Why are people getting dressed up to take out the trash in Australia?

People are treating bin duty like it's the Met Gala Down Under, as part of a new social media trend

Residents around Australia have turned bin day into a red-carpet-worthy event. Instagram

The Met Gala may have been postponed this year, but in Australia, some are treating bin duty like it is fashion's biggest night out.

Residents in the Oceanic country have started a viral trend in response to measures introduced to stem the spread of the coronavirus, wearing everything from fancy dress to full-out glam when wheeling the rubbish out.

The Australian government has implemented strict social distancing regulations, with residents of major cities asked not to leave their homes without a "reasonable excuse".

And so, people have embraced the old adage, "all dressed up with nowhere to go".

A new social media trend is calling on people around the country to make the most of taking out the trash by dressing up in their swankiest threads.

The idea was started by Danielle Askew from Queensland in a bid to make the mundane task, which now offers a rare opportunity to step outside of the house, a little more exciting.

"A friend posted on Facebook that she was excited because it was bin day and that it is an outing," Askew told ABC. "I said, 'I dare you to get dressed up' and she said, 'I will'. So I made a Facebook page and did it [dressed up], too."

'They were quite down and this has made them smile and laugh'

The Facebook group, titled Bin Isolation Outing, has racked up more than 470,000 fans since March 28, with hundreds of members sharing photos of their own bin night out.

"The bin goes out more than us so let us dress up for the occasion! Fancy dress, make-up, tutu ... be creative! Post photos to cheer us up ... After all, laughter is the best medicine," the page's mission statement states.

While many have donned their black-tie best for the occasion, with evening gowns and tuxes in many a post, others have gone all out, treating the night as a second Halloween.

Inflatable dinosaurs, Disney characters such as Carl from Up and Elsa from Frozen, and Marvel character Iron Man have all been photographed on Australia's pavements, bin in hand.

People have also started using the hashtag #binisolationouting on Instagram to share their shots.

"It's gone all over the world; Texas, Canada, [and] all around Australia," Askew told ABC.

"I have had a lot of people private message me, and also on the page, to say thank you so much. They were quite down and this has made them smile and laugh."

_________________

Read more:

Forget fashion rules, this is how people are actually dressing to work from home

How to sort through your wardrobe while staying home

Is it ethical to order luxury items for delivery during a pandemic?

_________________