Nice that good items will be going to people in need.

How about meeting the new neighbors? Welcome them to the neighborhood. At some point you can tell them about the thrift store picks ups.

I have given a lot of stuff away by putting it on the curb with a sign free/gratis.

However, I can see some good reasons for throwing away good stuff, some contagious illnesses, cat pee, bedbugs, etc.

I would wonder why someone dumped so many nice things. I hope whoever put them out was in fact the owner. Seeing them 'set out for the trash', you assumed they were free for the taking...and you took them. Nobody likes 'waste', but everyone has a right to do what he pleases with his possessions. You had a right to salvage them.

It bothered you because, as far as you know, there was some stuff in there that could have been used by someone else. As for me, I ALWAYS take things to Goodwill because I know that just because I don't need/want something, it might be exactly what someone else is needing. The larger items, I usually call and request they pick up the items. Yes, I could put on the curb and hope that someone finds it - but we live on a cul-de-sac so the odds are slim that someone will happen by.

I would feel the same way, Raee. It took energy and materials to manufacture all that stuff, saying nothing of the fuel-burning vehicles which transported it to it's final destination. It's very wasteful to just throw things away which could be used by others. Maybe you should have asked before taking the stuff.

stuff on the curb no longer has an owner which is why you too can grab your neighbors garbage just like the police. So why not salvage. Tons of areas have large pickup day, big things like furniture boxes of clothes and it is also salvage day as people come by in trucks sorting through what they see. I think it is hero time to save things that can be used.

The unofficial rule in our neighborhood is "if it's at the curb, it's free for the taking."

When I was getting rid of some furniture, none of the local charities were interested unless it was in 'first class condition' (it wasn't, merely in good but not perfect condition) and preferably of recent vintage.

Most of them, including Habitat, wouldn't pick it up - you had to bring it in, which was impossible for us.

Sometimes it isn't as easy getting rid of big items, or lots of items at once, as one would think.

In the light of my basic concern of the need to respect others, including their possessions, and sushipup's viewpoint, I'd almost certainly knock on their door to ask their permission to redirect much of these cast off goods into the recycling stream.

In case of an initial refusal, I'd make an effort to convince them that a substantial number of these goods, emphasizing the variety as diistinct from it being seen as one big unneeded lump, are greatly needed by many fellow citizens of our area, who would value them and probably make heavy use of them, often for many years.

If they agreed, I'd probable ask whether it'd be O K to put up a sign saying "Not for garbage today". Lacking their approval of that, I'd probably start right in to separate out the recyclables, putting the rejected stuff in a separate pile. Perhaps I'd call some fellow recycling enthusiasts to come help, if possible.

If their unhappiness with that suggestion was that they didn't want the garbage hanging around until next pickup day, I'd agree to remove the garbage today, as well, as the original post indicated that it was not a huge lump: I don't think my grass'd complain (especially having had to endure being covered with snow for a couple of days, recently).

ole joyful

I don't like to see waste, either. But I think you overstepped the line by loading it up and taking it to a charity. I agree that it is unlikely that it was set out for trash removal - that is usually required to be in some form of a container, even if it's just a big plastic bag. They may well have scheduled a pick-up themselves.

For many years, my neighbor across the street had a full-size dumpster in the back near his garage. No, he was NOT remodeling! His wife was up all night online buying things, often on eBay. Every single day, USPS, UPS, FedEx would have to back up her driveway to deliver the stacks and stacks of boxes she was receiving on her front porch. It was a sickness and she was nutty as a fruitcake!

The City Council told them repeatedly that there was a short time limit on having a dumpster and it was for remodeling only. They ignored the Council. It's a Sixth Class city and can make ordinances but can't enforce them. Most people do respect the town ordinances.

The brand new things that were thrown in that dumpster would just break your heart. I spoke with her husband about this once - suggested that Goodwill (2 miles straight up the road!) would have loved to have those things. His answer was "Too much bother". There was no way I was volunteering to haul the enormous amount that was constantly accumulating - the dumpster was emptied and replaced monthly.

This was one of those times where the Serenity Prayer had to be applied: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference."

Couple of things. Some of the charities here that collect things only collect on trash day. Other than the suggestion to put things in a paper bag with the charity name on it the trash people have no way of knowing if it is trash or garbage. While we are limited to two plastic garbage bags a week if the crew is not behind they will pickup things that are near the bags. Second thing is many charities are so picky about what they will receive it is almost like they want a store tag on it before taking.

