Originally bins were cumbersome, round and made of metal. They generally had two handles, on either side near the top, and a lid. Generally speaking a bin was a long sheet of metal welded along the shortest edge with a circular metal bottom. Dustmen would pick the bins up and hoist them over their shoulders, gripping by one handle with, ideally, gloved hands.

These were joined, once cheap plastic manufacturing had been mastered, by heavy duty, black plastic bins, which mimicked the form of the original bin. They were heavy and also had two handles. The benefit of these bins was that the plastic structure was harder to damage or dent physically, the downside was that hot waste - like ashes - could play havoc with the interior.

The Wheelie Bin is a recent, and worldwide, replacement for the standard bin - but has not yet reached every corner of the Earth. They are rectangular, heavy plastic boxes, about four feet tall and eighteen inches square, with a hinged, flap lid and two wheels on the bottom, the same side as the lid hinge. Behind the hinge is a bar, used to push the bin, and there may be handles on top of the lid for opening.

Wheelie Bins are most commonly black, but other colours include green, brown and red. Different colours generally designate different types of waste that should be deposited into the bin - like garden waste, recyclable rubbish or sensitive business materials.

The principle behind the bin is to provide as much space, if not more, than the original round bins, while decreasing the risk of injury in moving rubbish around. This applies, as much to Wheelie Bin users as refuse collectors, because most local authorities require that bins are presented at the kerb for collection. Moving an old style bin from the backyard to the street was fraught with the potential for serious muscular distress. Having wheels on a bin means that even the elderly can have a fighting chance of getting a full bin out into the street.

Emptying A Wheelie Bin

Refuse trucks have been modified, since the introduction of the Wheelie Bin, to simplify the process of getting the waste in the bin inside the back of the wagon. The process uses an electric lift, like a small forklift truck arrangement, on to which the bin can be pushed using the push bar and wheels. The hinge needs to face away from the back of the wagon for the process to work effectively and without leaving food remains adhered to the inside of the lid. The lift raises the bin upward and tips backward into the opening at the back of the truck. Braces at the top stop the bin from falling out as it is lifted almost upside-down to tip out the content. Then the lift returns the bin to the ground. Trucks may use either singular or dual lifts depending on their size.

Whilst most commonly seen on refuse trucks such Wheelie lifts can be purchased as separate, electrically-driven mechanisms and can be operated by a single individual.

Wheelie Bins In Motion

The wheels on Wheelie Bins tend to lull people into a false sense of confidence about how easy they are be to remove around. While the wheels do make it easier to move the bins around on flat, even surfaces, various everyday obstacles pose more of a problem.

The basic principle behind getting a Wheelie Bin moving is to unbalance the whole thing and lean it back on to its wheels. This is usually achieved by gripping the bar on the lid and pulling back while rolling forward on the bin's wheels. A hip shove or firm push with the knee or foot may also assist in moving the bin forward. The problem with this is that heavy, unbalanced objects are not simple to control, especially when two apparently helpful wheels suddenly take on a life of their own.

Going down stairs and kerbs provides the opportunity to either judder your entire skeletal structure or tip the bin forward, spilling the content everywhere. Going upstairs means having to heave the weight of the bin without much assistance from the wheels or attempt to push it up from behind - either instance opening up the possibility that the bin will unbalance in your direction and flatten you. Rolling the bin down a slope means that momentum has the chance to spill the content if presented with a sudden halt. A sudden halt is likely to be caused by almost any obstacle, but simply dropping the bin from its wheels on to the flat of the its bottom is normally enough.

Disguising A Wheelie Bin

Wheelie Bins are functional - they were never intended to be aesthetically pleasing. However, there are those who would much rather hide the bin and it's ugly bulk, by whatever means possible ¹   . Certain companies have taken this potential for a niche market and made Wheelie Bin covers and camouflages available to the general public.

Wheelie Bin camouflage generally consists of four self-adhesive vinyl sheets that are fitted to the four faces of the bin. The sheets are imprinted with a pattern that allows the bin to blend into its background and generally just become less offensive to the sensitive eye. Examples include - brick wall, flowering hedge, ivy covered, holly hung, or various types of tall, voluminous flower. The bin can then be positioned against an appropriate surface and forgotten about.

