That's an excellent and very practical question. It's a common issue in many cities: public bins overflowing because people use them to dispose of their household waste, avoiding disposal fees. The good news is, yes, there are specific urban trash bins designed with locking mechanisms to deter this exact problem.
These are often called "anti-dumping" or "secured litter" bins. The locking feature typically involves a lid that requires a key, a specialized tool, or a mechanism only the collection crew can open. For example, a common design is a bin with a swinging lid that has a lockable hasp. The public can push waste through a small, often weighted or spring-loaded, opening for regular litter like coffee cups or wrappers, but they cannot lift the entire lid to dump a large bag of home trash.
The primary benefit is cost and efficiency savings for municipalities. It reduces contamination, prevents overflow, and ensures the bins serve their intended purpose—collecting street litter. You'll often see these in high-traffic downtown areas, parks, and near apartment complexes where illegal dumping is frequent. While not a complete solution, they are a crucial tool in maintaining cleaner public spaces and managing waste collection routes effectively.