I backed up my old Sims games, removed all my mods, installed Island Paradise, and began playing a completely new character. I moved her into the houseboat "You're On a Boat" at the Port Popular. I prefer to move into pre-built houses unfurnished, because I do have certain, ahem, unique preferences in my furnishings. ;-)
Anyway, when I moved in, all the furniture was gone except for the stove, fridge, shower, toilet and kitchen and bathroom sinks. That's totally normal for an "unfurnished" pre-built house. But then I noticed - the outside trash-can was gone too! I thought the mailbox and the outdoor trashcans were completely non-negotiable as far as residential lots go. Change a community lot to residential, and a mailbox and an outdoor trash can are placed automatically. Outdoor trashcans cannot be bought anywhere - can they? I have never found them.
So now what? Where will I empty my trash compactor or my kitchen garbage can when they get full?
I experimented with the newspaper. I tried to throw it overboard. No luck. I went into buydebug and placed one of those blue community trash cans on my boat, but my character just stomped her foot when I directed her to recycle the newspaper.
So I went into Edit Town and went into buy-build for the next-door-neighbor's houseboat, the Aquaholic at Port Prosperous. It has something called a "houseboat trashcan" on the front porch. I went to Buy Mode > Sort by Room > Kitchen > Disposal. Not there. I went to Buy Mode > Collections > Island Paradise. Not there either, as far as I can tell. I tried Buy > Sort by Room > Outdoors > Outdoor Activities.
Okay, this was a brand new character, I hadn't invested too much time or affection in her, I quit the game without saving and started over. Come to find out, the "You're on a Boat" houseboat at Port Popular does not have an outdoor trashcan even when it's fully furnished. So in the spirit of being complete. I grabbed a copy of "You're on a Boat" from the Library and placed it at Port Plenty. It has a trashcan!
So first of all, a warning - beware of "You're on a Boat" placed at Port Popular. And secondly, anyone know where I can get the stupid trashcan??
Thanks, sorry for being long-winded,
Bobbie