It does sound like the new owner was removing things from the previous owners. Different areas have different laws about things left behind so probably to be on the safe side he tossed things. Ask him when you see him.

For years this area has used the if it is at the curb on trash day take it if you can use it. On the one day a month for big item pickup pickers start looking for things the day before. Which was fine with me the last time I used the service. I did wonder what someone was going to use a plastic garden chair with one leg missing for.

Thanks for all your responses. I know for sure the stuff wasn't left by the previous owner. Seems it was moved and then discarded -- maybe the new owner ran out of time to declutter before the move. The trash truck was on its way, and the things were jumbled together with obvious trash -- our collection does take anything left on the curb on trash day. They even took my just emptied yard waste can once (it was pretty beat up!)

It is not illegal here to take something discarded for the trash.

It is common to put stuff on the curb and post on craigslist, or on the neighborhood facebook, or with a sign. If done several days before trash collection, it will often be taken by someone. Without a post or sign, though, it usually ends up at the dump.

We have trash pickers who come through the neighborhood each week, on the evening before trash day, but they are looking for metal to sell for scrap. Rarely does one take other kind of things. You can't leave any working electronic on the curb for someone else, because the scrappers will cut off the cord. I am surprised one didn't take the music stands, because they were right there as I walked by -- but maybe not spotted from a truck.

But it is also common that people will put usable bikes, sports equipment, games, toys -- stuff their kids have outgrown -- out for the trash on trash day.

It is a fact that I wasn't completely comfortable "not minding my own business" and maybe that is part of my feeling upset about it. But, all things together, I am glad that I salvaged what I did.

ETA: I agree, some of the charities have gotten very picky about accepting furniture. Bedbugs are a problem they worry about. We have one that is all about recycling furniture to clients referred by agencies -- at first they would take anything clean and in reasonable used condition (no rips, stains, breakage obviously) but now they have become quite selective. They need beds, for example, but they will only take a set of frame, mattress and spring -- if you only have one or two of the 3, they will reject the donation.

raee, i feel exactly as you do about wasting good serviceable items. I would have stopped and did the same as you. Nothing wrong with passing good things to someone else. In my area items at the crub are quickly checked out and taken if it fits a need. I add "it works" to the free sign if powered.

Friends were moving and downsizing. They put things out at the curb nightly for weeks. Finally the ugliest chest of drawers from the garage, with a confetti of colors. They had tested spray paint and paint colors for years on it. It was the very early hours in the morning, under darkness. Someone gave it a home.

Good for you.

Yes indeed, good for you!

People can't be bothered if a bit of extra work is involved and toss useful items. That was kind of you to help others.

Anything that goes out to the curb in our community is considered free for the taking. I would never put highly reusable items in the pile, however. It is simply too easy to donate around here.

I've also used our local Nextdoor site to post the availability of, say, a box of Smithsonian, National Geo., Science, etc., a heavy fish tank, a pile of landscape rocks, and the like.

I say good for the OP for getting this stuff into the right hands.

There are a lot of people who think they're being charitable when they make an effort to take their household garbage and junk to a charity. Most organizations will always accept most anything with a thank you but those who do so shouldn't miss the dumpsters often out in the back or the piles in the warehouse where such things often wind up. I know because of some involvement with a charity that has such very experiences daily.

I personally don't consider money given to religious organizations as charity because the money is seldom spent outside of the congregation without some strings attached.

If you want to be charitable, use your checkbook and/or donate your time sometime other than during the year end holiday season when many are overcome with guilt anyway and most orgs may not need your help as much as during other times of the year.

Otherwise, there's no need to concern yourself with your neighbors' garbage piles nor to feel like you've done something commendable by going through what's there.

You wanna knock on my door to talk about what I've put out in the garbage? You get to try that once and you won't finish your first sentence before the door closes.

Perhaps he has been through a back break-up and didn't want stuff around that reminded him of the relationship and just wanted the stuff gone.

Or was just stressed and worn out from the move and selected the easiest option for getting rid of stuff he didn't want anymore. I can relate to that feeling.

I think you did a lovely thing.

Currently donating my husbands big mens work clothes some casual other mostly sport jackets and pants. He kept his in good condition where I live in mine and when finished they are trashed. I only give to a few places and those are places like the Assistance League that either can use them in their clothes closet or can sell to other thrift shops to raise money. General nicky crap goes to Salvation Army. Rest goes in the garbage. As Elmer states most have large dumpsters. Salvation Army here sends it out of town to be sorted etc. I was there one day when they were loading a shipping container. Anything breakable would have been broken when they applied the press. Places do not have the storage to keep all of the things that arrive and much of it the person donating does not want so why should they.

