Are the City's New Trash Cans Breaking Already?

"The Better Bin, as it's called, now constitutes roughly a quarter of the curbside population. It has some clear advantages over its wire-mesh predecessor, including a lightweight plastic liner and a concrete base that stays put."

"Not every one, of course. But an informal survey around the city reveals Better Bins with their tops either missing or split at the hinge. This problem raises questions about the inherent design flaws."

"Any object with moving parts has a failure point that a stoutly welded unibody does not. Until a mesh bin rusts out, there isn't much that can happen to it, apart from some denting."

The Better Bin, introduced by the Department of Sanitation, offers advantages like a lightweight plastic liner and a concrete base. It is designed to deter improper waste disposal and is more ratproof. However, the complexity of its design has led to increased instances of breakage, with many bins reported to have missing or damaged parts. An informal survey indicates that several Better Bins around the city are already broken, raising concerns about the durability of the design compared to the simpler wire-mesh bins.

Read at Curbed