Raccoons are better at this than you are. Plan accordingly — and understand what your hauler will and will not empty before you spend anything.
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Six outdoor cans on construction, lid design and what your hauler will lift.
Top pick: Toter Heavy Duty Two-Wheel Trash Cart, 64 Gallon
$186.65 · 10% off · Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money
Straps and cans compared — and why the cheapest option is usually the answer.
Top pick: Encased Trash Can Lock, Bungee Cord (30-50 gallon cans)
$19.99 · 15% off · Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money
Four straps and locks on fit range, materials and winter survival.
Top pick: Blazer Brand Strong Strap Lid Lock Kit
Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money
Why retrofits mostly do not work, what certification means, and the routine.
Top pick: ANKS Bear and Raccoon Proof Trash Can Lock
$16.99 · 44% off · Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money
What each cart size holds, which your hauler lifts, and the practical limits.
Five wheeled cans on construction, warranty and the axle that actually fails.
Top pick: Toter Heavy Duty Two-Wheel Trash Cart, 64 Gallon
$186.65 · 10% off · Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money
Five enclosures on what they actually fit, and the lift-lid detail that matters.
Top pick: Keter Store-It-Out MIDI Outdoor Resin Storage Shed
Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money
Five options, including the digester that removes the storage problem entirely.
Top pick: Doggie Dooley In-Ground Pet Waste Disposal System
Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money
The two standard curbside cart sizes compared on footprint, full weight and driveway slope.
Top pick: Toter Heavy Duty Two-Wheel Trash Cart, 64 Gallon
$186.65 · 10% off · Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money
Four wheeled 32-gallon cans ranked on lid attachment, wheel size and bag removal.
Top pick: Toter Heavy Duty Two-Wheel Trash Cart, 32 Gallon
$146.00 · 7% off · Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money
Four cans in the 45-gallon bracket, ranked on lid security, wheels and winter durability.
Top pick: NATUREPON 45 Gallon Wheeled Outdoor Trash Can with Locking Lid
Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money
Three carts at the largest standard curbside size, ranked on build and how they steer when full.
Top pick: Toter Heavy Duty Two-Wheel Trash Cart, 96 Gallon
Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money
Five patio cans ranked on footprint, lid latching and whether they read as furniture.
Top pick: Suncast Trash Hideaway Refuse Container, 33 Gallon
Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money
Certified bear-resistant carts ranked on size, latch and whether your hauler can still collect them.
Top pick: Alpine Bear Proof Garbage Can, IGBC Certified, 197 Gallon
Four cans for the hardest room to keep a can in, ranked on seal, capacity and the trip to the curb.
Top pick: Rubbermaid Commercial BRUTE 32 Gallon Vented Container
Rotational molding against commercial polyethylene, in the two carts most likely to end up on your curb.
Top pick: Toter Heavy Duty Two-Wheel Trash Cart, 96 Gallon
Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money
Five cans with the latch built in - ranked by what the lock actually resists, from wind to bears.
Top pick: NATUREPON 45 Gallon Wheeled Outdoor Trash Can with Locking Lid
Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money
What IGBC certification does and does not promise, how containers get tested, and which carts carry it.
Top pick: Alpine Bear Proof Garbage Can, IGBC Certified, 197 Gallon
Six commercial-grade containers compared on venting, rims, wheels and auto-lifter ratings - and why none of them includes a lid.
Top pick: Rubbermaid Commercial BRUTE 32 Gallon Vented Container
Why empty carts blow over and full ones do not, and the six fixes in order of cost - from timing to a strap to a different cart.
Top pick: Blazer Brand Strong Strap Lid Lock Kit
Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money
Five cans for leaves, clippings and garden debris compared on venting, wheels and how easily a soaked bag lifts out.
Top pick: Rubbermaid Commercial BRUTE 32 Gallon Vented Container
Six outdoor cans under $100 compared on wheels, venting, locking lid and looks - with the live price and capture date on every row.
Top pick: NATUREPON 45 Gallon Wheeled Outdoor Trash Can with Locking Lid
Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money
Seven trash can covers and under-can mats compared on fit, closure and what each one honestly does - including two cut for Suncast hideaways.
Top pick: Tanlade 2 Pcs 32 Gallon Stretch Spandex Trash Can Covers, Round, Black
Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money
What your hauler collects, and how. It decides most of the rest.
Many American households are on automated collection — a truck with a mechanical arm that grips a cart by its body and tips it. Those trucks are built around specific cart profiles, usually 32, 64 and 96 gallons, and an arm cannot grip an old-fashioned round can with a loose lid. If you are on automated collection, the can is effectively chosen for you and the only real decision is the size.
Two things follow that people find out the hard way. A strap or a lid lock may stop the arm working, in which case your cart goes unemptied and you still have the raccoon problem plus a week of trash. And if your municipality issues carts, buying your own may be wasted money — check first. Sizes and what each one means in practice.
There is a hierarchy here and marketing copy blurs it. A raccoon opens a can by putting its weight on the rim and levering the lid; it has hands and it is patient. A bear does not lever, it crushes and tears, and nothing sold as raccoon-proof will stop one.
| Threat | What actually works | What does not |
|---|---|---|
| Crows, squirrels | Any lid that stays on — an attached hinged lid is enough | Loose lids resting on a rim |
| Raccoons | A tensioned strap or a latching lid, consistently fitted | Weight on the lid, bungees left slack, ammonia |
| Dogs (yours or a neighbor's) | A latch or a can they cannot tip | Anything that relies on the can staying upright |
| Bears | A certified bear-resistant container, and a routine change | Straps, enclosures, bleach, motion lights |
The cheapest thing that works is usually a strap on the can you already own, which is why our raccoon page starts there rather than with a new can. The catch is compliance: a strap only works if every person in the household re-fits it every single time, and that is a bigger ask than it sounds.
This is the half of the problem nobody plans for. A cart standing at the side of the house for six days is the thing that attracts animals, holds heat, and looks bad from the kitchen window. An enclosure solves the look and the wind, and partially solves the animals — a resin cabinet with unlocked doors is a deterrent, not a barrier, and we say so plainly on the enclosures page.
If the can lives in a garage rather than outside, the problem changes shape entirely: no rain, no animals, but no airflow and a lot of heat. That case has its own page. And if what goes in it is dog waste, site it away from windows and size it small, because a small can emptied often smells far less than a large one that sits.
One more distinction worth having before you buy anything for bear country: bear-resistant vs bear-proof. Only one of those terms describes a tested standard, and knowing which is the whole of that purchase.
The most reliable setup is a rotationally molded cart with an attached hinged lid plus a tensioned strap. The hinged lid removes the easy win, the strap defeats the levering. A latching resin can is the next best thing if a cart does not suit the space. Our picks are here.
Yes, when they are actually fitted. A tensioned bungee defeats the lever-with-bodyweight method that raccoons use. The failure mode is human rather than mechanical — one person in the household who does not re-fit it undoes the whole thing. Which straps last.
Thirty-two gallons suits one or two people, 64 suits a typical family, and 96 is for households that would otherwise put two cans out. Check your hauler accepts the size first — not all collect 96s. Sizes explained.
Yes — a certified bear-resistant latch stops everything smaller. It is overkill and considerably more expensive if bears are not a genuine risk where you live, and the latch is deliberately harder for you to open as well.
Physically yes, but check with your hauler before you do. Automated collection arms cannot open a latched or strapped lid, so a locked cart may simply be skipped. Some haulers will hand-empty on request; many will not.
