Kerbside skip browsing - have you? Would you?

Meryl what an interesting and pretty garden.

People do it all the time here- different rules, different countries

Also nanna8 I’ve noticed when I’ve been there that in Australia, people keep their unwanted stuff outside their house so whoever wants it they can take it. Does that apply to most towns?

Certainly does in Melbourne, not sure of others.

Years ago we were converting a Victorian house that had been flats, back to one house. Similar houses in the road were being converted to flats. We put back most of the original features by rescuing them from skips in the road.

We put unwanted metal objects out for collection by a “scrappie” here. I put two metal garden obelisks out the other day and someone knocked on the door and asked if he could have them. I was glad to see them go, whatever way.

I've found some great stuff in skips or left outside. I always knock and ask first, of course. I put my unwanted items on the drive for others to take.

I 'rescued' a very strong wicker laundry basket from a house across the road, lined it with an old garden bag - and turned it into a planter for a red maple. The lady came over and said 'It looks so lovely, I do wish I'd thought of that!'

FannyCornforth

mumofmadboys

It seems so stupid that it is illegal to take something from a skip.

Especially as much of it may end up in landfill!

Juliet27

Also nanna8 I’ve noticed when I’ve been there that in Australia, people keep their unwanted stuff outside their house so whoever wants it they can take it. Does that apply to most towns?

I've put plants on the kerb side in the UK
They disappear quite quickly.

Presumably it's not illegal if the skip is parked on the public highway as it's available to anyone and no longer has an 'owner'?
However, skips left on drives are a different ball game, I would imagine. Taken without permission would be 'theft'?

Here in Perth, we have kerbside collections at certain times throughout the year. You put out what you don’t want - furniture, bikes etc., if someone wants it, take it, if it’s not gone by time council collection comes round they take it and it goes into their recycled “shop” on the tip site. Love going there, you never know what you might find 😊

Yes - but check with householder that it is OK to take the item you have your eye on - had a mirror a few years ago - owner was doing up and the style of it just no longer fitted them.

Yes, pulled a beautiful old bike out of a skip in Gothenburg when I lived there, brought it back with me and used it for years until I passed it on to a collector.

I got some greenhouse staging which had been put out with the recycling bin, knocked on the door and she was really happy for me to take home and use in my greenhouse.

Juliet27

Also nanna8 I’ve noticed when I’ve been there that in Australia, people keep their unwanted stuff outside their house so whoever wants it they can take it. Does that apply to most towns?

In Perth they have a set number of days a year when everybody can put out anything they don’t want on the kerbside in front of their house, people go round on that day and take what they want. The next day there’s a municipal collection, and what people haven’t taken all gets collected and taken to the tip. It works really well.

Absolutely yes. Would never take, but will ring the bell and ask 'may I'. Wonderful.

When we were living in The Netherlands, once a month we had ‘rommel dag’ or rubbish day when everyone left things they no longer wanted on the kerbside. My children loved touring round the neighbourhood searching for ‘finds’. One day my elderly neighbour had left a old but robust sit-up-and-beg ubicycle outside her house. It was just what I wanted so I grabbed it. How embarrassing to have her knock on my door asking for the return of her cleaner’s bike!

My French town has a collection month when everyone can put out on the kerb household items to be collected, often a day before allowing others to rummage. My neighbours don’t like people with vans doing this but I think it stops landfill. Pieces often sold in the vide-greniers, brocantes, or marchés aux puces earning money for some.
I wonder why the UK don’t take the idea up as it would stop fly tipping.
I have picked things up here and my daughter in Oz, when she returned here, is still please with her items she found over there.

(I’d rather like a skip, but I’m rather ignorant about hiring one and what if any regulations I might need to abide by.)

Most people here list stuff on the FB hub, just saying they have put stuff on the end of their drive, just help yourself. We got a fab bird feeder last week! There is also a man in the village who collects, free, any metal stuff such as washing machines which is handy. I have never looked in a skip, but on the very rare times we are at the tip, I am saddened by what I see thrown away.

Certainly would not unless I had permission otherwise it's theft.

Gin 😅😅

I am saddened by what I see thrown away

Me too. I was once looking for a small table and saw someone a the skip throw away exactly what I was looking for in really good condition. We're not allowed to take things at the tip, sadly.

Personally, I haven't done it but my nephew has and he always asks permission from the household where the skip is located. One person told his that there was stuff still in the garage if he wanted to look through it before it went into the skip; nephew was delighted and bagged some fabulous bits of hardwood which he repurposed into beautiful pieces of furniture - I guess it is easy when you have the skills and the tools.