GB2470233A - Wheelie bin insert - Google Patents

Abstract

A wheelie bin insert for separating the inside of a wheelie bin into compartments comprises a sheet of HDPE plastic that is contoured preferably to fit the shape and form of the inside of a wheelie bin. The insert may be secured to the bin by two hinge screws and may have strips of rubber foam (i) along its inside two edges and on its bottom but not at its top. At the top of the insert there may be hinges (iii) attached to an HDPE lid. The lid may be contoured to fit inside the top of a wheelie bin and may comprise a handle (iv) on each side and a flexible lock clip on each side that enables the lid to lock to one side or the other of the wheelie bin lip. The insert can be used to separate and store waste that is to be recycled.

Description

Bin insert This invention relates to a device that inserts into a standard wheelie bin and converts the wheelie bin into compartments. This invention then allows the existing wheelie bin to be adapted for the purposes of collecting recycling materials (similar to the use of plastic boxes issued by local authorities to residents for the collection of recycling materials). This adaptation of the wheelie bin allows a drastic increase in the collection and storage capacity of recycling materials (over and above the current recycling capacity of the boxes). This invention allows this increase without any modification to the existing wheelie bin design. Furthermore recycling can be made more efficient because recycling materials can then be separated (if required) into the adapted wheelie bins compartments'. This separation of recycling materials allows the adapted wheelie bin to be collected and emptied quicker, (this is achieved by using the compartments lid on the device i.e. by closing the lid sealing one compartment, then the whole wheelie bin can be lifted and the unsealed compartment' contents can be divested, (similar to the existing method of emptying wheelie bins using the local authorities refuse trucks), The use of this invention will also overcome many of the problems associated with recycling boxes.

Another advantage of the use of my invention could be that local authorities may NOT be forced to collect the recycling materials every week (because of the increased storage capacity of the adapted wheelie bin) thus saving on fuel and labour Optional features The insert can also have further dividers (and an equal number of lids) -so that the number of compartments within the wheelie bin can be increased from two compartments to three compartments, up to four compartments in a standard wheelie bin.

The bin insert divider is held firm to the middle of the bin by the attachments of flexible hooks and screws The edges of the bin insert have a strip of rubber foam to help it remain in position and also to help prevent cross contamination between compartments The lid of the bin insert has a handle on both sides of the lid to make it easier to lift Background to problem that my invention aims to overcome Since 2000 EEC law requires all member states to meet increasing recycling targets which in most cases increase rapidly year by year right up to 2020. This includes the 474 councils of the UK. All council of the UK are required to provide collections for recycling a minimum of 2 different recyclable materials. (The EEC states the 4 main types of recycling material are, plastic, metal, glass and paper/cardboard -also included are household kitchen waste and garden waste.) On this basis all the councils of the UK issue their local residents with various coloured bins of either the standard two wheelie bin or plastic boxes. Most of the councils designate various colours for the wheelie bins and boxes to in order to simplify for their borough residents what type of recycling material goes into each coloured wheelie bin or container. For example, in the London borough of Barnet this borough issues green wheelie bins for bio-degradable kitchen waste and garden matter, grey bins for non-recyclable non-bio degradable material, blue boxes for the recycling of plastic bottles, cardboard, food tins, drink cans, aerosols and foil. In addition black boxes are issued for paper, glass bottles and jars, magazines, newspapers, junk mail, directories, car and household batteries, clothes, shoes, mobile phones and engine oil.

The problems (which my invention aims to resolve) for this type of recycling are now listed below: The two most important disadvantages of the current system.

a) The box sizes are usually small, approximately 50 litres in capacity -this makes the boxes limited to volume of material that they can hold. The boxes cannot be any larger in capacity for the reason that it would make it difficult for the resident to carry larger capacity boxes due to size and weight.

b) As explained above each box is used to contain the recycling material of various items, these results in an almost Victorian method of recycling.

When local borough teams come to collect the recycling (usually on a designated date of the week) box, all recycling items in the boxes have to be individually sorted picked and placed in a designated container on the diesel lorries which sit by the team of manual recycling workers; that is nearly the same rule for every single recycling box in every single street in nearly all of the 474 councils of the UK! That is approximately over 200,000 tonnes of recycling material sorted per week by hand in only England alone! In addition to this backward and slow method of recycling, another disadvantage is that each team has to have a diesel lorry idling next to them pumping out carbon monoxide, inadvertently contributing to excess carbon monoxide in the air.

Other disadvantages of the above system include: The boxes required to be hidden' inside the boundary of the local resident and then only bought out on the day of collection usually before 7.OOam. The wheelie bins are relatively easy to move by most people including elderly residents.

(c) but the boxes themselves are cumbersome to lift, hold and carry, they can also be very heavy, for example when filled with bottles, jars and telephone directories, this makes them virtually impossible to lift and carry with ease especially for the elderly, infirm and those with physically disadvantages, indeed they are not pleasant even for able-bodied persons to move easily.

