 Then he waved to me on his way by.  So give it a shot. Leave them baked goods or a tip. I plan on keeping this up year round.
We’re never home when the trash is picked up, and if I taped something to the inside of the can, I would wonder if it would be taken by a substitute driver or possibly just overlooked or come off and blow away, so I called our trash company and asked how I could leave a tip. They gave me the name of the driver who handles our route and told me to mail it to their office to his attention.
Never thought to tip the garbage collector, and besides, there’s a whole bunch of them. I would still consider tipping them were it not for the fact that they don’t always even come from the same company!
As for the mailman, it is actually illegal to leave a cash tip, and non-cash gifts must be less than $20 in value.
I always tip my letter carrier at Christmas, but then he goes way out of his way to deliver my mail and packages. I’m in rural Nebraska, so there’s times he will drive up my drive way (on a farm) and place mail and packages on top my washer or dryer in my mud room so they aren’t left outside.
Also, I try to tip my trash collector, because instead of having me lug my trash cans all the way out to the street (again, farm), he will actually drive onto my property, turn his big truck around in a clearing and empty my trash. He has even pulled the trash can from the side of the house on a couple mornings I forgot to do it myself. That guy deservers a tip.
 I doubt private firms pay half as well or provide as good benefits as local govt employees.
I like Bernie’s idea of calling the trash company to find out who your regulars are & sending them a tip. But showing appreciation somehow, whether baked goods or whatever, shows some empathy and true Christmas spirit.
And while my taxes pay for trash removal, when I lived in other counties which did charge the additional taxes to provide this service, I’d have been happy to pay $200 so I didn’t have to haul it myself every week.
Following the golden rule isn’t that hard… Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Most people like a little appreciation and doing so reflects well on those who are empathetic and kind enough to give it.
I worked as a trash collector for about 8 months and I’ll tell you from experience, those guys appreciate anything you give. Keep in mind that if you give money to the driver, he’s not sharing any with the guys on the back of the truck actually doing all of the work. Those guys don’t make much and are riding around all day no matter how hot, cold or wet it gets. It’s an awful job.
The nicest thing you can do is have all of your garbage bagged carefully, and anything with feces (dog or diapers) should be double bagged at least. That stuff can shoot back out when you compress it. If you happen to be around when they are collecting, you can give the guys something they all can share. Beer is great (I don’t drink it but the thought was always appreciated). If it’s a hot day, give the guys a bottle of water. It really means a lot to people who are doing a very difficult job for low pay.
Why not tip the garbage collectors and the mailman? Mail carriers deliver from vehicles that are half open, and they do so in heat, rain and snow. I don’t think I’d want to do that. Especially when they have to run up to the house to deliver the packages to the door.  They actually have to get out and dump the trash, or collect the bags, and throw them in the truck. With a toddler and infant in diapers, imagine the smell emanating from our trash!!
It’s not a matter of what society says, it’s a matter of appreciating the kind of service and work they do.
I came to this site because I want to tip the garbage collectors, but how do I address it? Dear Mr. Garbage collector?
I always tip at Christmas my milkman (yes we have a local dairy that still delivers), my postal carrier (believe it or not these people know your house and when something is wrong they’ll report it), my UPS if I catch him in time. I order a lot online. My paper lady who is scraping out a living since newspaper circulation is down. And I tip my garbage collector because I don’t work and can keep an eye on the envelope taped to the top of the trash.
These people may or not be paid well but provide a service to us throughout the year in all types of weather. It doesn’t have to be much, or money, just a note along with a little something to let them know they’re appreciated.
For the non tippers here, you sure appreciate being appreciated at work or wherever during the holidays so pass it along.
I forgot to say I tip with gift certificates to local eateries, usually $15 that will get the recipient a few breakfasts, a couple of lunches, or takeout for the family. Along with it I include a Christmas scratch off lottery ticket so I stay under $20 with the potential to win much more. This way local businesses benefit as well.
Beer and porn? Why would you want to promote more degeneration. If you cross paths with the mailman or trash collector then give cash what you could afford to give. These people know more about you than you think they do.
Mail delivery, probably not. I have too many gripes with the USPS to list the reasons why here.
And the newspaper delivery person, probably not. There’s no convenient way to do it, for one, and I don’t appreciate that he drives through the neighborhood blaring his stereo at 5AM.
I think it’s a nice gesture to tip the trash collector or postal worker but only if you’re financially able. Right now I’ve been unemployed for several months so any christmas gifts I give will be to my immediate family.
Tipping is always optional, but a kind gesture to anyone who provides you a service on a regular basis. 
Can’t afford it? Then a nice handwritten card of thanks and blessings goes a long way to make people feel appreciated. Homemade cookies, a cup of hot chocolate in a take-out cup even!
It’s a reminder of appreciation and community, and the most important part of this season: God gave us His son as a free gift even while we were sinners. It’s not about how perfect we are, how good we do it, but about love, kindness and grace.
we can all think of reasons not to tip but tipping comes from the heart.
 They get paid so little, my goodness, some of you are so cheap and mean hearted! My guys are amazing, they take everything, sofas, dressers, etc. I also bake them cookies. I also tip the mailman, the hairdresser, and bake cookies for the school office, and for friends and places I visit often. Tipping is something nice that is easy to do, makes no difference in my net worth, and makes people happy. People who deliver things to me, and treat me nicely. I did this even when I was a single mother of three. Now all the kindnesses in life have been returned to me many times over. I guess what you give is most certainly what you get in life.
 All of them do walk up to my house, and I do appreciate their work. It’s something nice to do, and while they do get a salary, it’s usually not a lot, and you should see the smile on their faces when they get thanked with a small gift – they’re so very grateful because so many people would rather not notice them. A friend took a hot cup of coffee out to her mailman on a rainy day – it doesn’t have to be money, but notice them – they’re people, and they’ll be grateful.
I always give to the mailman and garbage collectors. This year even more.  They have been doing this since February. I am so greatful to all of them.
I have three trash collectors; household garbage, yard waste, and recyclables. I tip them each $20… cash. I hand it to them, as there have been incidents of people riding around this time of year looking for envelopes taped to trash cans.
These guys haul stuff away for me 52 weeks a year… rain or shine. If I am fortunate enough to have a little extra cash at this time of year, I am certainly happy to share with them.
I also tip the waitstaff and the cooks at my local breakfast place… $20 each.
It’s a nice gesture, and I actually want to do it when a great service is provided. On the other hand, I agree that in this culture, tips are expected for many occupations. Even when the service is average or below average, we are expected to pay certain amount. One time, I left tip at a hair dressor’s station. She didn’t notice that, and asked me at the register “Are you sure this is all you want to pay?” When it becomes a demand, the original principle of tipping is lost.
Make sure you stick a card with some money out on your electric meter to catch the guy who checks it every month. And give $5 to the person who happens to check you out at the grocery store