EN 840 Waste Bin Casters: What European Buyers Must Specify

Most European waste container enquiries start with the bin. The buyer knows the volume, the lifting interface and the colour. The casters are left as a line on the drawing. That is where the problems start.

EN 840 tells you what container you are buying. It does not tell you which caster will survive the route, the truck and the wash-down. We make waste bin casters for 120 L, 240 L, 660 L and 1100 L containers. This guide explains what to put in the specification before you approve a sample.

An EN 840 part number tells you more than the volume. It tells you how many wheels the container has, what kind of lid it uses and which lifting interface it is designed for. A 240 L two-wheel bin and a 1100 L four-wheel container are different projects, even when both use 200 mm class casters.

This is why "200 mm caster" is not a specification. The same 200 mm diameter can be rated at 210 kg, 330 kg or 500 kg depending on the core, the tyre compound and the bearing. The container part tells us the job.

Confirm the EN 840 part with the container supplier before you compare prices.

EN 840 is not one document. It is a group of parts:

Parts 5 and 6 are not container types. Part 5 is the test standard. Part 6 covers safety and ergonomics. If a supplier says "EN 840 certified" without naming the part and the test report, ask which document they mean.

EN 840 defines the container type. The caster still has to be specified.

The container size narrows the choice quickly.

A 120 L or 240 L bin is a two-wheel container. The wheels only carry the load when the bin is tipped back, and at that moment one wheel can take most of the weight. These bins normally run without a brake, because the container stands on its own feet when parked.

A 660 L container normally uses an 8 inch (200 mm) PP-core rubber wheel. Our standard rating for that combination is 210 kg per wheel. A common four-wheel set is two braked swivel casters and two unbraked swivel casters. Four swivel casters are also possible. Directional locks can be supplied on the brake plate.

A 1100 L container normally uses a 10 inch iron-core rubber wheel. Our standard rating for that combination is 300 kg per wheel. The same brake choices apply: two braked and two unbraked, or four swivel casters. Directional locks are available.

The 200 mm family covers more than one duty. We rate 200 mm rubber on a PP core at 210 kg, 200 mm rubber on an iron core at 330 kg, and 200 mm PU on an aluminium core at 500 kg. The diameter is the same. The load is not. Never compare two 200 mm casters by diameter alone.

An 8 inch PP-core rubber braked castor for a 660 litre container.

The 200 mm wheel is common on European containers because it rolls over kerbs, drain covers and raised thresholds. A 100 mm wheel can stop dead at the same obstacle. The operator then leans on the bin, the bracket takes a side load, and something bends.

A larger wheel raises the container height and can change the centre of gravity. That matters on a tall 1100 L bin. The right diameter is the one that clears the route without making the container unstable.

The floor decides the tyre. Rubber grips a wet pavement and runs quietly on kerbside routes. PU rolls more easily and carries more load at the same diameter. PP is the low-cost hard wheel for light indoor duty. Nylon is harder and more wear-resistant than PP, but noisier. Cast iron is for high temperature and very heavy loads, not for soft floors.

Add the empty container weight and the maximum load. Divide by the number of wheels, then add a safety margin. On a four-wheel container, assume that only three wheels carry the load on an uneven pavement. On a two-wheel bin, assume that one wheel can take most of the weight when the bin is tipped.

The mounting is part of the specification. Check the bolt hole spacing or plate size, the bolt length and the flatness of the container frame. A bolt that is 5 mm too long bottoms out before it clamps. The caster works loose, the hole in the frame elongates, and the next caster will not sit tight. A plate that does not sit flat bends the bracket every time the bin rolls.

Use the container's existing mounting pattern. Do not redrill a container to fit a cheaper caster.

One case we see is an 1100 L container quoted with 8 inch wheels and the wrong bolt pattern. The wheel matches the drawing, but not the container.

A caster brake holds the container when it is parked. It is not a service brake for slowing a moving bin. Two braked swivel casters and two unbraked swivel casters are the usual setup on a 660 L or 1100 L container. Four brakes make sense on slopes, in vehicles or where a risk assessment requires every wheel to be held. They also take longer to release, and one pedal is easy to leave partly engaged.

A directional lock is different. It stops the swivel head from rotating so the caster tracks straight, but the wheel still rolls. On a 660 L or 1100 L container, directional locks can be fitted on the brake plate. Lock the casters on one side, or both casters at the rear, and leave one caster free to steer. A directional lock is not a parking brake.

Ask whether the brake locks only the wheel or also the swivel head. A total-lock brake holds both; a wheel brake lets the container pivot. For the full layout guide, read Swivel, Rigid or Brake Casters.

A certificate is only useful if you match it to the exact product.

Our 200 mm steel-rim waste container wheel family is covered by a GTS Verification of Compliance, certificate number CCGD23051946906. The certificate was issued on 24 May 2023 and expires on 23 May 2028. The listed test report is TCGD23051946906, and the standard is EN 840-5:2020. The product description covers 200 mm wheels with steel rim for mobile waste and recycling containers. The models listed are V80200PS-IR/BR-R and V80200PB-IR/BR-R.

The same 200 mm family is also available with a PP core. If your order is for the PP-core version, ask for the test report that matches that exact model. Do not assume that a certificate for one core automatically covers the other.

The 10 inch wheel used on the 1100 L container is outside the 200 mm certificate. It needs its own test report. It is the first thing a serious buyer should check.

When you review any certificate, check four things: the product description, the model number, the standard and the expiry date. A certificate that names a different size or a different model is not evidence for your order.

A certificate is a document. A test room is where the document comes from. Our factory in Xiaolan runs dynamic load testing and salt spray testing in house. The load test rig runs the wheel under load on a rotating drum. The salt spray chamber checks the bracket and finish.

They show what was tested, on which model, and when. Ask for the test report, the certificate number and the batch traceability. Keep the documents with the purchase order.

RoHS, REACH and ISO 9001 are separate documents, not one "EN 840 certificate." For the wheel material decision, read Waste Bin Casters.

Dynamic load testing on the rotating drum in the VIMA test room.

The VIMA Castor testing room in Xiaolan.

Send six numbers and one photo. The numbers are the container size or EN 840 part, the weight when loaded, the wheel diameter, the bolt hole spacing or plate size, the surface it runs on and the annual quantity. The photo is the floor, not the product.

Add the lifting interface, the number of brakes, whether you need directional locks, and whether the container is washed down or used at high or low temperature. If you have an existing sample or drawing, send that too.

With those answers, a supplier can recommend a caster that fits the container and the route. Without them, the reply is just a price.

Zhongshan VIMA Metal Productshas made caster wheels for waste containers, industrial equipment, furniture, stainless steel applications and medical equipment in Zhongshan, Guangdong since 2007. Send us the six numbers, the EN 840 part and a floor photo, and we will come back with a specification and a sample.