Households up and down the UK are being told they could risk a fine if they put their bins out – as the Met Office has issued several severe weather warnings on Sunday and Monday.
Weather experts at the Met Office have issued yellow weather warnings for heavy winds starting this evening, Sunday September 14, and continuing until 6pm tomorrow night, Monday Septeber 15, as households brace for possible disruption in most of England and Wales.
Along with power cuts and travel problems, one element of disruption is often overlooked – until it happens to you.
Bins are often the first casualties of severely windy days, with household wheelie bins thrown down the street or even going missing entirely during severe weather warnings for gusts and gales.
As a result, waste collection expert Mark Hall from Businesswaste.co.uk shared his advice on keeping bins in place and reducing damage – and a possible fine.
Mark Hall said: “In past storms, we’ve seen wheelie bins flying around the streets everywhere, so we wanted to make sure people know what to do in these circumstances.
“Not all insurers will pay out for damage caused by bins if you haven’t made a reasonable attempt to secure them. You could even find yourself out of pocket or incurring a fine from the council for littering or causing an obstruction.”
As well as considering locks and dedicated storage areas, Mark said that just a simple change like grouping bins and weighing them down with rocks or bricks could be enough.
He added: “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.
“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.”
Rubbish website WheelieBins.co.uk has advice for households expecting to be hit with high winds – and how to keep their bins safe.
It said: “We’ve all laughed at the dramatic weather reports complete with images of wheelie bins blowing away. However, when it’s your bin that’s halfway down the street, it’s no laughing matter.
“So how can you stop your wheelie bin from blowing away in wet and windy weather?
“If your mornings are super busy, it might seem more convenient to put your bin out the night before collection.
“But the UK weather is unpredictable. If things take a turn for the worse overnight, your bin could blow away, never to be seen again. Try to put it out as close to your collection time as you can.
“When you do put your wheelie out, think safety in numbers. If you and a few neighbours jam your bins together, it can keep them stable and secure.
“If you want to stop your wheelie bins from blowing away, storing them somewhere secure is key. Try storing them in the garage or next to a wall or fence to protect them from the elements.
“If you really want to keep your bins secure, you could also invest in a wheelie bin storage unit. As well as protecting bins from the worst of the weather, they’ll also hide them from pests and thieves.”