Contractors working for Ashburton District Council will resume putting wind straps on wheelie bins next week, with Methven up first on Monday 27 September.

Parts of Ashburton, Rakaia and other townships had wind straps fitted earlier this year and now the remaining parts of the district will be targeted over a two-week period, starting next Monday 27 September.

The wind straps are attached to both yellow recycling wheelie bins and red rubbish wheelie bins and people can clip the lids shut when they roll their bins to the kerb on windy days.

The straps are specially designed to be undone as the bin is picked up and emptied by the collection trucks, ensuring efficient collection. A trial of the straps showed they were 95 per cent effective at keeping lids shut on windy days, even when the bin was blown over. Council’s collection contractor, EnviroWaste, had also reported the straps have worked well since they had been rolled out.

Infrastructure Services Group Manager Neil McCann said that in the two-week period starting Monday 27 September, people will need to put both yellow and red bins out on their usual recycling day, whether they needed emptying or not.

EnviroWaste contractors will be working on the streets, attaching straps or checking bins that have had straps installed.

"Doing these straps on recycling day is the best way to get as many bins as possible, and after Methven on 27 September they will move to Ashburton on 28 September.

"The straps certainly make a difference. Residents can also rest easy on collection day knowing their rubbish and recycling will make it to the truck, instead of blowing down the street when there’s a good nor’wester.”