Excess garbage

[Tracey387]

We’ve been having an issue with the excess garbage as a host of our rental.

We have garbage pick up every Monday and Thursday mornings and currently it is the responsibility of the renters to bring out the garbage bins and bring them back to the house. However most renters check out on Sunday and therefore we end up having to bring out the garbage on Sunday night and bring them back in on Monday which isn’t an issue.

We have 3-32 gallon garbage bins which we ask all bags to be put in. Although garbage pick up is twice a week, sometimes our renters have more garbage than can fit in our bins and therefore there are bags that are left on the floor next to the garbage bins outside. However our neighbors have recently complained that squirrels and mice are now getting into the bags that are left on the floor and are bringing garbage to their properties. We are trying to think of ways to amend the rules so that this doesn’t happen again but are curious to hear how other house have handled this problem. Can we asked the renters that any excess garbage bags that can’t fit in the bins to be taken back with them? Or is there another solution to consider?

[Colleen253]

How about adding another bin? Is recycling going into the trash and contributing to the amount being generated? If so, put a recycling bin in the house for guests to use. Although I do this, and find guests generally just struggle with separating recycling and trash. People on holiday of any sort just seem unable or unwilling to wrap their heads around it.

I find it's rather a headache generally, the whole trash issue.  @Tracey387 

[Sarah977]

I must have horseshoes up the yinyang. Most of my guests actually ask if I have a compost pail and a place for recycling, before I even get through the kitchen orientation tour. I imagine that home-sharing for 1 guest might make that more likely than entire place listings, especially those that hold larger groups, as some of the group may be conscientious about it and some not. @Colleen253

[Colleen253]

Oh @Sarah977  you have no idea. No exaggeration, after one single stay, I'll find a lonely orange peel in the compost bucket, and a whole pile of egg shells in the garbage can. Also in the garbage will be a bunch of empty plastic water bottles, cardboard and plastic bags, and in the recycling bin: 1 pop can. I've fished plastic cutlery and take out coffee cups out of the compost bucket. 

I have explicit printed instructions on the fridge on what goes where. No once can miss it. Yet I still end up sorting people's trash. The struggle is real.

[Sarah977]

Oh, I believe you. How unpleasant to have to paw through other peoples' garbage to separate what they could have done themselves with a little consciousness and no particular effort.

Maybe you should have someone take a photo of you, rubber gloved, sitting in the midst of egg shells, orange peels, plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, empty glass jars and actual garbage, pawing through it, looking up at the camera with a nauseous expression. Then put it on your instruction sheet on the fridge with a caption "Dear guests, Please don't make me do this!" 

Most people seemed quite hip about recycling when I lived in Canada, but that was coastal BC, not Alberta.

@Colleen253

[Heather1086]

This is something we constantly deal with.  I still can't wrap my head around how much trash groups at our house produce over a weekend!  The only thing that I suggest to guests coming, is if the garbage is full to put bags in the garage until it is picked up on Tuesday's and then start to fill it up.  We also have two large cans and by the end of some groups they are full and additional bags are on top.  I think next when we go down we are adding some can recycling bags so that at least we can get soda and beer bottles out of the mix.  Sorry I don't have better advice!

[Sarah977]

I've always been astounded at how much garbage some people manage to wantonly create. When I lived in Canada, I had a compost box in my garden and recycled glass, cardboard, metal and plastic. I literally had one small grocery shopping bag of garbage a week for me and my three girls. The neighbor who lived across the side alley, a single guy, had two huge garbage cans full every week.

@Heather1086

[Heather1086]

@Sarah977  I know!  When we stay at our vacation rental for 4 nights we maybe have 1 bag of garbage, even with a larger group.  One group left so much trash that it was overflowing the enclosure... my housekeeper loaded a bunch into her truck bed, it nearly filled it up!  So crazy!