Street litter bins with lids

In terms of the aesthetics of public space, street litter bins with lids stand out for their more refined, distinctive form, which blends well with modern street furniture schemes. The lid does more than protect the contents from rain and snow: it also gives the bin a distinctive, orderly and polished appearance. The covered version completes the range of street and park litter bins, offering the option that best protects the contents from rain and snow.

These bins are a popular choice for schemes where the visual consistency of the whole street furniture set is especially important to the client. The lid also stops light litter from blowing away in strong winds, which makes it easier to keep the area around the bin tidy, and the more enclosed design makes it harder for animals to get at food waste.

When ordering a street furniture set made up of benches, bike racks and lidded bins from the same design range, clients usually want the whole scheme to have a consistent, uniform character. Repeated details, such as the shape of the lid or the edge finish, make the space look as if it was designed as a whole, rather than filled in over the years with unrelated pieces.

The design of the lid can matter as much to the overall style as the form of the bin itself. A flat lid gives a modern, minimalist look, while an arched or pitched lid suits a classic, traditional setting better. The choice of the right version is best discussed with the designer responsible for the overall landscaping concept for the space.

The extra cost of a lidded version compared with an open model is usually recovered over several years of use, thanks to lower wear on the structure itself. Less exposure to rain and snow slows corrosion, even with a well-protected paint coating, which means longer intervals between surface refurbishments.

In schemes with higher architectural standards, such as new city squares, shopping promenades or prestigious pedestrian routes in city centres, lidded bins are often made to order, with details that match the other street furniture used at the site: from the coating colour and the shape of the legs to the edge finish of the lid.

Public space managers who plan to buy a larger number of these bins for one area also benefit from standardised spare parts. The same liners, the same fixings and the same finishing details make ordering maintenance parts simpler than when one area has many different models from different manufacturers.