Certainly, there are a lot of valid points here, but since the stuff was at the curb, other than someone wasting perfectly good stuff, there really isn’t a right or wrong answer. You did what you were comfortable with and I think your choice was very thoughtful for a variety of reasons.

I’m in the school of, “If you threw it out, you no longer have any say in what happens to it”. So if someone else wants salvage it for charity or their own personal use, why should you care whether it goes to a new home or to landfill? No one would disagree that keeping down the amount of stuff going to landfill is a good thing.

I was in a similar position. A family member had to move house at short notice (well in fact it was long notice but he had done nothing to organise himself until he had less than a week to go <rolls eyes>) and the more practical members of the family including me went to pack up his stuff to move it out.

This family member has issues, one of which is to have the best exemplar of whatever he owns- the best kind of frying pan, the best kind of TV etc- and will research for months to find what that product is with the result that he often ends up getting nothing. However he had an SO at one point who was not so persnickety and had left him with a lot of perfectly good but not perfect stuff.

So he didn’t participate in the pack up, as he wanted to curate everything and choose only the optimum items to take. We told him that he had already had months to do so but had not, and with only two days to pack an entire house full of stuff we didn’t have the time now. It could go into storage and he could curate to his heart’s content at his leisure.

There was a lot of good stuff, in good order and ideal for donation, which he insisted go in his trash pile, which he was leaving behind on the farm where the house was situated. It broke my heart to throw out things that less fortunate folk would love to own, simply because this family member found it “too hard” to think about donating it- “too hard” not because he was distressed about the move or losing his stuff but because it would involve actually making a decision, which he dislikes doing.

A week later I went back to the house on my own to supervise the moving company collecting everything. The landlady came down for a chat and told me she hadn’t been impressed by the large trash pile left behind as they had no trash collection and she had to take it to the dump herself. I apologised, telling her that the relative had told us that the landlady had instructed him to leave the trash for her, and also said the trash pile had dismayed me as so much of it was reasonably good stuff in good condition. She said she thought so as well, so in loading it into her pick up to take away, she had salvaged a lot of the good stuff and taken it to the local charities. I for one was glad to hear that.

My only concern is if there was a reason for throwing the stuff out, and the items might be unsafe. That would make me hesitate before giving the items to others. It's much more likely the items were just fine but you never know.

Raee, you did pretty much exactly what I would have done if I were able. A few years ago, I would have done just what you did. Although I might. depending on my frame of mind at the time, have knocked on the door to ask permission first. I am a very firm believer in reusing, repurposing and recycling as much as possible.

I commend you for your actions!

Rusty

I think you did a good deed. On trash day many times as I walk the dog, I come across stuff. If it's a small item, I carry it. Larger, I go home and get the car. When it's sitting out on the sidewalk or road beside the cans, it's takable , in my opinion. We also have junk men who drive around in their pickups and scarf things. All the stuff I bring home are for the yard. One of the best things was a year ago. It was a wooden gazebo birdfeeder in perfect shape. I won't use it as such because the squirrels might chew it and it's

an expensive piece. I didn't even think it would still be there when I got the car to get it. But no one sits a birdfeeder on the street beside the can if they still want it. Instead of filling a landfill, your donations will go to good use.

Many posters have stated that things left at the curb are free pickings. Not in many or even most communities today. Especially on trash day. In every area I know of where recycling services are offered things at the curb or in the street belong to the waste management company and any scavenger is considered a thief. Many cities have laws and ordinances on the books addressing this. Scavenging has become a huge problem in some areas.

You don't know why the things were heaped up at the curb. Perhaps a friend was coming by with a truck to pick them up and sort through them to see what they wanted. Perhaps another organization was picking them up.

But the bottom line is no matter what people may believe unless there is a sign on it saying it is OK to help yourself trash picking is theft. And peopel get to chose their own charities and charitable contributions. You don't have the right to that.

If I caught you doing that in front of my property I would be livid. I have zero tolerance for uninvited scavengers.

Or maybe the items were contaminated in some way and it wouldn't be worth the cost of decontaminating them so he scheduled a large trash pickup.

Where we live, there are people that go around and pick up stuff on Sundays and early Monday mornings before the trash trucks come along. Most people will put things out so that it's easy to be seen and so others can use it. A lot of it is taken to scrap yards to sell it for scrap metal. I hate something useful being scrapped but at least it's reused/recycled.

