Hi Heather,
Thanks for your reply.
The lid closes completely flat. It was completely flat before I discovered the disturbance that I photographed. It appears that the animal is able to lift the lid in order to get into the cart.
We didn't have this problem with a barrel we used to have that had a clamping mechanism to keep the list closed.
I'm not sure what to do--it doesn't seem very practical to try to put a cinder block or similar weight on the lid.
What do you suggest?

We spoke with the DPW again and the only suggestion they could offer was to put in a request to have the lid replaced. Luckily, we have not seen many reports of this happening so hopefully it does not contimue. If you would like us to do such a replacement for you, please let us know, thank you

Well, there's no damage to the lid. There does appear to be a problem with the design of the lid. As I said in the initial report, the animal evidently lifted the lid to gain access to the cart. A clamping mechanism to make sure the lid stays shut seems like an excellent idea.

I have seen evidence of an animal or animals getting into the trash more than once. I imagine they will continue to do so.

I'm trying to figure out a way to attach a bungee cord to keep the lid shut and to prevent this problem from recurring.
Thanks,
Hume