The DuraFlex Easy Release Lock
Waste container security has traditionally focused on one question:
How do we stop unauthorised people getting in?
It’s an important consideration.
Locks can help protect waste and recycling streams, reduce contamination, discourage misuse and control access to containers.
But at RWM 2026, DuraFlex introduced a different question into that conversation:
What happens if somebody gets in anyway?
The new DuraFlex Easy Release Lock has been developed to retain the security expected from a commercial waste container during normal use, while introducing an internal release mechanism that allows the lock to be disengaged from inside the container, providing a means of exit.
It’s a simple adaptation to container functionality, but one that encourages us to think differently about what effective container security should achieve.
Container Security Is About More Than Protecting Waste
There are plenty of reasons to control access to a commercial waste container.
Depending on the site and waste stream, an unsecured container can create opportunities for:
- Fly-tipping
- Unauthorised disposal
- Contamination of recycling streams
- Access to valuable recyclable materials
- Pest activity
- Misuse of the container
- Unauthorised public access
For Local Authorities, waste operators and commercial organisations managing large container fleets, those issues can have a direct impact on cost, recycling performance and site management.
As a result, waste container locking systems have become an important part of container specification.
But security shouldn’t be considered from only one direction.
Preventing external access remains important. However, good specification should also consider the consequences if that first line of defence is bypassed.
What Happens If Somebody Enters a Waste Container?
Commercial four-wheeled waste containers aren’t designed for people to enter.
Nevertheless, unauthorised access can occur.
That creates a different type of risk.
A conventional locking system is primarily designed to prevent somebody outside the container from gaining access. If a person has entered before the container is secured, or has otherwise managed to get inside, that same locking functionality can potentially become a barrier to exit.
The design question therefore changes.
Instead of considering only:
Can we prevent unauthorised access?
We can also ask:
If someone does gain access, is there a way for them to get back out?
That thinking sits behind the development of the DuraFlex Easy Release Lock.
Introducing the DuraFlex Easy Release Lock
Launched at RWM 2026, the Easy Release Lock has been designed for commercial waste containers where external access needs to be controlled without overlooking the possibility of somebody becoming trapped inside.
During normal everyday use, the system provides the container security operators expect.
From inside the container, however, an internal release mechanism allows the lock to be disengaged, providing a means of exit.
That creates two distinct functions within the same solution:
From outside: access remains controlled.
From inside: a means of release is provided.
The principle is deliberately simple.
Rather than removing the security benefits of locking a container, the Easy Release Lock adds another consideration to how that security operates.
Security and Safety Don’t Have to Compete
Historically, increasing container security has often meant making access more difficult.
Stronger locks. More controlled access. Fewer opportunities to open the container.
Those measures can be appropriate when the objective is preventing misuse, contamination or unauthorised disposal.
But security and safety don’t necessarily need to work against each other.
The Easy Release Lock demonstrates how a container can remain secured against unauthorised external access while incorporating an additional safeguard should somebody enter.
This reflects a broader principle within good waste container specification:
The best solution considers both the waste stream and the people who may interact with the container.
Protecting Waste and Recycling Streams
The introduction of an internal release doesn’t remove the everyday operational reasons for locking a container.
Controlled external access can still help organisations protect the integrity of their waste streams.
Consider a recycling container intended specifically for cardboard.
If unrestricted access allows general waste, food or other materials to be deposited inside, the value and quality of that recycling stream can be affected.
Similar challenges arise across:
- Dry mixed recycling
- Food waste
- Paper and cardboard
- Commercial general waste
- Dedicated recycling streams
A correctly specified locking system can therefore form part of a wider contamination strategy.
The objective is to make the container available to the people who should be using it while making inappropriate access more difficult.
Reducing Misuse and Unauthorised Access
Container security also plays an important role beyond recycling performance.
Commercial containers located in accessible areas can be vulnerable to unauthorised disposal or general misuse.
This is particularly relevant across environments such as:
- Retail parks
- Residential developments
- Universities and colleges
- Healthcare estates
- Public spaces
- Commercial premises
- Local Authority sites
The appropriate level of security will vary considerably between them.