Who knows what would possess someone to throw away perfectly good things. A lot of people have no compassion or empathy for others that may be in need. If someone is a narcissist....they could not care less if someone is in need. "Throw it away I don't need it and to h*ll with anyone else." Personally I find it reprehensible to throw away useful items that someone else would LOVE to have. So sad the state of our world!

People often throw away items that did not sell at their garage sales. Maybe that was the case?

Although I have no problem with people who go out and garbage pick if that's what they like to do, I have a problem with seeing it piled up on the street. Most garbage services won't deal with that sort of stuff, so it looks like a garbage dump until something is done about it. If a charity is willing to come and get it that's fine but they are pretty picky about the expense of sending out a crew and truck or van nowadays, they try to make sure beforehand that it's worth it to send someone out. As for picking through it myself - no - there's too much that could be wrong with it such as bedbugs or pet damage or whatever. And finally, there are hundreds of reasons why someone would do that - laziness, carelessness, or as stated before, there could be a lot of bad memories linked to that stuff that can't be tolerated anymore. But I would never knock on someone's door and demand to know why, no matter how curious about it I was. In our experience, if something is left on the curb for only a short time that looks like it has any usefulness or value, it is quickly snapped up by garbage pickers.

Only inconsiderate slobs dump their junk trash in a loose pile and expect another human to deal with it.

Rare, I am your sister from another mother. You go, girl!

raee....your kind and considerate to think of others who might "need" or want items others are throwing out. Land fills do not benefit from being filled up. I've done the same thing you did. Such waste!

Here it is considered city property once the trash is placed on the curb (city has it's own sanitation department). We have an outside company that does special recycle pick ups for clothing and small appliances. People were stealing their bags off the curb so tracking devices were put in some to catch them.

Personally, I'm all for anything that keeps items out of the landfills.

I was aware that in some areas trash salvage was against the law but not in part of this area until recently. Someone on a neighborhood site mentioned following and taking pictures of someone trash picking to report to the police. It is not a area wide law and not certain if the person had moved here from an area that it was against the law or what.

I hate to see perfectly good items go to the landfill. It's not just because more stuff ends up in the landfills, but it's so wasteful. One of the things that strikes me every time I go into a thrift store is the sheer volume of stuff, much of it brand new and never used. My gosh, the amount of possessions that people no longer want boggles my mind, but it's certainly better (in so many ways) for all of that stuff to find new homes where it is useful to someone else.

Just recently I had three boxes of books that I didn't want, but wasn't in a position to take them to a thrift store anytime soon. I put a "free books" sign on the boxes and placed them near the curb. They were gone within half an hour. I'm glad someone else will enjoy them.

We put useable items to the curb the day before garbage pickup (weather permitting) and it is usally all picked up by someone who needs it, wants it or to resell the items. It is not unusual around here. I went down my brother's street the other day and their neighbour had 8 black leather dining room chairs at the curb that had nothing wrong with them. They were downsizing. My sister in law wanted me to take a few of the chairs but I didn't need them but soon after a car came behind and took some of them and before dark the rest of the chairs were gone. Even our library does this with books. We don't pile things up like trash though. If the items have been in a basement flood that is when people will pile the stuff like trash or put the items in bags. That being said, after floods there are people who still come around and pick up the items to resell even knowing the items are contaminated. I wouldn't buy anything locally online or at yard sales especially furniture because there is a good chance the items were contaminated in the basement flooding

Something about your list of things in 'the pile' made me wonder if they had belonged to a former wife or SO -- or were being dumped 'in retaliation' against a current one. I'm terrible about always looking for the 'why'!

In a city nearby they have blue boxes for materials to recycle and others for garbage. It's against the law to pick up stuff, e.g. aluminium, from the recycling boxes ... maybe from the garbage boxes, I don't know/remember.

Our municipality has big covered tubs over a metre (a bit over 3 ft) high, with wheels, for garbage and for recycling, with hooks on the side that an arm from each truck reaches out and grabs. Takes a lot of enthusiasm to haul each about 500 feet (160 metres) down the lane through the snow in winter. And back!

ole joyfuelled ... especially needed in winter (both the joy and the fuelling)

Several years ago the homeowner behind us decided to clean out his basement. In among the "stuff" was a hand crocheted blanket with the label of "Made with Love by MET". I could not let someones hard work be trashed. I brought it home, washed it and it is now on my couch for cool nights. I also took some perfectly good kids toys and stuffed animals. I gave the animals to my dog to play with and donated the others to the re-sale shop on the corner of the alley that benefits a senior center.

