Hello! I had to move to a place with a very steep driveway. I can barely get up and down it safely. Thankfully, the garage is flat, so I can load my chair into the car and live life just fine.

Unfortunately, I have no clue how to get my bins to the curb. Any advice?

I have written a guide on taking out the trash, but that has more to do with getting the trash into the bin – not getting the bin to the curb. I don’t have a steep driveway, but my driveway is inclined so here’s my advice. For the sake of simplicity, I’m assuming you’re a manual wheelchair user capable of propelling yourself in your chair.

Use the Weight of the Bin to Glide Down the Driveway

When I take the bins out, I grab the bin by the bar on the back, tilt it towards me onto its wheels and let the weight of the bin pull me forward while I guide it down the driveway. For an extremely steep driveway, you probably won’t have to lift the bin all the way back before it begins to pull you forward. If you feel like you’re starting to lose control of the bin, tilt forward until it’s on the ground and use your free hand to stop your chair.

Getting the Bins Back Inside

This is going to be the hard part. When I pull my bins in, my driveway is flat enough that I can simply grab the bin with one hand, tilt it onto its wheels, and pull my chair backwards up the driveway with my other hand. The weight of the bin (even empty) keeps my chair from spinning while I maneuver with one hand. From the sounds of it, your driveway may be too steep for that, so you’re gonna have to spend some time practicing until you figure out a system that works for you.

Alternative Approaches

If it’s not the angle of the driveway that’s the issue, but the weight of a full bin, you might want to consider using a smaller trash bin. There’s also the option of putting your trash at the curb in bags instead of using the bin, but:

  1. That would mean getting up early to avoid leaving your bags out overnight where critters could get to them.
  2. A lot of cities frown on this and may even charge you money for collecting trash not inside a bin.

You May Not Be Able to Do this Alone

Safety is important here: you don’t want the bin tipping you over or dragging you into the street. If you can’t come up with a system that works for you, you may need to ask for help from someone you live with or a neighbor.