People around the world are taking out their trash in formal wear and costumes – because where else is there to go?

There's only so much you can do during quarantine, so some people are getting excited about basic tasks like taking out the trash. Now, it's become a trend online to post photos and videos of doing the chore while dressed up in formal wear, costumes or silly outfits. Because where else is there to go?

Many people are sharing their funny videos in a Facebook group called Bin Isolation Outing. "So basically the bin goes out more than us SO let's dress up for the occasion!" the group description reads. "Fancy dress, makeup, tutu ....be creative! Post photos to cheer us up 😝 after all laughter is the best medicine 😷 "

It appears the trend started in Australia, where many of the group's participants are from. But now, people from New York to Norway are sharing their bin outings in the Facebook group and other local groups have formed so people can share their pictures with others from their area. 

A mother and daughter from Norway wore traditional Norwegian garb and waved the country's flag as they skipped to the trash can. Another woman from Long Island, New York, dressed up like the titular character from the movie "Napoleon Dynamite," right down to the curly hair and "Vote for Pedro" T-shirt.

Other people went more formal, pulling out the ballgowns and jewelry. Some women even opted to wear their wedding gowns to take out the trash — so the dress they thought they'd only wear once isn't going to waste. 

One couple from Illinois used the occasion to mark their 25th wedding anniversary, with the wife pulling the recycling bin behind her as she walked down the proverbial aisle — in this case, the driveway — toward her husband, clutching a bouquet of flowers. "I would recycle ♻️ our years together many times over," she wrote. 

Kids dressed up as tacos, Spider Man, and dinosaurs to help their parents take out the trash. A chore that was once loathed by so many is now something to look forward to.

One woman from Australia dressed up like a prawn and shared her bin outing on Instagram. "Bin Waiting for this night all week So I can go OUT," she wrote in the caption.

Another woman shared a video of herself getting ready for the big occasion by putting on false eyelashes, a sparkly red dress and high heels just to toss the trash in the dumpster.

Some people are using this trend as an opportunity to show off their creativity, directing short films of their bin outings. Others shared their posts with a simple pun, just hoping to share a laugh with others, or with poignant messages that serve as a reminder of lost normalcy. 

One flight attendant from Australia said she missed clearing the trash, and of course the "adventures, laughter, meeting lovely passengers and new friends, but most of all missing my work family." So she posted a video of herself taking out her own garbage bin in her Virgin Australia uniform, as if she were on a flight.

The trend may seem flippant, but it has connected people around the world using Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Many people have lost their jobs, taken pay cuts, are unable to see their families or are dealing with other stresses that have been brought on by the global pandemic. When so much has changed in people's lives, one thing has stayed constant: The trash must still go out.

"I just wanted to thank everyone for giving me such joy in these strange times," Rhian Edwards wrote in the Bin Isolation Outing group, "I have laughed (a lot!), I have loved all the contributions whether they are funny or just a hi from everyone around the world. I have sent birthday greetings and congratulation messages to people I do not know and will never meet but that does not matter. What matters is that a community of strangers around the world are sharing their love and support to everyone involved."

In:
• COVID-19
• Australia