It’s a viral San Francisco story of the city’s own making.
Now former Mayor Willie Brown has weighed in on the controversial $20,000 trash can prototypes that could soon grace San Francisco’s streets.
"Obviously, they must not have told us all of what the trash cans do, because clearly those trash cans must be robotic," Brown told KCBS Radio’s Holly Quan and Dan Mitchinson on Friday. "They must go empty themselves. They must walk around the streets. They let you drop (trash) in so you don’t have to go to the trash can."
A San Francisco Board of Supervisors committee approved the prototypes earlier this week, part of an ongoing effort to replace the city’s 3,000 green trash cans that allow for litter to be pulled out and strewn about.
The new, designer trash can prototypes will cost somewhere between $12,000 and $20,000 to create.
In scaling production after a design is selected, San Francisco Public Works officials hope to get the cost per bin down significantly, aiming to pick a model that is "tamper resistant" and armed with sensors that alert the city when a bin is nearing capacity
Supervisor Matt Haney, who voted for the proposal, called the cost "ridiculous."
"I’m really pleased that I’m not in government now," Brown added. "How do you explain to somebody (that) you’ve got to pay $20,000 for a trash can? That just won’t happen."
Brown was joined by KCBS Radio Insider Phil Matier.
"In most U.S. cities you put trash in the cans," Matier said. "In San Francisco, when you walk by a trash can, the trash has all been pulled out and in the curb all around it."
He remained skeptical on the efficacy of the sensors the prototypes will feature. "Trust me. Those crews won’t be around," Matier laughed.
The Board of Supervisors will vote on the measure next Tuesday.
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