Litter bins

Litter bins for the public domain

A litter bin is the cheapest measure against litter there is, provided it stands in the right place, is big enough and is emptied in time. If one of those three is missing, the problem simply moves to the ground around it.

We supply and install litter bins for local authorities, inter-municipal bodies, schools, stations, business parks and parks, from individual bins to complete recycling points.

Where a bin belongs

The rule of thumb: where waste is generated, and along walking routes. That means at bus stops, at the exit of a shop or a takeaway, at playgrounds, at the entrance to a park, next to benches and picnic spots, and at junctions of walking routes.

Distance matters just as much. Anybody who has to walk more than a few tens of metres out of their way with a wrapper in hand will drop it. Better more small bins in the right places than a few large ones in the wrong places. When drawing up a layout plan we walk the pedestrian routes with you instead of working from a fixed number per hectare.

Versions

Open bin

Quick to use and inexpensive, but vulnerable to rain, wind and birds.

Bin with a hood or a restricted opening

Keeps the rain out, which limits the weight and the smell, and makes it harder to dump household waste, a real problem with large open bins.

Recycling point

Several waste streams side by side, with clear colour coding and pictograms. This only works when the indication is understood immediately; unclear sorting produces contaminated streams and then the gain is gone.

Underground and semi-underground bins

Large volume with a limited visible footprint. It requires groundworks and a suitable collection vehicle, but it cuts the emptying frequency sharply.

Cigarette and chewing gum columns

Small but effective, certainly at building entrances.

What determines the workload

The choice of opening and the way the bin is emptied determine how much work it creates. Points we raise as a matter of course:

• How is the sack clamped in place? A sack that comes loose in the wind means picking up litter every time.
• How is the bin opened? With a key, a triangular key or a flap, and does the crew already carry that key for other street furniture?
• Does the standard sack size fit, or does a non-standard format have to be bought in?
• Is the inner bin removable, and can one person lift it when it is full?

That last point is an occupational safety question that is rarely asked at purchase and matters every week afterwards.

Material and vandalism

Hot-dip galvanised and powder-coated steel is the standard: strong, repairable and available in any colour. Composite from recycled plastic is maintenance-free and barely fades. Concrete is virtually indestructible but heavy. Stainless steel is used where appearance is the deciding factor.

In sensitive locations a version with concealed fixings, no loose parts and a coating that releases graffiti pays off. Fire resistance also plays a part: a plastic inner bin in an open bin is an invitation. There we advise a metal inner bin.

What determines the price?

Litter bins have no fixed price per unit. The cost follows from the material and the finish, the volume and the number of waste streams, the type, whether open, hooded or underground, the locking and emptying system, bespoke work such as a colour from your house style or a routed municipal logo, the number of units, since the cost per unit drops noticeably across a series, the anchoring and the substrate, and for underground bins the groundworks.

Send us your layout plan or a list of locations, and you will get a quotation in which each of those items is visible.

Asking for advice

Put your situation to us: the type of location, visitor numbers and how often you are able to empty. We will propose a version and a quantity that works in practice.