After months of eager anticipation, we finally got out new trash can yesterday.
It has finally arrived. Part of the city’s new big fat garbage contracts are these new big fat garbage cans, designed for semi-automated pickup. Some have hailed the contracts as a big win for a couple minority-owned businesses. Others have decried the new contracts as bloated, costing quite a bit more than the city’s previous contract and not even offering recycling. But by far the most controversy has been how these giant-size cans will fit in the oldest neighborhoods here, where the houses are crammed close together and there just isn’t room for a bin like this.
We have plenty of room. As long as the trash continues to get picked up regularly I’ll be happy. I’m just looking forward to seeing this new guy in action.
I think it’s funny that our new trash can has “intelligence.” It came with a FAQ too.
How big is our new trash can? It’s 96 gallons. That’s plenty big enough to put our old 32 gallon can (which is full of holes anyway) inside.
Note the streaks on the inside of the new can. I thought it was just a decorative touch, but Fred says it’s overstressed plastic.
Update: How big are they? Big enough to fit two sixteen-year-olds with plenty of room to spare…
You are the only person on the planet who could find something interesting to say about new garbage cans.
Watch out though..we have those in Norman.. and the Robotic arm also accidentally took the door to my back fence… the city said I must must have pulled out the fence myself and left it laying in alley… Check the FAQ’s for how far away it shoulid be from other structures.
I’m with J on that one B!
We got two. I checked with the neighbors and it looks like they got theirs too, so I guess I’ll be finding out how to return one…
My experience with large trash containers is the inevitable temptation to leave the trash to linger in it and skip the next pickup since the can may not be full in one week. Lingering garbage in the southern summer sun can be rather noxious. Make sure you use those trashbags and tie them tight! A clorox sprits is good to control the animals….just thought I’d throw that in.
hey cade stash the extra one in the yard. if you lose one or it gets stolen it’s 75 bucks to replace.
hey b. i want to decorate mine. are you ready to start a contest amongsts everyone?
I’ve had my can for a couple of weeks, and you can look forward to the following: Animals can not burrow into or shred the trash left in bags, the pick up is much faster, they seem to have dropped the “skip every seventh house” rule, there is not a trail of spilled trash down the street left to rot, orphaned trash can lids are no longer be strewn along the route, and the can will magically be right about where you left it and not tossed to the side three houses down.
Aside from the issue of the contract, I’ve almost forgot what city I was living in.
After consultation with wife, decided to return one – now waiting on reply to my email. As far as decoration, the thought had crossed my mind, and I was wondering what’s a good base coat for that type of plastic.
that’s what i’m talking about. c’mon all you artists. cade’s base coat question is a great jumping off point.
this could be fun to the point of turning it into a parade like the art cars in houston.
$75 bucks to replace?! You should never have listened to the wife!
You know, there has already been two visible consequences of these new cans being distributed.
In my neighborhood (LGD) there is so much less trash on the street than there was previous to their use that it is just amazing. I never realized just how much of that garbage laying around was, apparently, just strewn from open containers by the wind, animals, or dumpster divers. Even some parts of town that have always had plenty of windblown, traffic blown trash seem to suddenly look alot better cared for.
Rats have begun appearing in broad daylight. I have never noticed this before and I think it is probably because the Super Garbage Buffet has pretty much been shut down. I have even noticed a small one or two trying to make some lunch out of my bananas in the backyard (for some reason, I have a ton of them hanging there this Spring). Those two, sadly for them and happily for me, met with Mr. Benjamin and his .22 Serenaders. No mas ratons para mi.
I like the amount of stuff the new cans can hold, but didn’t realize quite how tall they were going to be. I am 5″2. The new cans pretty much reach my shoulders, so when I have to actually put some bags inside the can, I have to heave the trash bag to head height and fling, as though dunking an unweildy basketball. I suspect my neighbors are laughing behind the curtains.
In Burbank we have a 3 bin system (same size/shape as yours):
Black: Garbage, Blue: Recycles, Green: Bio/Yard Waste.
They emailed me back and are going to pick up the extra one tomorrow.
Regarding recycling, one of our bins had a nice packet with a description of all the places that will handle different kinds of recycling now that we aren’t getting any curb-side recycling service.
I’m wondering if the Krylon fusion paints will work well on these as a base coat.
I so love my garabage can! Cannot believe I said that. I totally agree with everything Celcus said.
Anne, I’m 5’2″ too but very willing to be the neighborhood clown heaving the bags in. The street is so much cleaner and the service so superior to what we had previously. And even tho the can is humongous, I can wheel it out to the street with ease.
I’ve also noticed a marked improvement in cleanliness uptown. A city that allows litter and garbage to collect on the streets is a city that doesn’t care. And who wants to live llike that?
Krylon makes a good spray paint specifically for plastic. I make PVC Didgerdoos and paint them with the Krylon paints.