Why ?

[marshalla]

We have three recycling receptacles which are emptied every other Tuesday.

Today - the only one worth putting out was the bottle box.

It's NOT there now! The lid has been left behind but someone has stolen the box!

I find it amusing, but a sad indictment that someone in a tiny village in North Yorkshire feels it worth stealing a box which was supplied by the council in the first place, and which every household already has.

[HOGEPH]

Maybe it's been recycled?

[Google [bot]]

Burglars often use them to cart away their swag. Check to see if you still have a TV.

[robinhood21]

^^^^ Or check to see if the neighbours now have two of the same. My binmen are often doing this.

[marshalla]

Google [bot] said:

Burglars often use them to cart away their swag. Check to see if you still have a TV.

No wheels on it (small bin) and they left the lid too. TV still seems to be working too

[andy43]

Not just used by burglars - ideal for rubble, DIY rubbish, taking stuff to the tip, or just keeping things tidy in the garage.
Apparently...

[darronwall]

they blow away in strong wind

[Ricky_M]

One appeared on my driveway with the number 26 on it! There is no number 26 on my street, god knows how it ended up there!

[sherman]

We are on our 4th wheelie bin this year as the council for some reason when emptying them are a bit over energetic and let them fall into the back of the bin lorry. The same could well of happened with the OP's box as the bin man could just of lost his grip and flung the whole thing in the bin lorry and as we all know its never nice to try to pick something back out of the bin.