Tips for protecting your green bins, and the critters who invade them

Dealing with the green bin can be unpleasant. The smell can be strong, especially in hot weather. Most people regard the green bin as a small sacrifice, but the smell can be dangerous for the critters it attracts and the homeowners who find them.

Hope Swinimer is the founder of Hope for Wildlife, a charitable rehabilitation and education organization that has rescued and released over 80,000 wild animals representing over 250 species.

“It’s the time of year where raccoons want to climb into your green bin,” Swinimer said. “They get in there in there and it’s incredibly hot and serious harm can come to the raccoon.”

Swinimer said that decomposing food emits gases and odors that are disorienting to racoons. To keep themselves and the local wildlife safe, Swinimer recommends some “preventive medicine”. She said a thick bungee cord will keep most raccoons out.

“It’s important to place your bins strategically,” Swinimer said. “Don’t put it up against a fence because the raccoons will climb the fence.”

Swinimer said Hope for Wildlife probably had more than a dozen calls in the last week. “These are all preventable cases.”

Swinimer said if you find a raccoon in your bin and it’s only been a few hours, you can tip the bin on its side. If the raccoon cannot get out, she recommends Calling Hope for Wildlife for assistance.

Green bin safety tips:

• Use a thick bungee cord
• Place bin strategically
• Tip the bin
• Call help

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