Dumpster Lids - Won't Stay Closed

[traumadoc2b]

We have a small, 2 yard dumpster and I'll be damned if those lids won't stay closed when the wind starts blowing. They're just light, blown plastic. I had thought about adding some bolts and washers or a bolt and chain, to the front edges to help weight them closed - would not keep them closed when tipping in the truck, which is important.

I was also thinking about using a small torsion spring, but I'd have to have the right size, either a double spring to put in the middle and keep both lids closed, or a right and left spring - and it would need to be weak enough that the trash would fall out when it gets tipped in the truck.

Anyone tackle this problem or have ideas?

 

[BillK]

How about bolting a steel or lead bar across the end of the lid away from the hinges ? That would probably keep them down but also allow them to swing open when the truck empties them ?

 

[toolmiser]

I have the same issue with 2 wheel garbage carts, but ours only go outside for garbage day and they come early so it goes out the night before. Our house faces west so we are prone to winds. I called the garbage collector and they don't have any ideas. If we have snow I've been know to place a couple chunks on top to help. I've never come up with a solution.

 

[nadogail]

I like the idea of adding ballast to the lids.

 

[Ashgrove]

One of these has been on top of our dumpster for longer than I can remember. Current cost $1.30

 

[lbhsbz]

Drill a small hole and fill the lids with water...then seal the hole up with a plastic welder or something hot

 

[ATC]

Can you turn the dumpster so it doesn't face the wind? Most places, the wind usually comes from one direction.
Or, can you move the dumpster near a building that will block the wind?
Or, do like some businesses do, and build a fence around it?

 

[mike93lx]

How's the wind getting under the lid? Maybe adding a lip around the edge to try and stop that?

 

[thunderalley3]

I welded up a piece of pipe with two flat stock cantilever brackets on the end so it will flip up and lay on top of the lids but when it is picked up and tipped to dump it flips open on it's own. I also put a chain and clip on them so they can be clipped closed as we had two dumpsters this way one would get filled completely before we started using the others.

I thought about adding weight to the lids etc. but then it becomes an issue of opening the lids as well. They can be a challenge for shorter people as they are, let alone having added weight.

 

[Stuart in MN]

It will need to be something that's compatible with your trash hauler. They're not going to want to have to get out of the truck and remove a weight or unlatch something.

 

[Old Man Roger]

I welded up a piece of pipe with two flat stock cantilever brackets on the end so it will flip up and lay on top of the lids but when it is picked up and tipped to dump it flips open on it's own. I also put a chain and clip on them so they can be clipped closed as we had two dumpsters this way one would get filled completely before we started using the others.

I thought about adding weight to the lids etc. but then it becomes an issue of opening the lids as well. They can be a challenge for shorter people as they are, let alone having added weight.

This without bothering with the locking part. It will flip down as the dumpster is being emptied.

 

[My Old Tools]

bungie cord should do it

 

[Lassen Forge]

What we did with our collection cans back in the states was drill a hole in the lid and the lip, tie a piece of paracord to the lip on the can, and then tie the top down with the tail of the paracord. Come Monday night (Trash was tuesday) we'd untie the lid but leave the paracord in the lid hole... pretty much kept the bears from making a bigger mess than they could otherwise.

Here, there are 4 or 5 central collection dumpsters on various main roads for us rural folk, some have locks and chains the trash guys open before dumping, some have these cool foot trip things that open the lids, when the trash truck dumps them the edge of the truck hits the foot thing unlocking the lid so it flops open. They also have different dumpsters for different trash types (plastic, paper, "indeterminate" (mixed ****), glass, organic) so it takes a week or 2 to fill one up.

 

[23ford]

Put in an eye bolt in the lid and the side then use a bungie cord

 

[MFortie]

Ours came with the bar you flip up over the lids. They aren’t all made that way?

 

[wssix99]

Just point the hinge into the wind (you have to pay attention to the weather report) and then park the bins in a sheltered place on the non-garbage days. That solves it for us.

 

[Uncle murph]

How about bolting a steel or lead bar across the end of the lid away from the hinges ? That would probably keep them down but also allow them to swing open when the truck empties them ?

You can have my neighbor,she can sit on them.

 

[brownbagg]

we keep a 2x4 by the dumpster for when the raccoon get in it and cant get out, the 2x is the walk board for them

 

[traumadoc2b]

Thanks all for the ideas. Got me to thinking. Adding weight to the far side of the lid from the hinge seemed best, as it would help keep the lids closed, not interfere with their operation, and require no manual input to lock/unlock, latch/unlatch, or need to do anything before pickup by the garbage truck. I can tell you that the driver certainly is not going to get out and unlatch the lids and part of the whole point in getting the dumpster was to not have to worry about taking out the cans to the curb or which day pickup is given a holiday, etc.

Thought about eye bolts and other attachments, ultimately decided on chains because they would be flexible and hopefully not catch anything. Then going with the KISS principle, I decided to just drill a couple of small holes in each corner of the lid and to use rebar tie wire to hold a short length of chain to each corner.

I'll watch the one lid for a little while, see when (hopefully) the unmodified lid flies open in the lid and the weighted one doesn't. Hopefully there are enough links/enough weight.

 

[Old Man Roger]

Hopefully they don’t get caught on anything on the truck.

 

[Zeke]

Well, it's getting near the end of the year and time to nominate threads for various awards. This one has to get at least some mention.

(edit: I had said 'posts' instead of threads.)

 

[traumadoc2b]

Hopefully they don’t get caught on anything on the truck.

I considered this, but not as much as after reading your post. Thinking about it, I am almost more worried about the chains damaging the windshield on the truck than getting caught, but either way I've modified it. Now the chain runs parallel to/under the lid, secured at both corners, instead of hanging down/loose.

Seeing how the lids themselves don't get caught, I think this will be fine. The bigger question in my mind is, if it is enough weight to keep them closed.

 

[Wes Tex]

I just put the heavy bagged trash on top of everything else in the curbside dumpster. When the wind blows the top open, nothing blows out.

 

[Milton Shaw]

I have seen dumpsters with a mechanism that was hinged with a weight that activated it when the dumpster was picked up and turned over, otherwise it was blocking the lid opening. I cannot get pictures of it as the dumpster is no longer there.

 

[chuck356]

We use a ratchet strap tie down from one side the other, covering both lids. We live in the woods so critters, especially raccoons are the big issue.

 

[Jazz1]

Many businesses lock them to prevent folks dumping in them, I thought they all had padlock hardware. A simple latch would keep lid down.

 

[SILVERPLATE]

I use a bungee cord across the top, no big deal.