TikTok has only just learned why certain bins look this way, and it makes so much sense

A TikTok is going around of someone saying they’ve only just learned why some bins in the UK look a certain way, and I’ve never even thought about it before now. The design seems so obvious when you know the very serious reason behind it.

Right now, we’re in an era of questions about the designs of things, and what things actually do going viral. People have questioned why toilet doors have gaps at the bottom, why there are holes in car doors, and even what the tiny holes on the back of an iPhone are there for. They are all things you might have never even looked twice at, but they have very distinct reasons behind why they’re like that.

Now, those questions have moved over to TikTok – and the post about bins is going viral. “After seven years of living here, I just learned why the bins at UK train stations are like this,” the post said. Attached was a photo of a clear bin bag, held up by a just a lid attached to the wall.

@ellayyayy

It’s the simple changes like this that make you wonder why the states fights so hard not to change things

♬ Beauty And A Beat – Justin Bieber

So, why do certain bins look this way?

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The design is all for safety reasons. Many stations use see-through plastic bin bags that are suspended from hoops so that security staff and passengers can easily spot suspicious or unattended packages. You can always see exactly what is inside these bins.

Also for security reasons, there tend to be less bins at stations and some operators have a “carry on carry off” policy, where it’s encouraged that customers take rubbish away with them and dispose in a bin after travelling.

This stems from the 1990s, and when there were more bombings across the UK. Devices have previously been left in bins, for example a 1991 attack at Victoria station happened when a bomb was planted in a bin. When it went off, it killed one and injured 38 others.

At first, the policy was “no bins no bombs” and most bins were completely removed. But ahead of the 2012 Olympics, in London in particular, more bins were needed to be in place. Now, you see the clear bags hanging from hoops or lids attached to the wall. It makes a lot of sense.

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