Oh my giddy aunt - nothing weird or totally over the top about the neighbours' behaviour whatsoever ...

Awesome, cheers for that. I guess I'll ask my hauswart if she'll put it out for me- her apartment is next to mine, and I could leave it in a little pile outside my door.

Now the big question is: what's the best time to disturb your neighbours?

Remember where you are!

Just before you get on that plane I would think!

Good idea. 7pm tomorrow it is then!

We've got the same issue, the last collection date was yesterday for paper/cardboard, but moving date is in two weeks. Next collection date is mid-April. We don't have a car or bike and the recycling center is far off a bus line. My husband is going to ask the hauswart what to do, but failing that I bet he'll just stick it in regular trash bags and have it be done.

I was considering doing that, I suppose if the Hauswart is unwilling to do it, then I will. She terrified me once before because I did something wrong. Hopefully she'll feel sorry for me and do it- there isn't that much anyway!
Plus I'd hate to use up my bin bags on something that can be recycled. It'd be a pain in the backside if I had to buy 10 more bin bags the week before I move just because I'd used them all up with paper!

Heh, hauswarts are good at terrifying people. I only take out the trash after 9pm (we have a bin our bags go into) because he once yelled at my husband for bringing down trash the same day as the collection had taken place, saying we should have planned ahead and brought it down that morning!

Haha, yeah, I only bring my rubbish out when the main bins are brought out of wherever they're kept during the week.. I suspect it may be in the underground carpark thing but I have no idea, really. Tried to find it before but failed miserably.

Anyway I'm sure she'll be lovely if I ask her very nicely. I'll even leave it stacked outside my door (if such a thing is allowed.. haha). I hope..

Just when I thought I had heard it all!!! He does have a point though ...

I wouldn't bank on it. Anyway, that aside, good luck with your paper problem and very best wishes for your future.

Thanks- fingers crossed!

That's just the half of it. I didn't go into them calling us (before they called the police), and haranguing my wife and daughter... Before the incident we'd never even seen these people. Part of what put the police on our side was that we presented the officer with a detailed account of our side of the story (in German), which detailed the harassment we'd experienced (I won't say suffered, because that would imply we gave a toss).

I don't want to go off meandering down that well worn track again but, sufficie to say, thank goodness that the police were at least on your side this time.

It was one of those things that was so bizarre, that I actually enjoyed it. I was rather manic at the time... but seriously, I do feel sorry for them wot grassed me up! OT, but I can say that the few interactions I've had with the police around here have been far more reasonable than those I had with the UK coppers.

Take much care if you put papers in the trash bag, that it does not have any of your identities (name and address). Chances are there you may get a "Fine" fine billed to your address for trashing wrongly.

Does this depend on your method of trash collection? Take Zurich e.g. where you are paying for the bin bags or other places where you buy stickers to put on them - in that instance I thought you could place anything you want in the bags as you are paying for them to be taken?

The one time we attempted recycling and were left a note explaining why the papers had not been taken because the string was incorrectly tied I did my nut and dumped the whole (by this time) soggy mess in bin bags.

We now tie the correct knot and papers are successfully recycled

It's unbelievable that there should be a correct way and incorrect way to tie the knots. I would've thought that they would simply cut the rope off whenever they take it to its final destination.. apparently not!

Although this is Switzerland so anything goes. I'm scared of speaking to my Hauswart but I have no idea what else to do, mostly because I can't be bothered to make 5 or 6 trips to the recycling place myself (I travel by bike!). Ah well, here's hoping my knots are tied correctly..

ALSO! Is it okay to put glossy magazines in? I'd hate her to yell at me before my poor papers even make it down to the street..

I personally would leave the recycling of the paper to the people cleaning my apartment.

Which is what I'll be doing in a week

I'll be cleaning my apartment.. which leaves me right where I started. I'm not leaving until the end of May and I'd rather sort it out now!

Before you start panicking about "Swiss clean"- my apartment is just a 1.5 and I'm the only person there, and the only furniture I have there is a sofa and a bed! A thorough clean takes a day, so I'll leave myself an entire weekend to do it when the time comes.