Short answer: some do, but it’s not universal. If you’re picturing every city trash can with a heavy locking lid, that’s not how most urban systems work. Cities use a mix of open bins, semi-enclosed bins, swing-top lids, and yes, locking or latched lids—depending on where the can is, what kind of scavengers are a problem, and how much the city is willing to spend on maintenance.
Locking lids are most common in places where trash-related problems are intense: parks, transit stations, food courts, beach fronts, alleys with raccoon or rat issues, and areas with bear activity. In those spots, a locking or animal-resistant lid can make a real difference. It keeps raccoons from flipping the lid open, stops gulls and rats from getting an easy meal, and reduces the chance that people will dump household trash or dig through bags. Some designs use a latch, some use a weighted flap, and some use a rotating opening that’s easy for a person to use but hard for an animal to defeat.
That said, plenty of ordinary sidewalk trash cans don’t lock. There are good reasons for that. Public bins need to be easy to use, quick to empty, and cheap to repair. A locking lid can jam, get broken, or be left open by crews. It can also create problems if people can’t open it properly, leading to litter around the can instead of inside it. In busy areas, sanitation workers may need fast access many times a day, so a simple open or swing lid is often more practical.
The bigger point is that a locking lid alone doesn’t make a can scavenger-proof. If the base is cracked, the bag is torn, or the can is overflowing, animals and people will still get in. Cities that really want to keep scavengers out usually combine a secure lid with a sturdy body, a closed bottom, regular emptying, and sometimes a fixed liner or locking bag system. So the honest answer is: yes, some urban trash cans come with locking lids, and they’re increasingly common in problem spots—but they’re not the default everywhere, and they work best as part of a broader waste-management design rather than as a single magic fix.