A container located within a secure industrial compound has a very different risk profile from one positioned within a publicly accessible residential area.
That’s why locking systems should be specified around the environment rather than treated as a universal accessory.
A Practical Upgrade for Existing Container Fleets
One of the most important aspects of the Easy Release Lock is that improved functionality doesn’t necessarily require an entirely new container fleet.
The system has been developed as a practical upgrade for existing commercial waste containers.
That creates an opportunity for fleet managers to review the security of assets already in service.
Rather than waiting until containers reach replacement age, organisations can consider whether their existing locking arrangements still reflect current operational and safety priorities.
This is particularly relevant for large fleets, where wholesale replacement would be both costly and unnecessary if the underlying containers remain serviceable.
The question becomes:
Can we improve the asset we already have?
That principle also connects the Easy Release Lock with IEG’s wider approach to lifecycle asset management.
A container can evolve throughout its working life.
Lids can change.
Apertures can change.
Branding can change.
Locks can change.
Components can be replaced.
And refurbishment can restore the underlying asset.
Upgrading functionality rather than automatically replacing infrastructure can help keep good containers in service for longer.
Explore DuraFlex lids, locks and container accessories
New Containers Should Consider Security From Day One
Retrofit capability is important, but the best time to think about container security is still during initial specification.
Before purchasing a new commercial waste container, consider:
Where will the container be positioned?
Is the area publicly accessible?
Who needs legitimate access?
Staff, residents, collection crews and members of the public may all interact with the asset differently.
What waste stream are you protecting?
Is contamination a significant operational or financial concern?
How frequently will the container be accessed?
A lock that creates unnecessary friction for legitimate users may introduce different operational problems.
What happens if unauthorised access still occurs?
Security measures should consider foreseeable interaction with the container rather than assuming the first barrier will always succeed.
At RWM, we demonstrated the Easy Release Lock fitted to a Continental steel waste container, showing how security can be considered alongside lid configuration, apertures, accessibility and branding as part of the complete specification.
Explore Continental waste containers
Retrofitting Can Be Part of a Wider Fleet Review
For organisations operating hundreds or thousands of containers, reviewing security doesn’t need to happen independently from wider fleet management.
A container audit can identify:
- Existing lock configurations
- Damaged or missing locking components
- Containers positioned in higher-risk locations
- Assets with unrestricted public access
- Opportunities for lid or aperture changes
- Containers requiring refurbishment
- Assets approaching replacement
Security upgrades can then be prioritised according to need.
This creates a much more considered approach than applying the same specification indiscriminately across every container.
Higher-risk environments can receive greater intervention while serviceable assets in controlled locations can remain unchanged.
Small Components Can Change How a Container Performs
One of the recurring themes across our RWM 2026 display was that some of the most influential elements of waste infrastructure are also among the smallest.
A lid can influence what material enters a container.
An aperture can encourage correct segregation.
A drain plug can help deter pest access.
A lock can protect the waste stream.
And now, an internal release mechanism can introduce an additional consideration should somebody gain unauthorised access.
The physical container may remain largely unchanged.
Its functionality doesn’t have to.
That’s why accessories and retrofit components form an important part of waste container lifecycle management.
They allow existing infrastructure to respond to new requirements without automatically starting again.
The RWM Takeaway: Ask One More Question About Container Security
The Easy Release Lock was one of our new product launches at RWM 2026, but the conversation around it goes beyond a single component.
It challenges operators, specifiers and fleet managers to think about container security from both directions.
We should continue asking:
How do we prevent unauthorised access?
But we should also ask:
What happens if somebody gets in?
Effective waste container security should protect the waste stream, support operational requirements and consider the people who may interact with the asset.
The DuraFlex Easy Release Lock introduces a simple additional safeguard into that equation.
Secure from the outside. Releasable from the inside.
Review Your Container Security
If you’re reviewing an existing container fleet or specifying new waste infrastructure, security should form part of the conversation from the outset.
IEG and DuraFlex can support organisations with locking systems, replacement lids, accessories, retrofit components and new Continental containers configured around the requirements of individual sites and waste streams.
Speak to our team about reviewing container security across your fleet.