When strong winds coincide with rubbish collection day, litter carnage on the streets occurs, particularly in the hill suburbs. If every bin had a latch to keep the lid on, much of the carnage would be prevented.
Litter is an issue for every neighbourhood of the city, particularly given the proximity of every Christchurch suburb to a waterway. Keeping litter, particularly plastic, out of waterways should be a priority for the city. One of many sources of litter is the rubbish collection process, particularly during a storm event.
Wind-affected bins on Centarus Road, 2 October 2023.
Admittedly, the number of times strong winds coincide with rubbish collection day does not appear to be very high. Unfortunately, when the two occur together, there is mayhem on the footpaths and streets. Bin lids are whipped open and rubbish is sucked out of the bins by wind gusts and animals. Where the wind gusts are extreme, bins are often blown over, the contents scattered across roads and footpaths, strewn by the wind into the gutters, washed and blown down hillside roads into the drains and from there into waterways.
Last year, the Ōpāwaho Heathcote River Network set out to monitor the Cashmere suburb for these events over a three month period, 1 October to 31 December, 2023. In those three months, there was just one weather event that took place on a rubbish collection night – 4 October. But what an event it was with very high winds and rain lashing the city throughout the night and morning. Many residents decided against putting their bins out for collection at all (creating further issues) so as to avoid the mess. Many that did put their bins out woke to the task of locating their bin, as well as picking up refuse, theirs and their neighbours’, from outside their property, in gutters and across the streets. The rubbish collection drivers spent much of their time righting overturned bins and placing them in positions from where collection was possible.
It might have only happened once in three months, but preventing the carnage that ensued would have been so worth it!
Upended bins on Hackthorne Road, 2 October, 2023
If the bin lid stays closed, even when the bin is upended, whether by the wind, or people or animals or cars, the carnage is largely overcome. There are a number of different ways to keep the lid closed but only one method also allows the bin to be emptied without human intervention: the Safewaste Wheelie Bin Latch.
This latch is a rubber latch, especially designed to hold the lid closed until the bin is upended over the collection truck whereupon the weight of the rubbish (minimum of 2 kg) forces the latch to release. The latch attaches to the bin handle and is a doddle to install,
The Safewaste latch – so easy to install. Scan the QR code if you are in a trial area.
Over the period February to August 2024, OHRN is conducting a trial of the latches in three parts of Christchurch to determine if it is worth the CCC considering making these latches available to residents. The trial is being funded by the Community Waterways Partnership. The three trial areas are:
Cashmere Trial: Hackthorne Rd, Dyers Pass Road (to the Sign of the Takahe), Cashmere Road (between Hackthorne and Dyers Pass Rds) or Centaurus Road (Dyers Pass Rd – Kowhai Tce)
Mt Pleasant Trial: Mt Pleasant Road (Main Road to Drayton Drive), Drayton Drive (and all side roads off it), Solares Avenue (and all side roads off it), Maffeys Road (and all side roads off it) and McCormacks Bay Road (Main Road to Maffeys Road including Aratoro Place)
River Terraces Trial: Ashgrove Terrace, Ernlea Terrace, Waimea Terrace, Hunter Terrace, Sloan Terrace, Eastern Terrace, Palatine Terrace, Riverlaw Terrace, Fifield Terrace, Aynsley Terrace, Clarendon Terrace or Richardson Terrace
If you place your bin for collection on one of these roads, you can participate in the trial. OHRN will provide you with two free latches (for the red and yellow bins) and installation instructions. We will also collect some simple information from you before and after the trial to provide feedback about your experiences with the latches. We have distributed leaflets about the trial to all houses in the trial areas but if for some reason you have missed getting this, you can still apply to be part of the trial provided you live in one of the trial areas.
If the trial proves to be successful and popular amongst participants, we will be able to use that information to assist in developing a proposal for some future level of funding by the council for latches across the city.