Sickening reason for delay in high-tech San Francisco trash cans hitting streets

San Francisco’s long-awaited rollout of high-tech trash cans has been delayed again after officials were forced to redesign the bins’ locks to stop people from rifling through garbage and leaving trash scattered across city streets.

The latest setback means the city’s first shipment of about 600 cans is now expected in September or October instead of July, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Officials also blamed shipping delays linked to changing federal tariffs.

The shipment marks the first phase of a planned rollout of 3,000 new trash cans that will gradually replace the aging green bins lining San Francisco streets since the 1990s.

Eight of the sleek silver receptacles have already been installed as part of a pilot program that began in April, with city officials saying the new design has so far performed as intended.

The cans feature separate compartments for trash and recycling, graffiti-resistant finishes, and sensors that alert crews when nearing capacity.

Officials said the heavy-duty locking mechanism was redesigned to better prevent people from rummaging through the bins and spreading garbage on sidewalks.

“It’s been difficult keeping the streets clean around some trash cans,” Public Works spokeswoman Rachel Gordon told the Chronicle. “We have found that they’re much more difficult to rifle through, which is one of our top priorities.”

Gordon said the Trump administration’s fluctuating tariffs slowed shipments from the manufacturer but have not significantly increased the project’s overall cost.

“The (pilot program cans) went in in April, and so far, so good,” Gordon said. “Overall, they’ve done what we’ve wanted them to do.”

The latest delay extends a project that began eight years ago.

The custom-designed trash cans were created in 2018, but the project stalled in 2021 after residents criticized prototype versions priced between $11,000 and $20,000 each.

The final production model came in well below earlier estimates. While the city budgeted up to $3,000 per trash can in 2024, the finished units will cost about $1,375 each, Gordon said.

District 3 Supervisor Danny Sauter said he would seek answers if the project slips further.

“My constituents expect us to be able to do the little things right, and getting trash cans on corners is absolutely one of them,” Sauter said.

Bradley Angel, executive director of Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice, welcomed the lower price after calling the original prototype cans “ridiculously expensive.”

“Having enough trash cans and decreasing their costs is definitely a good thing,” Angel said.

“We should also be focusing on reducing the amount of garbage generated in the first place, holding businesses accountable for waste and doing more composting.”