The patent for the product in the UK has been applied for by [URL removed by moderator] The Wheelie Bin Cover Company Limited based in Manchester. Similar cover manufacturing outfits exist world-wide.

Extracting Things From The Bottom Of A Wheelie Bin

The fact that the average Wheelie Bin is about four feet tall poses a problem for someone who has unintentionally dropped something in the bottom. For the average individual this situation means that the top of the bin comes somewhere around their stomach or chest level. Leaning into the bin leads to considerable discomfort as various internal organs are pressed against its hard lip. Breathing may become difficult accompanied by the sensation of pounding blood behind the eyes and ears. Even with an arm outstretched, while clinging desperately to the edge with the other, the bottom of the bin will generally remain out of reach unless further weight is pressed against the lip of the bin and the feet are partially or completely raised off of the floor.

It is at this point, with head and torso stuffed into the bin and feet raised into the air, that two things are likely to happen. Either the individual involved will lose balance and/or grip and fall into the bin, or the bin will tip forward and slam to the ground, taking the poor fool inside with it. Both eventualities are less than a pleasant experience.

The process of reaching into a Wheelie Bin is normally made far worse by the environment around or inside the bin. Poor weather, like rain or wind, will change the grip of the material or the whole balance of the bin. The interior of Wheelie Bins, unless regularly cleaned, will also generally smell horribly of rotting garbage and there will often be a pool of unidentifiable liquid at the bottom. It is only by tipping out, or falling into, the liquid that a full analysis of this fluid is possible, but this is invariable not something you want to do if you want to maintain command of the content of your stomach.

The recommended method for getting something out of a Wheelie Bin is, firstly, to see if there's anyone else to hand who might do it for you. Failing this tip the bin on its side and extract the item from that angle. If there's something unpleasant seeping along the inside of the bin at this point find a long stick, or a branch, and use that to tease the object out. It may be possible to use the stick method with an upright bin, but you will have to contend with stench-induced nausea and the effects of gravity trying to tease the object back to the bottom.

Wheelie Bin Hygiene

Bins are smelly, whether or not refuse bags are used to contain the rubbish placed inside them. During the lifetime of a bag of rubbish nicks, rips and slashes are almost inevitable, so odours, mush and foul liquids will get deposited in the bottom of the bin. After a while bins like this will attract maggots, flies, vermin, and local animals searching for scraps. It will also, generally, lead to instant nausea to anyone passing within a couple of feet.

This has led to the establishment of Wheelie Bin Hygiene companies who provide services to both business and domestic customers. These companies are primarily either small local concerns or world-spanning franchise operations. The former may be nothing more than a man with a nice van, a bottle of bleach and a sponge on the stick, but the latter is substantially more impressive to the casual observer. Franchise packages may include a bright and shiny van with official company logos, a rugged uniform, stationary ranging from letter-headed paper to business cards, company branded cleaning materials and comprehensive training - whether personal, video or weighty manual based. Most franchise operators claim that there are considerable profits to be made from Wheelie Bin cleaning, and this is quite possible considering the massive world-wide expansion of their usage for refuse collection.

Getting Around In A Wheelie Bin

The Wheelie Bin has provided an amusing alternative to the shopping cart for students and partygoers. Standing so tall they are reasonably roomy and provide for some support to an individual flopping around inside. Access to the interior of the bin is best approached as a failed attempt to extract something from it's interior, following the movement suggested by gravity and collapsing inside in a heap. Once inside there is enough room for an occupant to rise unsteadily to their feet.

Once a passenger is in place the added value of the wheels comes into play as friends can trundle the occupant along the street with a minimum of effort. For the sporty, more than one bin can be used to provide for an interesting, late night race. For anyone left with an unconscious companion to carry home even a dirty or half-filled Wheelie Bin provides a hard to pass by opportunity for an easy trip to the poor individuals final destination.

Using A Wheelie Bin As An Offensive Weapon

While it seems unlikely, two individuals were arrested in May 1998 in Birmingham, UK, when the Wheelie Bin they were occupying was pushed into the ranks of riot police trying to restrain demonstrators. The individuals involved were held overnight but released without charge.