Substitute for outdoor garbage can lid

mm · 2009-09-14T04:12:24+00:00

For once I was went out just an hour after my garbage was collected,and no one was out there, and yet this was the day my lid disappeared.I've waited a week for it to return, but I don't think it knows theway. I want to make a substitute. For a previous plstic can, I just made alid out of T1-11, and it's pretty good when I set in the right place.I might even put little brackets on it to keep the lid in place. I have more t1-11, but this can is thinner and it doesn't seemappropriate. So I thought of some material, the blue woven tarps, ora piece of canvas, or some other fabric, or part of my old convertibletop (which I'm saving for something more important). I would sew ahem around the whole edge, with a bungy cord inside. I already havethe cord. It should take about 20 minutes total, maybe less, sincethe sewing machine is out right now. BUT, WHAT ABOUT MICE???? Will they go right through the fabrics Ihave in mind. I especially wanted to use the blue polypropylene?woven tarp material because I have scraps of that the right size.What about vinyl window screen, or aluminum window screen. Thosewon't suppress smells, but even the garbage rarely smells much formore than a day or two, and I have no neighbor for the next 4 monthsor more, and then it will be cold. But the mice have better smellers.But will the mouse chew through aluminum screen? I could even makeit two layers, plastic to keep the smell in, and window screen to keepthe moouse out. Thanks for any helpful replies.

Sep 14, 2009 24 Replies

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mm 16 years ago

Well, I had a meeting tonight next door to home depot and I ran in.

My probably 32-gallon garbage can has NO brand name on it, somehow, but it looked just like some 45 gallon garbage cans with the Rubbermaid name on it. (Mine actually has a non-wrinkled area on the front with no name embossed there!)** I measured it with my arm, and theirs is a lot bigger than mine. The clerk thought they sold metal lids separately but only metal. But I have to find a store or website that sells the right size first.

But if you bought Rubbermaid separately recently, I'm on the right trail.

**A couple of my neigbhors have the same size. I'll have to go look if they have a brand name next garbage day. But they weren't around when my lid went missing. Their cans and lids were lying in their yards. I went out within an hour of the garbage collection. No one was around except the garbage men.... at least that I saw.

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aemeijers 16 years ago

Did the next guy downstream from you (as the packer truck drives) maybe have an EXTRA lid you didn't notice? Maybe the guy on the back forgot to let go....

-- aem sends...

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gwandsh 16 years ago

Buy a new can with a hinged lid and wheels.

Cut large holes in the bottom of the old can, invert it and use it as a composter. No waste, and a positive ending.

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gwandsh 16 years ago

I am pretty sure both Lowes and Home Despot have stacks of lids-only. Get one and use a big marker to put you street address on it. In our neighborhood, we need to use (indentical) supplied garbage and recycling containers. Everybody has theirs marked with their street number.

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mm 16 years ago

That's a very good point. I looked in that direction but I didn't think of that or look harder. I'll check it out some more. Thanks

P&M because it's been a few days.

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