How to Secure Garbage Cans Outside | Stop Wind & Animals

A secure outdoor garbage can is one that combines smart placement with a lid restraint like a bungee cord, plus an anchor to a fixed structure if wind or animals are persistent problems.

An overturned trash can is a mess nobody wants to clean up. Whether it’s wind, raccoons, or just a bump from the garbage truck, the fix usually comes down to three things: where you put the can, how you hold the lid on, and whether you tie the whole bin to something solid. The good news is that you don’t need a specialized enclosure to solve this — a trip to the hardware store and ten minutes of work will handle most situations.

Where Should You Keep Your Trash Cans?

Placement is the easiest and cheapest step. Put your cans in a sheltered area — beside the house, behind a sturdy fence, or near the garage. A spot that blocks direct wind and is less visible to animals or passersby automatically reduces two of the three main problems. Avoid leaving empty bins in the middle of an open yard on a breezy day; that’s when they become projectiles. If you have multiple cans, cluster them together so they brace each other.

How to Hold the Lid On With a Bungee Cord

The most concrete DIY method requires a 30-inch bungee cord with hooks on both ends and two ¾-inch screw eyes per trash can. Place the can against a sturdy wall or fence. Mark the screw-eye locations so the bungee is slightly stretched when hooked across the lid. Drill pilot holes, twist in the screw eyes, then hook each end of the cord over the can’s lid and into the screw eyes. The tension keeps the lid from popping off in gusts or during a raccoon investigation.

If you don’t want to drill into a wall, D-rings mounted on the side of a house work the same way, using two bungee cords per can. For cans that already sit against a fence, you can hook the bungee directly around a fence post instead of installing screw eyes. Just make sure the post is solid enough to resist the pull. A cargo strap or rope is a fine alternative to a bungee cord — the principle is the same: tight, fixed tension across the lid.

When You Need to Anchor the Whole Can

For persistent wind or determined animals, securing the lid alone isn’t enough. You can tether the bin itself to a porch column, a deeply set fence post, or a sturdy railing using a strong rope, strap, or chain. Another option is to strap multiple bins together — their combined mass makes them much harder to tip. On the permanent end, you can bolt a metal trash can to a concrete pad using lag bolts or concrete screws (you’ll need a masonry drill bit for the pilot holes), or bury the can partway in the ground with gravel or sand for stability, leaving only the lid or a grate exposed at ground level.

A lighter but effective option: hook one end of a bungee to the handle of the can and the other end to the fence post or wall mount. Our roundup of the best backyard garbage cans includes models that already have lid-lock grooves and tie-down points, which makes any of these DIY methods easier from the start.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The most frequent error is leaving bins empty and loose in an exposed area — a single gust is all it takes. Relying only on a light lid without any restraint is another. When using a bungee or strap, insufficient tension leaves slack that animals can work under. Placing bins where they can be easily grabbed or knocked over, or choosing a flimsy storage setup that can’t handle weather, wastes the effort. Finally, if you drill into your house, fence, or concrete, use proper pilot holes and the right fasteners to avoid splitting wood or damaging siding.