San Francisco Public Works Annual Report - Fiscal Year 2017-18 | Page 79

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Trash Can
Sensors
Every year, Public Works receives more than 10,000 complaints about
overflowing public trash cans on San Francisco sidewalks. Although
the City’s 3,500-plus public trash cans provide an appropriate place
for people to toss small pieces of garbage, they also are susceptible to
scavenging and overflow, which in turn invites unwanted pests and
makes our sidewalks grimy.
To combat the problem, we launched a pilot program that places
sensors inside our 48 City trash cans to let us know when it’s time to
empty them. The high-tech sensors monitor trash levels and whether
the cans have been knocked over or vandalized. The information is
transmitted to the City every 15 minutes for quick response.
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