Heavy Duty Bin for Return and Earn in Apartment

vinnychase on 13/07/2022 - 22:50
Last edited 13/07/2022 - 22:52

Hey Guys! So we Live in a Strata Complex of more than 10 apartment buildings and a few townhouses.
Each building has a bin area but it’s accessible from outside the building so anyone can access them. Due to the accessibility of bin area we attract the return and earn forager junkies. We don’t care about them taking the bottles but the problem is that some of them leave a mess when they’re done and our cleaners aren’t the happiest people because of it.

So my solution is to get a separate bin for bottles and stuff so that residents can recycle.
Some issues I want to prevent:
The bin should be easy to put stuff in obviously but have protections against stuff being removed by the bottle mafia.

Not sure if it’s even legal.

Home & Garden

Comments

  • Quantumcat on 13/07/2022 - 22:53
    +2

    I don't know if having a separate bin would put then off hunting. Could you get locks for the bins that let you open the lid a little bit (enough to shove in a rubbish bag) but not enough to go rifling through?

  • Benoffie on 13/07/2022 - 23:05
    +2

    Lol return and earn. Bottle Mafia.

    Only in other states could this be a problem. Lock the bin and cut a hole in the top. Empty it regularly.

    Or be grateful other people are getting the 10c. Maybe have an open designated bottle bin and welcome the bottle Mafia?

    • vinnychase on 13/07/2022 - 23:15

      Lock the bin and cut a hole in the top

      Cheers. This could work. Probably not allowed to cut council bins so will probably need to buy a fair few from Bunnings. They're quite expensive so hopefully the investment pays off for the owners. I guess we could do a pilot trial in 1 building and go from there.

      • FLICKIT on 14/07/2022 - 00:49

        A 240L wheelie bin is only $139 from Bunnings, not too expensive IMO…

        • apsilon on 14/07/2022 - 07:13
          +1

          Easy for them to take the whole bin as well so they can cut it open later.

        • PossiblyARobot on 14/07/2022 - 07:57

          That's only 1390 bottles saved to pay off.

  • Guybrush57 on 14/07/2022 - 00:10
    +1

    I feel your pain OP. I have a few sleepness nights due to people clinking bottles together. Most of them are quite tidy with their rummaging but there have been a couple here and there that have not cared one iota about the mess they leave behind.

  • Euphemistic on 14/07/2022 - 06:58
    +3

    If you get a dedicated return and earn bin they are likely to take the whole thing.

  • Pumpkin_rrr on 14/07/2022 - 09:22

    Following… we are in Brisbane and has the same problem.
    These people have no regard that our Complex is fenced, although not locked. Gave me a fright when I saw them coming-in!

    • vinnychase on 14/07/2022 - 11:00

      Yeah same for us The entire perimeter is fenced but not locked. Our sister complex next to us has those child safe locks. Not sure if those deter these characters.

  • Euphemistic on 14/07/2022 - 09:38
    +1

    Thinking bout this further, perhaps you need to organise with your complex that there are no return and earn items placed in regular recycling and place a sign in the area stating so.

    Then, arrange someone to collect all those items to a secured area and return them. Perhaps a communal BBQ with the proceeds or sharing the return earning some other way.

    Main idea being remove the items from where the scavengers are searching.

  • oceans on 14/07/2022 - 11:21
    +2

    From my observations of the recycle bottle/10 cents collectors

    • They are determined to achieve their quest with all side mission complete. They have multiple reasons that motivates them to push a shopping trolley and entering private property for each suburb's recycle collection day. The sifting can cause a mess and they know which bins on my street have high yield. It maybe easier to have a clearly marked bin or bag which they can just pick up bottles with no mess. I've seen that in a few neighbourhoods and being done in other countries that have similar program for recycle/cardboard.
    • Signage should be in multiple languages
    • Get a bear/raccoon/squirrel proof bin. Though bears don't have opposable thumbs so they can't pick/break a padlock. You can use a regular bin within the bear proof enclosure. Of course that will cost money to install.
      https://bearsaver.com/collections/bear-resistant-ha-series-t…
  • mitt on 14/07/2022 - 11:51

    There are companies that do private collections of recyclable bottles usually for a small cut of each deposit. You can get a bin off one of these companies, ask everyone to put their bottles in that & have the proceeds put into the sinking fund. Just lock that bin in a cage/conceal it somewhere. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/185081924789

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