Wheelie bins, for domestic or light commercial use, typically hold 120, 240 or 360 litres, with 240 litres being the most common. They have a hinged flap lid and two wheels on the bottom on the same side as the lid hinge. There is a bar behind the hinge on the top of the bin which is used to move it.
The dimensions of these bins vary with manufacturer and standard, but are roughly:
120 litres - 93 cm high, 48 cm wide, 52.5 cm deep
240 litres - 107 cm high, 58 cm wide, 74 cm deep
360 litres - 110 cm high, 62 cm wide, 86 cm deep
These bins are usually black or green, but other colours can be used - sometimes for the lid. Frequently, different coloured bins are provided for different types of waste so that it may be recycled: for example garden waste, plastics and metal.
Standardization of dimensions is important because the bins must be lifted by a standard sized hoist on the collecting vehicle. The bins are lifted by the lip at the front which must be designed for maximum stiffness and mechanical strength. The underside of the lip is therefore reinforced by numerous ribs in the case of the thermoplastic bins. |
