Wheelie bin fine warning for Storm Eowyn as households urged to act

A line of green and grey bins along a brick wall on the street.
-Credit:Getty Images/iStockphoto


With Storm Eowyn bringing very strong winds across the UK, households have been warned to make sure their bins are secure - or they could find themselves facing a fine.

Wheelie bins are usually one of the first things to go flying when winds pick up, and can often end up getting knocked over and sprawling rubbish all over the pavement. You might even find yourself having to retrieve your bin from the other end of the street in the severe Storm Eowyn winds, which are forecast to reach up to 90mph in some areas.

However, experts have advised that failing to secure your bin in stormy weather could prove costly. Mark Hall, waste collection expert at BusinessWaste.co.uk, explained: "Not all insurers will pay out for damage caused by bins if you haven't made a reasonable attempt to secure them.

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"You could even find yourself out of pocket, or incurring a fine from the council for littering or causing an obstruction," he added. Indeed, the Government website states that councils may issue fixed penalties if a household's waste causes an obstruction to neighbours, restricts access to the pavement or street, is likely to attract vermin, or is unsightly.

To prevent this, as well as to prevent damage to yours and other people's property from flying bins and to save yourself the hassle of having to clean up your waste after a storm, the experts have issued some recommendations on how to secure your bins. Here are Business Waste's top five ways to stop your bins causing problems in bad weather:

Lock your wheelie bin

Secure your wheelie bin with a wheelie bin lock. These locks are designed to fasten wheelie bins tightly to walls or posts. Lock straps for wheelie bins are also available, which help keep the bin's lid firmly closed. This deters theft and ensures waste doesn't spill out, particularly if the bin tips over during a storm.

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Hook up your bins

Keep your bins in place by mounting a hook to a wall or post. Then use a bungee cord to wrap it around the bin or its handles and connect it. This is a good DIY alternative if you don’t have a lock. There are also brackets on the market that serve a similar purpose. Simply screw the bracket into a fence and clip in the wheelie bin handles to secure it.

Use a dedicated storage area

Consider a dedicated wheelie bin storage area. Ideally, this will be anywhere that provides sheltered protection like a shed, a garage, or a dedicated wheelie bin storage unit. If that's not available, even a fenced-off or walled area with no roof will protect your wheelie bins more than leaving them exposed out in the open.

Keep your bins close together

Another way to ensure better security for your bins in stormy weather is by placing them close to one another. Binding them together minimises the risk of the bins toppling over in strong winds. For added protection, consider tying them together – just make sure you remove the rope when emptying them.

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Place bricks near the wheels

If none of the options above are possible, simply place some bricks or rocks at the base of your wheelie bin to improve its stability in windy weather. Make sure you place them next to the bin and not in it, because that can cause a safety hazard. This is one of the simplest tricks, as the rocks can be removed easily as soon as the winds have passed.

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