AN UPGRADE TO THE CONVENTIONAL

The Prop-A-Lid also comes in a range of different lid colours.

EASYQUIP’S PROP-A-LID BUILDS ON THE COMPANY’S SUCCESS WITH FRONT LIFT LID SYSTEMS, ALLOWING USERS TO RAISE BIN LIDS SAFELY AND WITH EASE.

Designed in 1994 by Easyquip Founder and CEO Greg Beer, the Easylid system has been embraced by Australian waste collection companies, with more than 35,000 units sold to date.

A single-piece, counterweighted plastic lid, the Easylid system was a welcome upgrade to traditional bin covers. Now Easyquip has used its experience for a more modernised design, the Prop-A-Lid.

General Manager Jeff Grace says the Easylid is still available, however that product is no lighter to operate than conventional bin lids.

“We realised that a lot of people in the industry required assistance to operate existing bins,” Jeff says. “We aimed to lower the weight and force required to raise the lid. By using a spring, the Prop-A-Lid doesn’t add any additional weight to the bin. It requires approximately half the force to open, compared to other solid lid bins.”

The Prop-A-Lid replaces a solid steel counterweight with two springs mounted on the underside of the lid.

Jeff says that traditional lid designs, which use lid stays mounted on the outside of the bin, can pose health risks to users.

“Bin lids are often quite heavy and awkward to open. Even with the standard two-piece lids, people

“With its spring mounts, the Prop-A-Lid provides a more durable design. We were really looking for a system which solved the ratchet structure, moved the lid stay away, but still maintained the same prop system people are already familiar with.”

Jeff Grace, Easyquip General Manager

often struggle to open or close them and because they are struggling they don’t always operate the prop mechanism safely,” he says. “Which has led to people dropping the lid and injuring their fingers, and in severe cases, cutting them off.”

Jeff says because traditional lids are only supported from one side, they can also be exposed to twisting and breakages.

“This is a maintenance issue and when they start to fail, they become more difficult for customers to use. With its spring mounts, the Prop-A-Lid provides a more durable design. We were really looking for a system which solved the ratchet structure, moved the lid stay away, but still maintained the same prop system which people are already familiar with.”

Jeff says that the Prop-A-Lid is also suitable for environments such as schools, where safety and ease of use is of paramount importance. The lid’s full width design means that odours are kept in, while vermin and the weather are kept out.

The Prop-A-Lid is also manufactured in Australia, meaning they are purpose-built for Australian waste collection companies.

Easyquip designs, manufactures, and delivers waste handling equipment throughout Australia, predominantly for waste collection businesses.

Since its inception in 1993, the company has grown to employ more than 60 people across two sites. One of which being a manufacturing plant which was opened in June 2017 in Brisbane, to support the production of products such as the Prop-A-Lid.

Because it is purpose-built, the Prop-A-Lid offers flexibility for existing bin owners. It can be retrofitted, with complete kits providing mechanisms and essential parts. All that’s required is some cutting and welding. Additional customisation options are also available.

“They are available in the commonly used bin colours such as black, red, blue, lime green and yellow,” Jeff says. “We can also do custom colours, subject to minimum requirements.”

Easyquip is trialling a new recycling process, using a local plastic supplier to create a resin from old and unusable plastic bin lids.

“Once the lids have been received by the supplier this plastic is shredded, washed and grinded, mixed with black colour pigment and in some cases reused,” Jeff says.

He says that Easyquip will consider expanding the service, to increase the ratio of recycled to virgin materials in each lid, as well as increasing the number of colours which can contain the recycled material

“Right now, we can use 25 per cent recycled material, with the remainder being virgin materials. That recycled content is only used in our black lids.”

The Prop-A-Lid replaces the old counterweight design, with two side-mounted springs.

For more information, visit: www.easyquip.com.au