Forgetting to take out the trash?

United States
December 9, 2010 12:00pm CST
When was the last time you forgot to put out the trash on collection day? Putting out the trash is my kid's chores.. but the son who is supposed to put out the recyclables has forgotten them 3 weeks in a row now! We have a huge pile up of recyclables out back. The trash collectors already came by today.. so it's too late to put them out now. My older son forgot the trash too, but he remembered last week so we only have 1 week of trash piled up, and we should be fine til next week. However the recyclables are getting out of control! Tomorrow is trash pick up for my FIL so I might bring one of my recycling bins to his house tonight. What do you do if you forget to put your trash out on collection day?
4 people like this
16 responses
@buggles64 (2709)
• United States
15 Dec 10
Tsking out the trash is an easy chore for the kids to do. I like to have the kids help around the house because it teaches them responsibility.. Often though, Mom prefers to take the trash out herself. I'll set the trash aside for the kids to take out, but she takes it out instead. We usually never forget to take the trash pout, and if we do...we just put it in the barrel for the next time the trash is going to be picked up.
1 person likes this
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
5 Mar 11
I agree here with buggles64. Me and my husband hardly ever forgets to take the trash out. We usually take the trash out when we see it full or piled up. And, I always take some kind of trash out everyday, even if it is a bag that smells really bad. I don't mind taking out the trash. I think that it is fun. It makes me feel clean when I take out the trash.
• United States
10 Dec 10
I would have to say I'm extremely blessed. We just got a new trash man a short time ago and one day when we forgot to take the trash to the road, he came and got the can by the house and took it anyway! What a great guy! He went above and beyond his required duties. He's the best! We're trying to think of something special to put in his Christmas card to show our appreciation.
• United States
10 Dec 10
That is really nice! How about a $5 gift card to a coffee shop like Dunkin Donuts or Tim Hortons if you have those nearby. That is what I'm giving to my kid's teachers this year.. it's enough to get a cup of coffee and a donut.
• United States
10 Dec 10
We aren't close to a Dunkin' Donuts but we do have some nice coffee and/or latte shops in the area. I believe you just solved one of our Christmas gift dilemmas. Thank you katsmeow1213!
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
9 Dec 10
I hate when that happens as I have went to a very small container. It's awful to have it sitting around....like at Christmas too when I have so much I have to store part of it until I can stuff it in on a week where I am low on garbage. I also recycle but take it to a center...
• United States
9 Dec 10
We don't have a nearby recycling center. I just brought one of my bins over to FIL's and left it there as is pick up is tomorrow.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
9 Dec 10
So far it's been R's job, and it's been a long time since he actually forgot. There have been one or two occasions in the last few years where he has decided to put it out in the morning instead of the night before, only to see the trash truck had already passed our house. Something for me to look forward to...
• United States
9 Dec 10
I blame it on the weird routine we've had this week.. with school being closed Tues and Wed. Normally they are good about putting it out Wednesday when they get home from school.. this was just an odd week.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
9 Dec 10
Yeah well a disruption in your schedule will do that...
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
9 Dec 10
Well, in one way I am lucky. I live in a gated community and the garbage should be collected three times a week. The downside is that sometimes they forget me as I live at the highest point of the community and the road is steep. However, the can for the area is in the community so sometimes I drop it off myself. It makes me cross though as it should be collected. They mow our lawn too once a month for about US$5 so it is a good service for a small maintenance fee.
• United States
10 Dec 10
Sounds like a decent system.. though as you said, your trash should be picked up. It's not like there's snow on your hill that would make it dangerous to drive up there.
