$50 a pop. That’s how much it costs Richland County to replace a damaged or lost trashcan. Last year, nearly 30,000 carts were damaged or in need of repair, costing the county $1.5 million.

To combat the growing expense, Richland County has introduced radio-frequency identification (RFID) microchips into the trash cans, so the “lost” carts in the woods, ponds and even other counties (yes, these situations have all happened) can be found. On top of the losses + damages, 731 garbage cans + 337 recycling cans were reported stolen last year. 🤷‍

By the end of 2017, all 160,000 trash cans will have a fully operational tracking system installed that will interact with garbage haulers, county waste inspectors’ trucks + route management software. The preventative system will cost the county $1 million, but will reduce the cost to replace + repair carts.
3 min read / Free Times