Surf Coast inventor solving national waste problem

THE Surf Coast Shire is rolling out a new device called Litter Lock, invented by local Jan Juc landscaper Colin Cox, to prevent litter from escaping household bins.

Mr Cox, who has lived on the Surf Coast for more than 25 years, created the Litter Lock out of frustration with the constant issue of litter spillage from wheelie bins.

“I had a bit of a concept and went to Bunnings and bought some metal and bent and twisted it and pulled a few things apart and it worked,” he said. “I’ve lived in Jan Juc for 25 years and got sick of seeing the lids open every day and rubbish blowing everywhere.

“You see it through every suburb of Australia, it’s rubbish day somewhere and the wind’s blowing and it didn’t make sense to me that it was happening and acceptable.”

The Litter Lock is a simple plastic clip that keeps bin lids securely closed until collection. It features a thin plastic arm that is easily installed on the side of the bin.

What sets Litter Lock apart is its unique mechanism that releases the clip only when the garbage truck lifts the bin, ensuring no small parts or reliance on gravity.

The device has been praised by residents, garbage collectors, and the Surf Coast Shire for its simplicity and effectiveness, particularly against cockatoos and in windy conditions.

Mr Cox said there were different issues in different parts of the country.

In central Australia, where a council is presently trialing the Litter Lock, dingoes are the issue; in other parts of the country, it is ibis; sometimes it is simply the wind. Across the Surf Coast Shire, it is cockatoos.

The council ran a trial of various contraptions in 2022, and Cox’s was proved most successful.

“After two years of testing, including a six-month trial in Lorne where cockatoos have been known to scatter rubbish, Litter Lock emerged as the most effective solution,” Mr Cox said.

“Our product was shown to work, the birds couldn’t open the bins, and the residents were rapt.”

“The shire proceeded to order 3,000 units and have since ordered a couple of thousand more.”

Mr Cox is now promoting Litter Lock nationwide and is exploring international markets, with the product already showing positive results in Melbourne, central Australia, and Tasmania.

He advises residents interested in Litter Lock to contact their local councils, as widespread adoption could significantly reduce the environmental and financial costs of litter management.