The last thing any of us wants to see on our way out to work in the morning is garbage strewn across the driveway.
When this happens once in a while, it’s annoying, for sure. But, it’s not enough to make any significant changes to the household garbage routine. However, every month or worse, every week or even a few days in a row… Something has to change.
The best way to keep the raccoons out of your garbage is to use a locking lid.
Some garbage cans will come with their locking mechanism. Otherwise, some locks are easy to install and use. They are enough of a deterrent to keep raccoons away indefinitely when used properly.
It is also a very good idea to have the lid of your thick plastic cans attached to a hinge of some sort. This will limit the vantage of entry into the can to one side whereas the standard separate round lid will be able to remove from every angle. This also makes the lock you install that much more effective. If you don’t have a hinged lid, don’t worry. There are still effective ways of discouraging our masked neighbors from trashing our driveways.
It is a good idea to have a sturdy garbage can made with thick plastic material. Raccoons have been known to chew through some softer plastic cans. To this I say that the thicker and more dense the plastic material the more of a deterrent the can itself will be.
Many would suggest a metal can at this point. Indeed, raccoons will not be able to chew through a metal can. However, metal cans are easily dented and will wear worse than a good plastic garbage can. With the thicker plastic cans, the raccoons will give up and move on.
Other Deterrents
I have seen it suggested that you might use ammonia in your garbage bags or in the can itself. While it is true that the raccoons don’t like the smell, you will be surprised at times at how much they are willing to tolerate if they believe you have something worth their while in your garbage. Secondly, you won’t like the smell either. Further, I doubt the men who come for your garbage pickup are going to find the smell any better than the raccoons will. Lastly, it’s a lot of work keeping up with household chemicals in your garbage situation. A simple lock is the best deterrent.
When it comes to raccoons, a bungee-style lock will do the trick
One product, in particular, is the Lid Loc which you can find on Amazon.com.
The design is a simple but effective one with an easy installation.
Another similar option is the Strong Strap model
This product is universal and will do a very good job keeping most animals, including raccoons out of your trash containers.
The idea is that the raccoons will become frustrated with the lack of easy access and will not return for another try until they feel desperate. They will move on to another set of neighborhood garbage cans that are not quite as well equipped.
If you have and intend to keep the traditional trash container with a detachable round lid, there are some locking recommendations for your situation as well.
Doggy Dare Trash Can Lock – fits 33 Gallon Trash cans
Doggy Dare comes in various sizes. This type of lock takes two hands to manipulate but, it does a good job and is a cheaper alternative to buying a new trash container. It is reasonably priced as well.
Finding the Right Garbage Container
If you find that it’s time to take a look at a better trash container, I would like to share with you that I use a Toter Residential Heavy Duty 2-Wheeled Trash Can with Attached Lid, 96-Gallon, Greenstone which can be found at Home Depot and Amazon.com
It has a more expensive retail price attached to it than most. However, in the end, buying the right can once is cheaper than weaker cans several times. I have had my Toter Trash Can for 10 years. It has some racoon teeth marks in it. But, it’s still solid and going as strong as the day I bought it.
Smaller cans made of thinner material are okay for recycling and for dry trash like that from your garage or shop. When it comes to keeping the animals out of your kitchen scraps, bigger and stronger is the way to go. To be clear, the middle size can be shown below (64 gallons) is plenty big for the average family of 3-4 people. I went to the next size up as we did tend to have gatherings at our house, pre-Covid-19.
A good middle-of-the-road model is the Rubbermaid Commercial Products FG9W2700GRAY BRUTE Rollout Heavy-Duty Wheeled Trash/Garbage Can, 50-Gallon. Rubbermaid is a well-known manufacturer. Though it is made of softer material and will not likely last as long as the Toter, it is still a dependable buy. This product is also available at Home Depot and Amazon.com
Both of these models will work well with the Lid Loc container locking product.
— Trash Container Sizing —
For those of you living in more rural areas where bears are a regularly visiting the neighborhood, there is an impressive bear-proof model made by Toter. I have attached their video of a very convincing demonstration.
The proof of the strength of this container is made obvious. Bears and raccoons alike, will just give up and walk away to the neighbor’s lesser equipped garbage can while remembering the struggle it had at your house.
This model is available on Amazon.com
So, were all agreed, I’m sure, that none of us wants to be picking up trash off the driveway all too often. That said, it is good to know that there are some things that we can do preemptively to remedy the situation beforehand.
I hope you found this helpful. I wish you the best of luck with all your household pursuits
Berk