Scarborough man wants green bin redesign as raccoon break-ins continue

Mayor John Tory should wave the white flag of surrender, one Toronto resident says, because unless more security measures are added to the city's new green bins the raccoons will keep on breaking in.

"The raccoons have won, and we might as well admit it," Alan Somerset wrote in an email to Tory's office this week.

The Scarborough resident wants city hall to consider redesigning the bins in wake of the latest breach. He says his green bin one equipped with a tighter lid and stiffer handle, delivered by city staff after CBC Toronto covered his first critter-related complaint was knocked over and opened on the first night he put it out.

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But despite Somerset's concerns, city officials maintain there's no conclusive proof that raccoons can open the new bins, which have been rolling out for the past couple years.

Robert Orpin, Toronto's director of collection and litter operations, says the bins have been a major success, and that the city's only received 15 complaints about creatures getting in.

"It seems a bit odd," he said.

"We have over 400,000 of them and only one is not working properly."

Orpin says he's even open to going to Somerset's house to check out the problem himself. Anyone else who thinks raccoons are getting into their organics should call 311, he said.

'I'm not going to let them win'

Somerset is already tinkering with new designs. His latest idea is a spring-loaded clip that will hold the handle in place, even if raccoons manage to knock the 97-litre bin over. If that doesn't work, he'll try bungee cords, and maybe even a chain and padlock in the future.

"Now, as I say, it's a challenge and I'm not going to let them win," he said.

Somerset says he'd like to see the city do some research on bins that work like child-proof medicine containers, or have some combinations of buttons to press to get in.

"There needs to be some skill involved," he said.

Orpin says four years of design work including, yes, letting raccoons try their hardest to get in went into whatTorontonianspull to the curb every week. Thebins are also said to have adecade-long lifespan.

"Right now, we're not looking at making any changes to it," he said.

Meanwhile, Somerset says if he does find a cheap fix that actually works, he won't be filing a patent and would gladly help anyone else dealing with a similar issue. When asked if a solution would merit a statue in this city, Somerset laughs.

"No, no. The raccoons will come and knock it over!"