That's an excellent and practical question. As someone who's managed municipal services in a cold climate, I've seen this issue firsthand. The short answer is: modern plastic urban trash bins are surprisingly resistant to winter cracking, but their performance hinges heavily on the quality of materials and design.
Most city-grade bins are now made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or similar polymers. These aren't your average plastics. Manufacturers specifically formulate them with UV stabilizers and impact modifiers. Think of it as the plastic equivalent of antifreeze—these additives keep the material flexible and prevent it from becoming brittle as temperatures plummet. During deep freezes, a cheap, thin plastic bin might indeed crack if struck, but a robust, rotationally-molded municipal bin is designed to withstand the stress.
The real enemy isn't just the cold itself, but thermal shock. A rapid change—like pouring hot liquid waste into a bin at -20°C—can cause stress. However, quality bins are engineered for this. Their thick, uniform walls and often rounded corners (which distribute stress better than sharp angles) make them resilient. I've seen them coated in ice and still bounce back when emptied by automated truck arms.
Maintenance plays a role too. Bins that are heavily weathered, already sun-damaged, or overfilled with frozen, expanding waste are more vulnerable. So, while no material is utterly indestructible, a well-made urban plastic bin is a tough workhorse. Cities in Scandinavia and Canada rely on them for a reason. The key is investing in bins rated for extreme temperatures, not just the cheapest option. You can generally trust that your city's public works department has (or should have) considered this in their procurement.