What type of street bin and what standards apply to public spaces?
The use of wheeled bins in public spaces or for private residences is now standard practice for organized waste collection. However, it's essential to understand what is legally permitted on public roads and the quality and handling standards these wheeled bins must meet for garbage trucks. Voussert offers a wide range of four-wheeled wheeled waste containers for waste collection, incorporating recycling options with colored lids and seals adapted to different types of waste. Let's review the standards and requirements before you make a purchase, as well as the manufacturing process.
Where and how is an urban rolling container bin manufactured?
Manufacturing a bin is actually quite simple. It consists of a polyethylene container , a hinged lid , and two or four wheels . The container is injection molded . The key to the bin's quality is, of course, the quality of the raw material , and therefore the polyethylene used . Just like with a garbage bag or any plastic material, depending on whether it's made from virgin or recycled PE, the quality of the plastic , its durability, UV resistance, impact resistance, etc., will be entirely dependent on the raw material. So, finding an inexpensive wheeled bin is now possible, but what about the bin's quality?
There are 4 wheels, so generally at least one with a brake on capacities of 600 / 770 / 1000 Liters and 2 wheels with a metal axle on volumes less than 340 litres.
The manufacturing countries are essentially countries with industrial expertise in plastics processing, such as Spain, Turkey, China...
Protect your bin and make it easier to clean
Maintaining your bin will ensure hygiene and, above all, prevent odor problems. The best way to guarantee this hygiene is to use protective liners placed inside the bin. These polyethylene liners are available in low-density or high-density polyethylene and in various thicknesses. The liner can be considered single-use and disposed of with the waste during collection by the garbage truck, or it can be reused several times in the same container.
This cover is not designed to remove the bag containing the waste, but rather to protect the bin and prevent tedious cleaning. However, regular maintenance using a disinfectant detergent and, if necessary, a pressure washer or a washing station installed in the garbage room is the most effective solution.
Is my municipality required to provide me with a rolling container?
As part of waste collection, it is generally the responsibility of municipalities and/or inter-municipal authorities to provide wheeled bins for organized waste collection. This provision is often included in the contract between the waste collection company and the local authority. This facilitates standardization of collection, particularly regarding bin sizes, colors, and lifting mechanisms.
Why do I have to bring my wheeled bin inside and not leave it in the street?
Users are obligated to follow the sorting instructions (hence the importance of implementing them), and it is strictly forbidden to leave waste outside of designated containers. As a reminder, fines for littering on public roads range from €135 to €35 for non-compliance with recycling regulations. The same applies to your garbage bin, which must not remain permanently on the public road under penalty of a fine.
Waste container and NF EN-840 standard 1 to 6
This standard is the primary regulation of this very large market, which includes a significant number of manufacturers and a wide range of quality levels. The safety of our wheeled waste containers designed for urban waste collection is controlled in accordance with standards NF EN-840 1 to 6. Points 1 to 4 concern the standards identifying dimensional dimensions.
Points 5 and 5/A1 relate to performance requirements and test methods.
Points 6 and 6/A1 relate to hygiene and safety requirements.
Container tank volume
There are several standard sizes for garbage containers. The two-wheeled container is the most common and is often provided for domestic use by municipalities or waste collection companies. Available sizes are 80, 90, 120, 240, and 340 liters. The most common garbage container, especially for residential use, is the 240-liter size, which corresponds to the average volume. The other standard is the four-wheeled garbage container, available in 660, 770, and 1000-liter capacities. The amount of waste and the available space will, of course, determine the size of your garbage container.
Sizes from 90 to 340 litres are often used for individuals, small businesses or building management companies.
Sizes over 600 liters are generally geared towards large communities, industries, etc.
The different volumes of garbage containers
80 and 120 litre rubbish container: Ideal for small households or offices.
240 and 340 litre rubbish container: Perfect for average families or small businesses.
660-litre rubbish container: Often used in communities and businesses.
770-litre waste container: Designed for large quantities of waste
1000-litre waste container: Industries and large communities
Type of connection for the wheeled rubbish container
There are different types of sockets for rolling containers.
The type of opening (front or with a belly bar) is directly related to the collection method in place in your municipality. It is essential to confirm which type of opening is required or accepted before choosing your waste container.
In this case, the ventral grip with the AFNOR ventral bar is not mandatory and remains dependent on whether or not the collection organization requires it. Otherwise, in most cases, the standard version with direct grip on the container is sufficient.
Protective covers are available to avoid the tedious task of washing the containers. These covers are often incorrectly called "container bin bags," but their function is indeed that of a cover to protect the container and prevent tedious cleaning.
4-wheeled garbage container
For four-wheeled containers, due to their greater volume and weight, there are two types of emptying options. Emptying is via DIN rails, referred to as a side opening, which is standard on all our four-wheeled models. Emptying is via a front opening using the AFNOR-compliant metal front bar, which remains an option and is directly dependent on the waste collection service.
Recycling and the rubbish container
The rubbish container is equipped with a coloured lid allowing for selective sorting of waste.
The standard colors are dark grey/green/yellow and blue lids.
We can manufacture custom-colored lids on request, starting from 40 units, upon request and quote.
The color yellow is generally reserved for plastic and metal waste.
The blue color of cardboard
The color green is for waste such as glass or metal.
There are many other colors, but these three colors are the three main flows found in most municipalities or groups of municipalities.
Beyond the colour, the lid can be fitted with a specific opening (bottle, paper...etc) to emphasize the notion of sorting.
What material is the rubbish container made of?
As we explained earlier, garbage containers are generally made of plastic (HDPE). However, some can be made of metal. Each has its advantages, although plastic is the most common.
Rossignol containers are made of UV-resistant HDPE, which is the point that can cause breakage over time on the tank or lid.
Plastic: Lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and often less expensive. They are ideal for home use, but also for public or industrial applications, provided that a superior quality of plastic is chosen, as offered by Voussert in its wide range.
Metal: More robust, they are suitable for heavy waste or harsh environments. They are not very common because they are more expensive and require more maintenance.
Resistance to climatic conditions
Containers must be able to withstand the elements. Voussert containers are made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and are often treated to resist UV rays and extreme temperatures, thus guaranteeing increased longevity.