ooh I know the answer to this one!
if it's trash day or the night before, it's VERY rude to put things in other peoples' bins. if it's not trash day, and bins are (illegally) out, go ahead and throw trash in them!
https://sfstandard.com/2026/03/15/dog-poop-trash-cans-san-francisco/

The San Francisco Standard
Can you put dog poop bags in other people’s trash cans? An ethical investigationIn a city overrun with dogs and light on public trash cans, this is the question dividing our community.