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How to Secure the Lid to a Garbage Can

Kathryn Hatter

Given the chance, scavenger animals will get into your garbage cans. When animals remove garbage can lids and dig into your garbage, they create an unsightly mess you have to clean up. Prevent these annoying messes by securing the lid to your garbage can. The solution need not be elaborate or expensive.

Secure the lid to a garbage can to keep animals out.

With simple bungee cords, you can lock garbage can lids onto the cans and keep marauding animals out of your garbage.

Tip

Bungee cord lengths vary, as do the sizes of garbage cans. Make sure that the bungee cord you select will fit tightly over the garbage can lid, or it will not keep the lid on the garbage can. If your garbage can has a handle on the top of the lid, loop the bungee cords around the handle twice as you pull the cords over the top of the lid. This will provide additional security to keep the lid tightly on the can.

Warning

Some communities disallow securing bungee cords in this fashion when you set cans out for garbage collection. Find out if your community has policies about securing garbage can lids before using this method. If your community restricts this practice, consider purchasing animal-proof garbage cans with a design that will prevent animals from disturbing your garbage.

  1. Place the lid securely onto the garbage can and snap it into place.

  2. Hook the end of a bungee cord onto the handle on one side of the garbage can.

  3. Extend the bungee cord over the top of the garbage can lid.

  4. Hook the other end of the bungee cord onto the handle on the other side of the garbage can.

  5. Repeat steps two through four to attach the second bungee cord to the garbage can lid.

The Drip Cap

  • Given the chance, scavenger animals will get into your garbage cans.
  • With simple bungee cords, you can lock garbage can lids onto the cans and keep marauding animals out of your garbage.
  • Hook the end of a bungee cord onto the handle on one side of the garbage can.