Dallas, TX
High-tech trash cans land in downtown Dallas
You’ve heard of smart TVs, fridges and vacuum cleaners, now get ready for smart trash cans.
Though you may not have noticed them, a set of high-tech garbage bins has appeared in downtown Dallas through a pilot program carried out by the city, Downtown Dallas Inc. and the Child Poverty Action Lab.
The pilot is funded by CPAL and will run for a year, said Mike Hunter, chief of Parks and Public Space at DDI. The goal is to assess the cans’ effectiveness for improving sanitation efficiency. Full steam ahead to finding out, we say.
Three cans are placed in the area southeast of City Hall and another three are at sites around Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s West End station and West Transfer Center, city documents show. Those are high foot-traffic areas and should serve as great test locations.
But how could a trash can make sanitation more efficient, you ask? These monitor their own trash level and keep sanitation workers informed about when they need to be emptied.
In the core of downtown, there are sanitation workers who go from can to can by foot, checking on them during the day, Hunter said. The Central Business District alone is home to more than DDI 50 cans, he said.
The new cans are likely to help most in the further-flung areas of downtown, where supervisors currently have to drive trucks to each bin to check on them, Hunter explained. The smart bins notify DDI by text or email when they are 80% full, hopefully making it possible to avoid unnecessary trips, saving valuable time that can be used for other sanitation efforts, he said.
There are other desirable features too. The tank-like cans have a fully enclosed design, preventing wind and weather from sending rubbish flying, and keeping rummaging hands and paws out of the bins.
DDI’s sanitation teams already do a good job keeping downtown’s street trash under control. Just spend a few minutes in the Central Business District and you’ll see them hard at work. If these swanky cans can make their jobs easier, the pilot goes well and the cost makes sense, we say go for it.
Surely it’s wishful thinking, but could we be forgiven for hoping just a little bit that residents and visitors will be more likely to throw their own trash into a fancy bin? DDI does great work, but we can all do better cleaning up after ourselves.
Johnston gave the Stars a 1-0 lead at 8:58 of the first period. His slap shot from above the right face-off circle deflected off Wild forward Danila Yurov and then bounced off the end boards and in off Wallstedt’s left arm.
“I’ve had a goal like that go in on me, too, that’s a tough bounce,” Oettinger said. “Like I said in Game 1, we got some bad bounces. We got a nice bounce there. We had one where I was behind the net, and the guy was shooting it in the net and our (defense) stopped it, so we got some good bounces. The way we played the last 40 minutes of the game, I think, didn’t give up much, had a ton of good chances offensively. The power play, we got looks and our (penalty kill) was great. If we kind of build off the game that we played the last 40 minutes, I think we should feel very good for the next few games.”
Faber tied it 1-1 at 11:33. He took a pass from Hughes, skated around Robertson in the left circle and cut to the slot, where his wrist shot ramped up and in off Oettinger.
Duchene put the Stars back up 2-1 with a power-play goal at 4:02 of the second period. Mikko Rantanen gained the offensive zone along the right boards and sent a backhand pass to Duchene, who snapped the puck between Wallstedt’s pads from in front.
Robertson made it 3-1 at 7:09 of the third period when he tipped Lundkvist’s wrist shot from the blue line past the right pad of Wallstedt.
“I think we got to do a better job, I mean, the odd-man’s, right? I thought we played a really good game. Probably their best game, you know, meaningful game. And, yeah, we didn’t get fazed by it. Was really good by us. Just got to be smarter in some areas, and we get to go back home and in front of our crowd,” Minnesota forward Marcus Foligno said. “They want (penalties). I mean, they’re looking to play 5-on-4. I mean, that’s their game. They can’t hang with us 5-on-5. We got to just be smarter, and myself included. But it’s a heated game out there. You’re gonna have emotional swings and learn from it. We got a split series.”
Jeff Kolb and Sam Gannon welcome Cowboys insiders Clarence Hill (All City Dallas) and Calvin Watkins (Dallas Morning News) for a hilarious breakdown of the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. Giving insight, arguments, and plenty of laughs as two of the best Dallas Cowboys writers in the business go head-to-head on what Dallas should do next.
Dallas, TX
New video of Lake Dallas explosion draws focus on order decades ago to remove old plastic pipes
-
Health5 minutes agoHealthy diets spark lung cancer risk in non-smokers as pesticides loom
-
Sports11 minutes agoPGA Tour signals new era with axing of Hawaii events from schedule
-
Technology17 minutes agoAlexa+ lets you order food like a real conversation
-
Business23 minutes agoNew lawsuit alleges Uber is violating drivers’ rights. Here’s how
-
Entertainment29 minutes agoReview: Trigger warning? ‘For Want of a Horse’ gives new meaning to the term ‘animal lover’
-
Lifestyle35 minutes agoMore is more in this L.A. ‘barn’ exploding with thrifted finds and maximalist flair
-
Politics41 minutes agoFormer state Controller Betty Yee drops out of the governor’s race
-
Sports53 minutes agoPrep talk: Another book is out from running coach Martin Dugard