
‘Less than 0.03 per cent of bins collected each weekend up lost or stolen,’ he said.
‘While these types of incidents are rare, they are difficult to avoid completely.’
That's because ‘of the wide variety of areas and environmental factors on our routes, with over 244,000 bins in Greater Geelong being lifted in all weather every week,’ he explained.
Stirton advised residents to place their bins on the nature strip rather than on the road to ensure a proper grip during collection. This would reduce the risk of losing them to the garbage truck's depths.
‘Our customer service team is always ready to help and can organise a bin replacement quickly, with no additional cost to residents,’ Stirton said.
You can watch the video below:
Speaking of bins, the frustration over bin placement and collection is not uncommon.
In a previous story, a man experienced recurring issues with a parked car obstructing his bins on bin collection day in a suburb.
Despite demands, the man’s bins were still blocked by the same car.
What did the man do next? You can read more about the story here.
Have any of you experienced this wheelie bin woe? Or perhaps you have other tips for ensuring our bins stay safe on collection day? Share your stories and advice in the comments below.
But for some residents, this simple act has led to an unexpected and rather perplexing problem—their wheelie bins are disappearing into the back of garbage trucks, never to be seen again!
This 'common' issue has been brought to light by a recent incident captured on a home security camera in Melbourne.
The footage showed a council garbage truck making its rounds, stopping outside a home to collect the rubbish.
However, in a surprising turn, as the mechanical claw lifted the bin to empty it, the entire bin tumbled into the truck along with the rubbish.
A video showed that a wheelie bin fell into the truck. Credit: @kmirak / Reddit
This occurrence isn't as rare as one might think.
Many Australians have come forward admitting that they've faced similar situations, with some initially believing their bins had been stolen.
It wasn't until they reviewed their own security footage or heard from observant neighbours that they realised their bins had been 'swallowed' by the very trucks meant to service them.
‘Happened to my general waste bin. I thought someone had nicked it, but one of the neighbours saw it get swallowed,’ one commented on the video.
‘Same for me. A new one was easy to get and free but still seems like a waste,’ another shared.
The issue seems widespread, with photos from the Bulla Organics Facility in Victoria showing a veritable mountain of wheelie bins that have been inadvertently collected from across the state.
These images, captured by local photographer Marcus Wong, reveal that the bins are screened out of the incoming waste stream, then separated into plastic for recycling, with the wheels salvaged for reuse.
‘Apparently having a bin fall inside the rubbish truck on collection day is a common occurrence,’ Wong wrote.
‘They get screened out of the incoming waste stream, then separated out into plastic to be recycled and the wheels that are returned for reuse.’
Despite the frequency of these incidents, James Stirton, City Infrastructure Executive Director for Geelong City Council, insisted that ‘these types of incidents are rare’.
‘Less than 0.03 per cent of bins collected each weekend up lost or stolen,’ he said.
‘While these types of incidents are rare, they are difficult to avoid completely.’
That's because ‘of the wide variety of areas and environmental factors on our routes, with over 244,000 bins in Greater Geelong being lifted in all weather every week,’ he explained.
Stirton advised residents to place their bins on the nature strip rather than on the road to ensure a proper grip during collection. This would reduce the risk of losing them to the garbage truck's depths.
‘Our customer service team is always ready to help and can organise a bin replacement quickly, with no additional cost to residents,’ Stirton said.
You can watch the video below:
Speaking of bins, the frustration over bin placement and collection is not uncommon.
In a previous story, a man experienced recurring issues with a parked car obstructing his bins on bin collection day in a suburb.
Despite demands, the man’s bins were still blocked by the same car.
What did the man do next? You can read more about the story here.
.png){kind=icon}
