Our team’s redesigned trash can. We envision this new, wheeled trash can driving itself to a larger truck. The truck will then lift up the can and empty its contents before driving the trash to a landfill.
AV trash cans reduce the need for trash bags
Sanitation workers have several major concerns about the trash can and how people throw out their trash. First, they prefer that residents throw out their trash in bags rather than as individual items directly into the trash can. This is because trash bags can be easily lifted out of the trash can while loose trash necessitates the entire trash can being lifted into the sanitation truck.
removable lids reduce injury risk
The lifting challenge is exacerbated if the trash cans has a lid that is attached to the can. Lifting such a can overhead often leads to the sanitation worker being hit in the head with the lid of the can as it is being lifted. AV trash trucks and trash cans eliminate the need for humans to lift anything, so long as the cans are designed to standards that fit the claws used by trucks to pick them up.
preventing water and ice build-up
Additionally, if the trash can has any residual water at the bottom, it can make it extremely difficult to lift the can. In the winter, this becomes an even greater issue when this residual water freezes at the bottom of the can. One straightforward way this problem can be solved is by drilling holes in the bottom of the trash can.
The sanitation worker’s role
We envision the sanitation worker’s role evolving from someone who lifts to someone who oversees. Inevitably, the trash can will make mistakes in the beginning. Trash will fall out. The sanitation worker’s role will be to perform maintenance on the AV trash trucks and AV trash cans, to clean up trash that falls out, and to execute city beautification projects in the mean time.
Challenges that sanitation workers deal with when working with existing trash cans.