A garbage can sits silently on the side of the road awaiting the garbage truck.

If all
goes well nothing happens to it and your garbage is properly disposed of. But in
reality things often don’t go as smooth. Things like wind, over flowing waste and
pests make a plain garbage can a disaster waiting to happen.
The solution to this waste disposal issue is plain and simple. Just use a lock. A lock
can ensure that your garbage can is up to the task of proper garbage containment.
A lock mechanism increases the utility of a garbage can by many folds.
Why use locks?
There are various reasons you’d want to use a garbage can that has a locking
mechanism. Some of which are stated below.
Keeping the neighborhood litter free
Garbage cans in general account for 10 percent of the litter that we see on the
streets. A garbage can that doesn’t have a locking mechanism takes the lion’s share
of the blame for this. Without a shut lid a disease ridden rodent could easily climb
into the can and tear the trash bags to shreds causing trash to spill out easily.
The obvious solution to this being keeping the lid securely shut. A lock mechanism
does this job very reliably and prevents any kinds of pests from entering the
garbage can. It also protects against other causes such as winds and even some
human error. Nobody can knock the can and spill the trash if you use a lock.
Reducing cost of waste disposal
The litter from an unlocked trashcan can cost a very large amount of money to
cleanup. Nowadays trash collectors come along with a broom and other cleaning
supplies to clean any remaining trash. This also adds to the cost of waste disposal.
This issue can be easily resolved with the widespread usage of a trashcan lock.
What kind of lock is right for you?
There are various kinds of lock mechanisms out now on the market. Although they
are all used for the sole purpose of keeping the lid shut they have many
differences. Some light has been shed on them.
All of the locks in the market can be divided into two categories. Various
mechanisms of locks fall under this category.
Built in
As the name suggest these locks come prebuilt with the garbage can. They are
designed to be an integrated part of the garbage can. If you are looking to buy a
new garbage can then they will do the trick for you. The mechanisms which fall
under this category are stated below.
Lock and key mechanism
This mechanism comes as a permanent attachment. The cans that use this
mechanism are wind proof and pest resistant. Some are even good for one handed
operation.
Gravity release mechanism
This mechanism also comes as a permanent attachment. The cans manufactured
with these require little to no maintenance. They have overflow prevention
features. They are also built to be wind and pest resistant.
Screw on lid mechanism
The cans that use the screw on lid are useful as they require no maintenance. They
are very simple but effective as they provide good pest and wind prevention.
After market
Besides these there are quite a few after-market ones you might want to consider.
They are the best option for you if you want to give your normal garbage can a
lock mechanism.
Utility straps
These ones can be used with almost any garbage can. They can be used as a
permanent attachment.