I would probably have done the same thing.  I mean, you know that they are yours, considering that they are different colors.  I guess you could always leave a not for him, telling him that you returned yours, and that you are sorry for any confusion that he must have had to take it?!

Rachel

You are awesome.  I would have just bad mouthed him for months and then probably made my husband get it back!!

I'm cracking up!  

I am thinking about painting our address on the bins....but I might get creative after seeing Netta's colorful bins, lol!

Yikes! I think I would have taken it back as well along with a note. But then again, I'm kind of a wimp, so I probably wouldn't have done much at all. Maybe I would have sent my husband to talk to them....in short, I guess I don't know, but I think you did the right thing.

This thread is hilarious.  I would have done just what you did, Toni.  Its not stealing if they are yours in the first place.  And who knows, maybe it really was just a big mistake and the guy is busy and oblivious to his error.  I think painting them a crazy color and putting your address on them is a great idea.  The pics from Netta crack me up!

Yes, I am pretty sure it was an accident, that is why I decided to take it back and not make a big deal about it... considering he only put it out once every 6 weeks, he must not have much recycling anyway... we fill up 3 big bins each week!

I HAVE done the very same thing. I wrote our house number on our bins, in big white numbers, so when ours is taken I know it's missing. It always bothers me to take the "one left over" because that had someones else's garbage in it! Yuck. So when I see that our neighbors have put out OUR full recycle bin on recycle day, I make sure I am out front as soon as that truck pulls away. Granted, since the neighbors have used our bin so many times, ours is dirty too.....but whatever.

I would like to think that I would have done the same thing, but I'm a scaredey cat when it comes to those things.  However, I think I would have insisted my husband either nab it back or go talk to them about it.  I definitely do not think it is stealing--it was yours in the first place.

I love the idea of letting the kids go paint-wild on them!  There would be no room for confusion!

I probably would have done the same thing. Hopefully the guy didn't realize it was yours. It will be interesting to see if the guy now thinks you took his bin and tries to take it back.