(d) Another disadvantage of the boxes are that they are often left open (due to materials overloading and protruding from the top them), this leads to rainwater collection inside them on occasions and indeed.sometimes when a person drops bottles and jars in the box there is often liquid material dripping from them and collecting at the bottom of the boxes, thus when a resident lifts a box very often this liquid material seeps out of the fixed holes in the box and usually leaks onto the clothes of the box handler! (e) Another disadvantage is that many local residents are not happy that any and all public especially neighbours can see what a particular household drinks and consumes; few households are pleased that the general public, especially neighbours, can see how much alcohol is consumed by their particular household.

(f) Another disadvantage is that boxes are seen as yet more local government enforced clutter' placed upon the property of residents with the use of so many different coloured boxes, bags and wheelie bin.

(g) Another disadvantage is that local authorities are forced (due to the volume of materials collected. in the small capacity recycling boxes) to provide a weekly collection service.

(h)Another disadvantage is that the boxes are often overflowing with materials that project beyond the top of the boxes making them unable to be closed by lids, this leads to recycling material falling' out off the boxes onto the streets (especially in wet and windy weather) contributing inadvertently to increased Street litter.

(i) Finally another problem is that Many residents are also tired' carrying out so many different boxes and then having to carry them back onto their boundaries so very often various box's and bins are simply left on the public streets by residents. This leaves councils faced with the problem of cluttered unsightly and blocked Public Streets.

These problems listed are some of the reasons why there has been such a public backlash against forced recycling, pushing local authorities in some cases to prosecute those residents refusing to recycle and indeed sometimes threatening to fine residents who place their recycling boxes out too early before designated local council recycling days (Because the clutter' of boxes often overflowing with materials looks unsightly also with materials falling out of the boxes onto the streets)... It has however been shown that dispute these issues 9 out of 10 persons have said that they would recycle more IF IT WAS MADE EASIER List of pictures: Picture 1-shows the bin insert -with the lid in a vertical position Picture 2-shows the bins insert next to a standard wheelie bin-(the only picture showing the rubber strip along the edges marked (i) Picture 3a-shows the bin insert with the lid in a vertical position Picture 3b-show the bin insert with the lid in a nearly closed position on the right side Picture 3c-show the bin insert with the lid in a nearly closed position on the right side Picture 4 show the bin insert inside the wheelie bin with the lid in a closed position on the one side Picture 5-shows the insert fitted inside the wheelie bin and with the lid closed on the other side Picture 6-shows the lid of the insert been lifted by the handle Picture 7-shows the lid half way up Picture 8-shows the bin insert been put into the middle of the wheelie bin Picture 9-shows the insert in the middle of the wheelie bin as seen from above (with the lid vertical) List of figures: Figures (a) shows the flexible clips fitting round the edge and lip of the bin and with the screws firmly up against the plastic, holding the bin insert in place-the clips would be located at points (vii) picture 4. (However the clips are not seen on pictures)-in figure (a) 1 shows the screw. 2 shows part of the lid. 3-shows the flexible clip that folds around the bin lip and 4 shows a cutaway cross section of the bin lip.

Figures (b) shows the simple plastic clip that locks' the lid to the underneath lip of the bin. 1 shows the clip attached to the insert lid. 2 show the cut-away cross-section of the bin lip. 3 shows part of the lid Figure (c) shows a cut-a-way view of the wheelie bin with the insert inside and also demonstrates how the lid of the insert swings from left to right and right to left The invention will now be described how it will overcome these problems To overcome the limitations and problems described earlier my invention proposes that the current wheelie bin to be fitted with my invention the bin insert This bin insert allows the current wheelie bin to be divided into compartments, thus allowing recycling to be made more efficient because recycling materials can then be dropped into separated compartments of the wheelie bin, rather then than all been mixed together in recycling boxes (as described on page 4 paragraph(b). The use of the adapted wheelie bin will also allow a drastic increase in recycling volumes from the approximate standard 50 litres limit capacity of the boxes up to approximately 300 litres capacity by the use of the adapted wheelie bin. That is almost 6 times more (using the 300 litres wheelie bins) recycling capacity that the standard 50 litres boxes, overcoming the problem described on page 4 paragraph (a). The use of the adapted wheelie bin also overcomes the problem of carrying heavy boxes onto the street for collection as described on page 5 paragraph(c). The use of the adapted wheelie bin also help prevent the problem of unwanted seeping liquids as described on page 5 paragraph(d). The use of the adapted wheelie bin also overcomes the problem of privacy, as described on page 5 paragraphs (e), since the adapted wheelie bin will have a lid that can be closed so the contents are concealed from general viewing. The use the adapted wheelie bin also overcomes the problem described on page 5 paragraph(f) that there are so many different recycling boxes and bins adding to the clutter' on peoples properties, the adapted wheelie bin will in effect occupy almost the same square footage as a standard recycling box. Another substantial advantage to the use of my invention would be a possible reduction in the problem listed on page 5 paragraph (g) Local authorities would then be able to collect recycling materials every other week or possibility only having to collect every 3 or 4 weeks thus producing substantial saving on fuel and labour cost whilst also cutting their 02 emissions into the atmosphere from non-weekly collections. Another advantage of the use of my invention would a reduction in the problem described in page 6 paragraphs (i). Local residents would only have to wheel' 1 or 2 wheelie bins back and forth from their property and the public street.

