The British- and Australian-English noun wheelie bin denotes a large, rectangular dustbin with a hinged lid and wheels on two of the corners.

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED – online edition, December 2022) claims that wheelie bin was “originally Australian”, because the earliest occurrence of this noun that the OED has recorded is as follows, from The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) of Friday 30^th November 1984:

Perhaps, when Mr Baines’ wheelie bin arrives, I am sure he will have a change of mind when he sees for himself the improvement for all concerned.

However, the earliest occurrences of the noun wheelie bin (also wheelie, and wheelie dustbin) that I have found are from British publications.

It seems that bins on wheels were introduced into the United Kingdom in 1980 on the model of what was done in the Federal Republic of Germany.

The earliest mentions of bins on wheels that I have found are as follows, in chronological order:

1-: From the Stapleford and Sandiacre News (Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, England) of Thursday 24^th July 1980:

CO-OPERATION NEEDED OVER REFUSE PLAN

A new refuse scheme, which could result in a reasonable reduction of staff and vehicle levels, may be introduced in Broxtowe.
At last week’s meeting of Broxtowe Borough Council’s Public Health and Works Services Committee it was decided that recommendations to provide and install equipment for a feasibility study over six months on a selected round should be forwarded to the next Policy and Resources Committee.
Mr. Ray Burfield, the director of public health and works, said the system entailed use of a lidded, heavy-duty plastic dustbin mounted on two small wheels. There are two sizes, both bigger than the standard-size dustbin.
A party, consisting of the vice-chairman, Coun. Mrs. Kath Archer, Coun. Harold Clifford, Mr. Burfield and two shop stewards, Mr. E. Kiley (N.U.P.E.) and Mr. E. Toplis (T.G.W.U.) visited Siegen in West Germany in May to see the Schaefer International refuse system at work.
Coun. Mrs. Archer (Con. Bramcote) stated: “I was immensely impressed by the cleanliness of the system, all in all a very much better system of refuse collection. It will cost a lot of money and it will need the co-operation of the public and the wary eye of the members of this council.”

2-: From the following jingoistic letter to the Editor, published in the Stapleford and Sandiacre News (Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, England) of Thursday 15^th January 1981:

Dustbins on wheels

I was outraged at the idea of dustbins on wheels. Does Coun. Mrs. Kath Archer have any feelings for the housebound, sick and elderly people who will not be able to cope and have neighbours who cannot help for the same reason?
I wonder what ideas she will be bringing back next on one of her various visits to Germany. She says it can be done with courage here as in Germany. She should have been with me in 1943 at a Buckinghamshire hospital where I was visiting a very sick airman during the war. He was a very neat and dear person to me, but was taken ill while waiting to leave the country ready for the German invasion. He lived for a few more years but still died a young man. And Mrs. Archer has the hardness to say that with a little courage we can do what Germany can do.
We are English and proud of it, so let us not be told we should do these things because Germany does it well. I only hope Erewash does not follow suit for I for one will not be pushing “Dusty Bin” unless I get a payment.
“Lest we forget”.
Mrs Gladys Braisby,
3 Westminster Avenue,
Sandiacre.

3-: From an article about “the recent pilot introduction of a revolutionary system of refuse collection in the borough”, published in the Belfast Telegraph (Belfast, Antrim, Northern Ireland) of Friday 29^th May 1981:

While on a fact-finding trip to Germany, a party from the works department were impressed with one particular method of refuse collection—large durable plastic bins on wheels, which were pushed out to a purpose-built refuse collection lorry and mechanically emptied.

4-: From the Stapleford and Sandiacre News (Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, England) of Thursday 10^th September 1981:

Go-ahead for Broxtowe’s bin trial

Broxtowe Borough Council’s controversial plan to introduce a Continental system of refuse collection with mechanically collected dustbins-on-wheels is to go ahead after all.
A six-month trial originally due to start on Monday was blocked after a dispute between the dustmen and the council. But following a meeting on Thursday it was announced the trial can begin.
[…]
The West German Schafer system has been offered to Broxtowe on a six-month free trial. Residents will have to wheel the bins to the nearest point on their property to the road. Dustmen will wheel the larger than usual bins to the refuse collection vehicle which will mechanically empty the bins.
Objections to the new scheme have come not only from the unions. More than 80 residents of Beeston and Chilwell—the areas taking part in the trial—turned up at a public meeting in July.
Many were opposed to householders having to wheel the bins to their gates. They were told anyone unable to do so should let the council know.

The earliest occurrences of the noun wheelie bin (also wheelie, and wheelie dustbin) that I have found are as follows, in chronological order:

1-: From the Manchester Evening News (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England) of Monday 26^th September 1983:

Police on alert over wheelies
By Peter Spencer

Police are monitoring a town’s new “wheelie” bin collection service after fears that it could be an invitation to burglars.
The cost-saving scheme gradually being introduced in Bury means the giant-sized bins are left outside homes once emptied.
[…]
Residents are concerned that this would be a telltale sign of an empty house, and also enable criminals to observe the movements of individuals.
[…]
The new system—large bins set on wheels—was first introduced for a trial period in the borough’s Brandlesholme district two year ago, and hailed by residents as an overwhelming success.

2-: From the following letter to the Editor, published in the Manchester Evening News (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England) of Tuesday 4^th October 1983:

Wheelies

I am tired of reading the moaning letters regarding the new “wheelie” dustbins.
If people took the trouble to read the local press they would have seen the advice given to the infirm or those people who couldn’t wheel the bins out themselves. They were advised to telephone the cleansing department and arrangements would be made for the men to wheel out the bins and return them.
Wheelie fan.

3-: From the Manchester Evening News (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England) of Saturday 28^th January 1984:

They’ve bin and beaten backache!

Bury’s dustmen have have [sic] given backache the old heave-ho!
Since the start of the wheelie-bin system, the blight of every dustman’s life has become a thing of the past.
None of the district’s 90 collectors has gone off with a bad back since they were equipped with wheels to trundle larger bins to the cart where they are machine-tipped.
Cut hands and breathing problems caused by dust have also been beaten.
Public services director Brian Carter—who has sparked interest in Australia with the cost-cutting collection service—is monitoring statistics which show a dramatic fall-off in illness.

4-: From the following letter to the Editor, published in the Manchester Evening News (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England) of Tuesday 7^th February 1984:

One of the new Bury bins being taken to the refuse van.

Whose backache?

I read your report: “Bury’s dustmen giving backache the ‘old heave-ho!’” and would tell you what are the realities of the ‘Wheelie bin’ situation.
The new bin itself is excellent but the system of collecting is diabolical. The dustmen no longer collect the bins from the back of the houses. Instead the householder or a member of his family must bring the bin to the front of his front path. The dustmen will not take the bin from anywhere else. Consequently it is the Bury residents who are now doing a large proportion of the dustmen’s job.
While these men are now free from backache, I wonder if the statistics will show how many residents have now got backache or have scraped hands or knocked shins or bruised arms, etc. What of the elderly, the infirm or the small people?
As to cost cutting, on the first week of operation the bins in our area were emptied at 9 pm and at times varying between 5 20 pm and 8 15 pm during the following 16 weeks up to this week at 7 05 pm. I understand from neighbours that some streets were being emptied up to 10 pm. This must have cost a substantial amount in overtime so where is the saving?
Finally, bins out in the front street all day are not a pretty sight, nor a pleasant smell.
Ivor Newbin, Prestwich.