Living roof bin store

[feb1982]

I have seen a few of these around and they look great but the only ones I've found to buy are so expensive! Does anyone have any recommendations? I'm relatively practical but not looking to build one myself although I know it can be done! It would just be for two standard sized wheelie bins.

And once they're set up are they low maintenance (if you just go for a sedum type room). Thank you

I have one, it was installed 2 years ago as part of a bigger project (we had one put on the kitchen extension roof). IIRC ours was supplied by the Green Roof Company.

I wish I could say it’s low maintenance, but sadly our bin store one seems to attract a lot of tall weeds which I keep trying to get rid of. It’s tricky as if you just pull them out, the whole cell comes with it so you have a whole in the coverage. I’m hoping it will sort itself out in summer - sedums need very little water, so weeds usually die of thirst when it’s very dry but the sedum thrives.

Also foxes seem to enjoy pooing on it. Although this doesn’t happen very often, it’s still pretty gross picking it up. But then again they also poop on my patio, so maybe they would have pooped on a normal bin roof.

You can pay someone to do the maintenance, but I’m thrifty so do it myself.

Our kitchen roof meanwhile doesn’t have any weeds (or thankfully fox poop as far as I know), at the moment it’s a lovely dark pink colour with the new sedum shoots. Except for one single very tall daisy growing in the middle, which looks hilarious.

And can I say you’re lucky to have only 2 bins - we have 6!

We had a green roof on an out building - installed by previous owners, it received no attention from us and when we pulled it down - it was still looking full of plants - looked like mose and succulents (which we gave to a neighbour for another living roof). So I don't think low maintenance is impossible, although unhelpfully I don't know any more details. Would like a bin store for the front of the house but it has been suggested they are a good home for rats and they only look a bit better than the bins (IMO)

What on earth are your 6 bins?!

we’re lucky, recycling waste is sorted after collection, so one bin for everything, including hard to recycle plastics. Except no food waste (which goes on my compost heap) and no glass, which I take round to the bottle bank 2-3 times a year. And I deal with garden waste myself.

so that nearly answers my question - you have landfill, garden, recycling, glass, and food … but no. 6?

There are two bins for plastics. Bingo ☺️