Wheelie Bin Latch Trial

Back in 2022, Ōpāwaho Heathcote River Network (ŌHRN) started to push for residents to install latches on the lids of their yellow and red wheelie bins as a means to reduce the amount of litter entering the Ōpāwaho Heathcote River. Then we decided to do more than talk about it – we trialled the use of wheelie bin latches in 2024. Here are the results of that trial.

It is something no-one wants to have to face – clearing up the mess left behind when a wheelie blows over – yours or your neighbour’s or the whole street’s bins. Fortunately, there is an inexpensive and effective way of largely preventing rubbish spills from wheelie bins which we set out to trial in Christchurch’s high-wind conditions.

The trial  With funding from the Community Waterways Partnership, the ŌHRN purchased 2000 latches and set about recruiting households to trial them in three areas of Christchurch that are affected by high-winds and/or are close to the river. Streets on Cashmere Hill and Mt Pleasant were canvassed as were all the houses bordering the river from the confluence with Cashmere Stream to Radley Street bridge. 702 households volunteered to test the efficacy of the latches over a six-month period, which was extended further due to Christchurch experiencing fewer high-wind events than normal in 2024.

The latches  The SafeWaste cart lid latch is made for installation on a range of wheelie bins; it is a rubberised plastic strap that simply attaches to a handle on the lid and hooks the lid closed when it is engaged. The latch releases the lid when the bin is upended over the collection vehicle, the weight of the rubbish providing the force to release. If the bin topples over sideways, however, the lid generally remains latched.

High-wind events During the trial period, Christchurch experienced seven high-wind events of which at least one was significant enough to trigger bin toppling in some areas, particularly on Mt Pleasant. We would have wished for more high-wind events to give everyone a chance to really analyse the effectiveness of the latches. However, the storm events encountered did have a big enough impact on many of the trial participants for them to make an evaluation. Others took a more practical pathway to testing the latches. As one participant reported, “Although the bins were not overturned by natural causes, I did overturn each bin deliberately with a good hard shove when (it was) full to see what happens. The lids stayed on.”

Effectiveness of latches Fifty trial participants recorded their bin being overturned during the trial period of which 90% confirmed that the lid remained closed due to the latch. In terms of overall effectiveness, 97% of participants indicated that they found the latches to be “highly effective” or “effective”. As one put it, “I loved using the latch on my yellow bin. I found it to be ingenious – a very clever and easy-to-use solution. My bin was only overturned by wind a couple of times, but the latch kept the lid closed. I think it’s an excellent initiative.”

Lids-on advantages From the comments of participants, it is obvious that having a device that keeps the wheelie bin lid in place has a number of advantages even when the bin is upright. For a start, keeping the lid closed reduces the amount of rubbish blown out of the bin, especially from the yellow bin the contents of which are often lightweight. The latched lid also appears to ward off the guerilla-filling of bins by neighbours or the addition of bags of unwanted faeces from passing dog-walkers. An advantage reported by several participants was the peace-of-mind that the latches created for community-orientated residents. As one said, “Super helpful. It meant I didn’t worry in the night when the wind hit.” It’s pleasing to know that wheelie bin latches may also induce better sleep patterns while also reducing litter.

Less obvious advantages Until you trial something in real life, it can be impossible to see some advantages until they are revealed through the variety of daily usage. For instance, one participant reported, “Our driveway is steep and sometimes I lose control over the yellow bin tipping it when heavy, previously sending recycling everywhere. The latch has stopped that worry :)”. Keeping the lid in place during strong winds may also play a part in reducing the number of lids broken when slammed open forcibly by wind – a longevity advantage, “I think they worked very well. We had two broken lids in a short space of time prior to (latch) use (but) none since.” Seeing a string of bins with latches attached may make fellow residents more open to a conversation about litter-reduction – or even to obtain a latch, “I did have one latch stolen a few months ago, so I think even passersby see their value.”

Recommendations  The trial participants were dead keen to have the latches made available to Christchurch households with 58% of participants believing that they should be issued to all households. A further 41% indicated that latches should be available on request with a rather sceptical attitude evident towards how some might not use latches if they were issued to everyone. One participant expressed it this way, “My only concern is that, if they are given to all residents, a lot of people might not bother to install them, and that would be a waste of taxpayers money.” Value for money was mentioned by several participants, one of whom topically said, “I think this is a positive move to keep our streets tidy, and would suggest it is perhaps better value for ratepayers money than some council projects.”

As part of the trial report, ŌHRN has made the following recommendations:

1. Make wheelie bin latches available to residents who request them. In-person collection from council service centres should be adequate.
2. Ensure that there is adequate messaging provided as to correct installation and usage of the latches.
3. Provide regular messaging to residents about the reason for the use of wheelie bin latches and their availability.

You can read the full report on the wheelie bin latch trial here.  If you want to purchase latches for your bins, they are available online using the link to SafeWaste above.