Keep your wheelie bin secure in windy weather

THE great Irish weather is a topic of discussion at any time of the year, but especially at this time of the year.

Storm Eleanor saw a plethora of wheelies bins blown around, creating a hazard, and people are being asked to spare a thought for their bin.

Noel Gibbons, Mayo road safety officer, said: “As the winds are now strengthening, wheelie bins are at risk from being blown around. Residents are advised to secure them or if empty, to lay them flat.

“Bin collection teams will be leaving the emptied bins on their side during this period of high wind.

“Bins blown onto streets and roads can create a real road safety risk and also a litter issue if the contents are blown around. Bins blown onto roadways create hazards on the road and bins blown over on footpaths force pedestrians and wheelchair users onto the road.”

Here's some tips to keep everyone safe:

Secure anything that could blow away - garden furniture, trampolines, flower pots. Don’t leave wheelie bins outside on footpaths or at the front of houses.

Once your bins, boxes, and bags have been collected, return them to your garden to stop them from being blown around the street.

If it’s an especially wild and windy day, try placing a brick or something of a similar weight on your recycling box to stop it from blowing away. Always secure your recycling bag to keep the contents where they should be.

Try securing your recycling bag in between your bin and recycling box so it doesn’t end up halfway down the street.

Don’t put ropes or such on the wheelie bin as this can create a danger for the bin collectors.

As well as keeping your bin safe from the elements, you need to make sure that wildlife, and uninvited people can’t have access to it.

Get a wheelie bin lock.

Invest in some wheelie bin storage.