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Japan Starts Using Smart Trash Cans as Tourists Bring Garbage Problem to Cities - Bloomberg

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Japan Starts Using Smart Trash Cans as Tourists Bring Garbage Problem to Cities - Bloomberg

Trash Cans Make Techy Comeback in Japan as Tourists Flood Cities

- Influx of tourists prompts cities to rethink having no bins
- Hiroshima, Kyoto among cities turning to “smart” trash cans

Japan has long managed to keep its streets spotless despite having no trash cans in sight, but cities are now turning to “smart” bins as tourist numbers — and the amount of garbage — surges.

This week, the tourist-heavy Dotonbori district in Osaka installed around 20 new technologically enabled garbage cans called SmaGO. Solar panels allow the trash can to automatically sense when it’s getting full and then compress the garbage by about 20%. It’s also connected to a smartphone app that analyzes data on garbage volume and sends alerts to workers before it fills up.

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Trash Cans Make Techy Comeback in Japan as Tourists Flood Cities

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