San Francisco pays $21,000 for a new trash garbage can model

20,900. That is the exorbitant price of each of the 'Soft Square' garbage cans, one of the modern trash can designs that the government of San Francisco (California) acquired and which has generated a lot of criticism due to its high cost. Apart from the one already named, the 'Salt&Pepper' and 'Slim Silhouette' models were installed, with a value of $11,000 and $18,000, respectively, for each cube.

City project manager Lisa Zhuo introduced the garbage cans in a video in which she justified the expense:"San Francisco needs trash cans that work and are not targets for scavengers." Despite this, not much time has passed and the new garbage cans are already damaged with graffiti and a lot of dirt around them.

Zhuo added during the presentation: "We need to have a trash can that works for the city of San Francisco. We're trying to come up with one design. If this trash can is able to perform the way it's designed, it's going to save us in the long term."

Criticism for the high level of superfluous spending

Reactions to the controversial decision made by the Californian mandatories were not long in coming. Former San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney doubted the efficacy of the new system and the cost to the city during a meeting of the Board of Supervisors' Budget and Finance Committee, as collected by Reason.com.

"Why are we still doing this rather than putting out a bunch of different types of cans that already are produced, that are much cheaper, that are already performing well…and then making a decision based on this?" questioned Heney.

This criticism was echoed by the citizens of San Francisco. They do not overlook the high cost of these new garbage cans.