As storm season approaches, a bin collector has shared a simple trick to stop food waste bins from blowing away in strong winds and deter foxes at the same time. The tip involves placing a sealed bottle of water on top of the bin to add weight.
The weather is still quite mild at the moment, but storm season will soon begin to take hold, and strong gusts of wind can topple bins - particularly the small caddy intended for food waste. Nobody wants to step outside in the morning and discover food scraps strewn across their front garden and streets, and binmen especially don't either.
Binman's advice for windy weather
The No1 Binman on TikTok, who has racked up more than 200,000 followers thanks to his useful guidance on all things relating to bins, spoke frankly about those tiny food waste caddies: "They are terrible in the winter, I'm not going to lie. I don't know who designed them. They're like balloons, they just blow off."
He encouraged householders to ensure their house number is displayed clearly on each bin, so that if the wind is especially fierce and neighbours' bins end up scattered about, you will be able to identify which one belongs to you without difficulty.
How to weigh down your bin
He explained that refuse collectors are typically trained to prevent this from happening by positioning bins behind a wall, where they are protected from powerful gusts. Nevertheless, when this is not possible, householders can place one straightforward item on top of their bins to add weight and prevent them from being blown away.
He said: "There's not much we can do about the wind, we can't just stop it. But you can put a bottle of water on top of your food caddy."
Any container, such as a milk or juice carton, will serve the same purpose - provided it can be securely sealed and will not simply leak everywhere. Adding weight in this way can be extremely beneficial during blustery periods, but that is not its only advantage.
Other tips to secure your bin
This simple method will also help to discourage foxes and other vermin from attempting to feast on the contents of your food waste bin. Another useful suggestion to stop your rubbish from escaping on windy days is to purchase a lock for your bin - while this will not stop it from toppling over, it will prevent the contents from being scattered across your garden.
Rather than leaving it out overnight, try setting an alarm and putting your bin out in the morning. The shorter the time it remains outside, the fewer opportunities it has to blow away.