Detailed description of my invention and its construction and with references to the accompanying pictures and figures My invention is a thin shaped plastic sheet insert made of H.D.P.E. plastic with a lid attached by hinges to the top of the insert -as shown in picture 1. The insert is shaped and sized to fit inside the middle centre of a standard wheelie bin. The top of the insert (without the lid) does not exceeding the top of the wheelie bin Attached to the top of the insert is a lid mounted on hinges (marked iii) -shown in picture 1. The hinges only allow the lid to move in a maximum arc of 180 degrees as shown in diagram c. the lid is also made of HDPE plastic. Also attached to the lid are handles (marked (iv) -shown in picture 4 and 5). Picture 2 shows the insert next to a standard wheelie bin. Picture 2 shows where the rubber strips (marked (I) would be located on the insert. The rubber strips marked (i) helps the insert to stay firmly in the middle of the wheelie bin and also helps prevent cross-contamination of the compartments'. Picture 3 (a) 3(b) and 3 (c) shows the insert on its own, and how the lid can be allowed to move from left to right and right to left in a 180 degree arc.

To begin the process of applying the bin insert into the wheelie bin, Picture 8 shows the insert been put into the middle of the bin. The insert is pushed firmly into the middle then using the flexible locks (shown on figure (a) -but not shown on any pictures) the screws will be tightened into the underneath of the bin lip' at points (ii) picture 4.

This allows the insert to be locked into position avoiding any misalignment and movement within the wheelie bin as the bin is been moved or emptied. Once the insert is in place inside the wheelie bin the insert then converts the wheelie bin into compartments (in this case into two compartments) . This allows recycling material to be separated before collection by local authorities. For example one compartment can contain bottles and jars and the other compartment can contain tins. The swing lid can then be used to close one of the compartments, as seen in picture 4 and 5. Also handles (marked (iv) and shown in pictures 4 and 5) assist the lifting and movement of the lid to either side. (Also shown in picture 6) Once the lid is closed on one compartment (in this example the compartment containing the tins) then the lid is locked to that compartment side by the use of flexible plastic locks as shown in figure (b) - (but not shown on any pictures).

(For the purposes of the above example my invention takes into account the fact that of all the recycling material collected by local authorities glass and bottle would be the heaviest recycling material, and therefore using my invention glass and bottles would always be placed in the unsealed open compartment, and would always be emptied first, due to weight.) Once one compartment has been locked, (in this example the compartment containing the tins) then the whole wheelie bin can be lifted (in the conventional way that wheelie bins are currently been emptied by council and private waste trucks) and emptied into the trucks. So in the example I have given the opened compartment' containing the bottles and jars would be emptied first. Once the glass has been cleared then the bin is put down. The lid of the insert that was locked and containing the tins is then unlocked, -the lid is then swung over to the other side of the wheelie bin as shown in figure (c). The compartment (now empty of glass and bottles) can then be locked' and the compartment now containing the tins is now unlocked and free of a lid cover.

This now allows the compartment containing the tins to be emptied using the normal method of emptying wheelie bins as described above. The type of waste truck to use could be a duel container waste truck as used by local authorities to empty entire recycling wheelie bins-as found on larger property estates).

Once the wheelie bin has been emptied of its recycling material it is left near the boundary of the resident and then simply wheeled back onto the resident property by the residents themselves.

Claims (4)

1. Claims 1 a contoured shaped sheet made of HDPE plastic that inserts into the middle of a standard wheelie bin transforming the inside of the wheelie bin into compartments.
2. 2 The insert according to claim 1, is contoured to fit the shape and form the inside middle of a wheelie bin including the base of the bin.
3. 3 The insert according to claim 1, is secured to the wheelie bin by two hinge screws.
4. 4 The insert according to claim 2 has a strip of rubber foam along its two edges and on the bottom of the insert, but not on the top of the insert.the insert according to claim 1, has at the top, hinges, which are attached to a lid that is also made of H.D.P.E plastic 6 The lid according to claim 5, can only swing from left to right and right to left only in a 180 degree movement.7 The lid according to claim 5 is also contoured to fit inside the top of a wheelie bin.8 the lid according to claim 5 has two handles located on both sides of the lid 9 The lid according to claim 5 has two flexible lock clips located on both sides that act to lock the lid to either one or the other side of the wheelie bin lip.