Renting a dumpster is a simple and effective way of managing and removing waste, whether your company is in the middle of a major clean-out or if it simply needs the extra capacity for everyday waste management. But having an unsecured dumpster on the premises can serve as an unintended invitation for a wide variety of problems. The following offers 5 good reasons why you should always use a high-quality lock to keep your rented dumpster secure.

It Keeps Critters Out

Dumpsters can be a tempting target for all sorts of wildlife -- they often contain food scraps that can give them sustenance and provide them with a dry, cozy place to sleep and breed. If your business is located in a rural area, bears and other large animals can easily topple smaller dumpsters, resulting in a gigantic mess and a service call to your local rental agency.

Placing a lock on your dumpster can prevent woodland creatures like bears, elk, and deer and urban critters like raccoons and feral cats from making a mess of your dumpster. Dumpster locks should also be used in conjunction with other animal-deterring measures (such as using non-toxic chemical deterrents) to keep wildlife at bay.

It Also Keeps Dumpster Divers Out

There are a lot of people out there who see dumpsters as a treasure trove of stuff they can reuse and resell, whether it's old furniture, scrap metal, or just about any else you can think of. So it's not uncommon to see dumpster divers take the plunge, even if they have to trespass on your property to do it.

Not only is the practice of dumpster diving illegal in some cities, but it can also open your company to a host of liability issues. Just imagine the liability issues you could potentially face if someone gets injured on your property while attempting to rummage through your unlocked dumpster. Keeping your dumpster under lock and key can act as an effective deterrent against dumpster divers.

It Ensures Compliance

If your company is participating in a recycling program, chances are you'll want to ensure compliance by preventing unauthorized users from dumping non-recyclable materials into your designated dumpster. Keeping a lock on your dumpster ensures that only authorized personnel use it exactly as intended, ensuring that your company remains compliant with the requirements of the recycling program.

It Can Prevent Identity Theft

Dumpsters are an all-too-tempting target for identity thieves, since many people tend to dispose personal, sensitive, and even confidential information without a second thought. According to the Federal Trade Commission, identity theft ranked first in the top 10 category of complaints received by the organization in 2014. Recent studies have found that in 2015, approximately $15 billion was stolen from 13.1 million consumers in the United States as a result of identity theft.

Keeping your dumpster under lock and key is just one way you can keep your dumpster from becoming a target of identity thieves. Taking other measures to protect customer identity, including shredding company documents with customer information and physically destroying computer hard drives prior to disposal, can also help protect your company against identity theft.

It's the Law

To prevent all of the above from happening to dumpster renters and owners, many towns and cities have enacted ordinances requiring those who have dumpsters on their premises to keep them secured at all times. Not having a lockable dumpster could easily place you at risk of accruing fines and other penalties, so it's a good idea to maintain a lock on your dumpster so you'll remain in compliance with these ordinances.