• United States
9 Dec 10
I can't really say that we have forgotten to put the trash out to the curb but there have been times especially around birthdays or christmas when we have a lot of extra trash and cant wait for the trash men to come because it is over flowing so what we usually end up doing it putting it in the basement until it is time to go because I am afraid if we leave it out at the cans animals will come by and get into and make an even bigger mess. As for recycables there are a few different drop boxes in our town where you can take your items and drop them into their containers so thankfully if it ever got too bad we could atleast take them there. We never really get too many recycables because we have a man that comes once a week and gets our cans so h can cash them in so the only things that are ever really ever in the buckets are cans from out veggies or a milk jug or two. It is my sons responsibility to take out the trash and recycables as well..it started getting to where he would forget so what we started with the chores was they have till 8:30 each night to get them done and come that time the husband and I will go and check to see if they are and if they are not they will get grounded for one night which just means that from 8:30 that night and all the next day they are grounded...which means no tv, no phones(landline my kids dont have their own phones) and no snack. They arent too bad on the chores though so they dont get grounded that often but they have a few times..some may think that that is harsh but I feel for the little that they are asked to help with they need to have them done. My daughter does laundry which is just on Wednesdays and fridays and then she does dishes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and then my son does trash on tuesdays and dishes on monday and wednesdays....I was doing a crap load more than that at their ages so i tell them they shouldnt complain LOL
• United States
9 Dec 10
Mine aren't up to dishes and laundry yet. I'll ask the oldest to do dishes once in awhile but it isn't part of his regular chores. They each get a room and they have to clean that room everyday. The oldest has the kitchen so he has to sweep and wipe down the table. My other son has to clean the bathroom (just picking up, I don't ask him to scrub the toilet or anything) and take out recyclables. My daughter has to pick up the living room and hallway and when we had cats she had to feed them.. we'll have cats again in a few weeks. The 4 year old will sometimes give himself chores.. but I don't enforce him to do chores yet.. that will start soon.
@ravinskye (8237)
• United States
11 Dec 10
We usually forget to put out the trash once or twice a year. We don't have a recycling program here. If we forget for one week it isn't usually too bad. We have a coal furnace so we try to burn paper stuff in there, so it cuts down a little bit on how much we have to put out. If we forgot more than once in a row we'd have a ton to put out.
@sacmom (14192)
• United States
30 Jul 11
Hmm, let me think. LOL The last time I forgot to take out the trash was a few months ago, I believe. My husband and I usually share this oh so wonderful chore , although for the past few months I've been the one taking it out. However, I forgot to at least one time since then. But that was back when my husband and I switched off. What do we do when we forget to take the trash out? We usually kick ourselves in the butt! LOL Only kidding! We fill up an extra large garbage bag (I think they're known as contractors garbage bags? ) with trash and set it next to the curb along with the trash can the following week. Happy mylotting!
• United States
1 Aug 11
That would suck! I take the trash out it's too important to let it go. I mean I can let the recyclables go a week or so but not regular trash as I want to clear out this house so I try to fill the bin up to a brim every week
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
5 Mar 11
Hi. katsmeow1213. Well being that we have a dumpster truck that comes on Tuesdays and Fridays, I will just put my filled bag in the garbage as soon as the dump truck has came to collect the trash. Or when it is filled up. We don't have any recycling bins, although I feel that a recycling company truck should come by and pick up these items. The lady across the street, has a green recycling container. My grandmother has one too.
@CJscott (4187)
• Portage La Prairie, Manitoba
10 Dec 10
Well, with the Trash, I save it till next week, but with the recycling, I just take it down to the plant, it is only a 5 minute drive from my house though. Cheers.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
12 Dec 10
Well, it is actually something that happens to us on a fairly regular basis. We are lucky because our family really doesn't generate a lot of trash in the course of a week, so we are typically able to use the Herbie for two weeks before it is full. However, there are those times that we have more trash than is typical, so because of the fact that we have city trash pickup and the fact that the house next door to us is empty right now, we will pull that can up and fill it as well.
@madteaparty (2748)
• Japan
10 Dec 10
It happened to me by the beginning of this week! Fortunately they come twice a week, so I just kept that trash at home until the next day they came to collect the trash. I dislike having specific trash collection days, as in some countries there's no such a thing and they collect trash everydays, having no problem about having to keep it at home.
@joystick (1675)
10 Dec 10
This has happened too many times to me.I get alot of rubbish all the time and there never seems to be a let up of it.My bins are always full to the brim and i have no where else to put my rubbish if i do not put my bin out to get emptied.I end up having to take it to the tip, just so that my bins are empty so that i can fill them again.It is frustrating when you forget to put your bins out on collecton day.
@peavey (16936)
• United States
9 Dec 10
The last time I forgot to put out the trash was the last time it ran, last week. I get in the habit sometimes of getting it out every week, then all of a sudden I forget. Since I live alone, I can't blame it on someone else! I don't usually have that much trash, so I just let it pile up until next time.
@hushi22 (4928)
10 Dec 10
haha. i usually forget the collection day so mom just take care of it. i just make sure i keep my trashes inside my room in a clean plastic bag as in properly segregated then she tells me to take it outside.