How hard is it to take these types of things 1/2 block down the alley and donate it???

Pkramer, you reminded me of our neighbor who was trashing lots of perfectly good toys. I scooped up a lot of them and offered to someone in need. This little lamb was much appreciated by a special little girl.

I hate to see waste too, especially when I can relate the items to things I haven't always had the money to buy for myself...

What you did seems reasonable, given the accepted customs of your neighborhood.

When I was a little kid, we lived in a housing area with a communal dumpster. There was one lady (who was otherwise very nice) who threw very nice things away. My mother once asked her why and she said, "Nobody ever did anything nice for me, so I'm not doing anything nice for anyone else." Wow, how sad is that?

My DH is one who will not declutter even obvious junk from within our house, but then when it comes to working in the garage, he will just toss perfectly good stuff in the trash can willy-nilly. I think he just can't be bothered with the challenge of figuring out what to do with unwanted items. He's somewhat ADD.

My cousin in Toronto found this in her condo building's trash/recycling room. She saw a Christmas ornament sticking out of a box and opened the box to pull it out. Then she found this in the same box and sent it to me because she knows I love Royal Doulton Toby jugs. I can't imagine throwing something like this out. Not a scratch or a chip on it

I own a rental house. Last summer my tenant of 20 years moved out. She and her disabled husband came with the house when I bought it. She was very private and didn’t want me up there —ever. She said they would do all painting repairs and maintain everything. He had medical problems and my husband pulled up the carpet in their bedroom to find urine soaked hardwood floors. I went up to the attic and it was filled with crap she had left. I carried it all down and put it at the curb and called the rubbish hauler. As soon as I set it out people stared pawing through it and knocking it into the street. Some took items and brought them back stating that they didn’t work (fans and small appliances) my husband and I got ring worm(!!!) on our arms from handling the crap. It cost me $250 for the trash people and many weeks of medicine and doctor visits to get rid of the ring worm

Interesting point that a couple of people have made about the charities/thrifts having to discard unusable/unsellable stuff. I know that most here actually sell fabrics and clothing that they don't want to a company that is a textile recycler -- yes, like the rag man of a century ago, still exists! I am sure that how they handle donations varies from charity to charity, and region to region. My closest will put nearly anything that is on the list of items accepted out to sell, as long as it is not damaged or filthy.

But there is certainly a lot of "wishcycling" that goes on. I see this also in my walks on collection day -- recycling bins with dead plants or plant pots, clothing, broken electronics, hangers, cooking pots, coffee mugs, drinking glasses, styrofoam and so forth. Or, the acceptable materials are neatly bagged in plastic bags. The problem is, our recycling facility will process only metal food cans and foil, plastic bottles, and glass jars (and paper/cardboard of course). So those hangers, glasses, pots all end up in the dump anyway, at added cost to the county. And the plastic bags foul their equipment. They don't want them in the bins. They send letters to all residents about this 2-3 times a year, it is posted on social media, it is on the city's website, to no avail.

Annzetta, that is amazing -- people complaining !! that your trash was broken!

Annzetta, here a tenant couldn’t get away with that as landlords can set regular (usually every three months) inspections of their properties. Especially for younger renters, this generally means a flurry of cleaning just before the inspection is due but at least the place is clean four times a year

:-)

Oh annzetta!! Now I'm going to think of ringworm every time I see the trash pickers on my street the night before the trashman comes.

I have trash-picked too - from my neighbors' trash. (One was a cardtable plus a peace lily in a pot that has done wonderfully well in my living room, and the other was a doll crib that my DIL refurbished and my granddaughter loves.) But since I knew the people, I guess I felt safe from any germy nastiness.

I wouldn't have assumed it was on the curb for trash pickup. It may have been put there for a charity truck to pick up.

It was pretty obviously not meant for a charity, and in fact the trash truck did pick up the rest of the pile within 30 min. Now, if things had been stacked neatly, not mixed with obvious trash, and it wasn't trash morning, I might have wondered.

Annzetta, what a beautiful home!!!! How horrible that the previous tenants about ruined it. I hope you get suitable renters that will treasure their/your home.

Jasdip. Thank you. We did spend the summer cleaning and remodeling. If you look closely you can see my car in the driveway with kayaks on top. we never did get to that camping trip and took the kayaks off a few days later. Here is the apt after we went through it. We rented to a nice young man Here is before and after