Bins line a cobbled street with rubbish on the ground

How to avoid household rubbish escaping in windy weather

25 Nov 21 1 minute read

Wind. It’s a nuisance. Roads closed to high sided vehicles, downed branches blocking pavements or being kept awake as it howls past your bedroom window.

But, when wind coincides with household bin collections, it can create windblown waste which can wreak havoc on wildlife and the marine environment.

Whether it’s half-empty bins toppling over or blown open lids, rubbish and recycling escaping onto our streets has a big impact on increasing litter pollution.

Not only does it create unsightly piles of rubbish and spoil areas of natural beauty but it can also enter waterways to contaminate water sources for both land and marine wildlife not to mention washing up on our beaches and coastlines.

Litter blown into drains can cause blockages, increasing surface water flooding, and can be very dangerous to clear.

There are ways to avoid this happening - storing your bins in an enclosure or beside a wall or fence will help protect them from the wind, avoiding overfilling your bin and securing the lid can prevent waste escaping.

Rubbish and recycling escaping onto our streets has a big impact on increasing litter pollution.

Top tips

  1. Securing your bin with bin bracket handles can help when you don’t have somewhere safe from wind to store them.

  2. Use a bungee cord to keep your bin lid from blowing open (just remember to remove before your collection).

  3. If you can, put your bin out for collection in the morning rather than the night before.

  4. In bad weather, grouping your bin beside neighbouring bins can help prevent them from blowing over.

  5. Bring your bin back in as soon as you can after collection to avoid empty bins being blown down the street - playing hunt the wheelie bin is never fun.