Another ‘weird stuff they get up to in Australia’ post here. Now I must preface this as being something that happens in Melbourne and not necessarily something that happens across the country. Just like the trees and the power lines I only have my own experiences to speak of.
What’s with the trash everywhere
In general I would say Melbourne is a clean city. Walking around you do not experience a lot of trash strewn about. There generally are trash and recycle bins everywhere so I guess that helps keep the streets clean enough. But I would also not say it is any better than Norway in this regards. One thing that is different though is that people will put their stuff, that they don’t want anymore, on the roadside and expect other people to pick it up. Sometimes these things are generally useful stuff (more on that in a bit) and some times it’s just trash. Now, there is certainly some restriction on just dumping trash on the side of the road. I have seen signs that say you can get fined up to $10.000, but I don’t think this is very strictly enforced. Also, the City of Whitehorse (municipality where we live) will pick up stuff for free so you are allowed to place things on the side of the road if you have ordered pickup for these things. But even then, if you walk by a pile of stuff on the curb you are more than welcome to help yourself.
What kind of stuff can you find
With patience you could furnish your whole house with items from the curb. I think I have seen just about everything, from beds and fridges, to dinner plates and cutlery. Personally I would be skeptical dragging a mattress off the streets to sleep on, but here is a list of items we have found and brought home:
• Microwave
• Clothes rack
• Folding chair
• Dining room chairs
• Deck chairs
• Heater
• Trashcan
• Foam roller
• Plates and bowl
• TV
I might even have missed something on that list, but in general I would call that a broad category of items. And seeing how much we walk around it is easy to just grab a small item if you happen by it. There have been larger items that we have had to pass on because you couldn’t carry it. And who knows? That list will surely grow in the future as more stuff is put on the curb. There is rarely a day that goes by when there is not a new pile to explore. And even though there might be piles of trash (or treasure?) on the side of the road it always disappear in the end. Felt a bit weird at first just rifling through peoples trash, but no one looks twice at you so if you find yourself in Melbourne and in need of something, just take a walk around your neighborhood and you might just find it on the street.