What feature defines the Wheelie Bin era compared to the Poubelle Standard era in container evolution?

Wheels and mechanical lifting compatibility

The defining shift between the Poubelle era and the Wheelie Bin era lies in logistics and interaction with collection machinery. Poubelle's standard addressed the need for a static, contained vessel suitable for manual collection, typically involving workers lifting and tipping heavy metal bins. Robert Gray's invention, the wheelie bin, introduced wheels for mobility and, critically, a geometry designed for mechanical interaction with specialized truck lifting mechanisms. This transition eliminated the arduous physical labor of manual lifting, making collection faster, safer, and more efficient by enabling mechanized emptying, which was the core innovation of the post-1960s design.