SF supervisors press for more "total-containment" cans as Public Works and Recology expand sensors and pilots

SAN FRANCISCO — The Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee held an extended hearing on Jan. 9 on public trash cans, dumpsters and pickup policies, with supervisors, Public Works, Recology, the Department of Public Health, OEWD and community benefit districts testifying on existing problems and pilot solutions.

Supervisor Matt Haney opened the hearing saying litter and overflowing or broken cans are a daily reality in many neighborhoods, especially the Tenderloin and parts of South of Market. "We have a huge problem with trash and litter on our streets," Haney said, pressing for clearer placement standards, stronger can designs and faster timelines for replacement in high‑need areas.

Jeremy Spitz, government affairs manager for San Francisco Public Works, said the city currently maintains about 3,500 public cans, approximately 1,000 of which are older concrete cans that the department plans to replace within the fiscal year at a pace of roughly 40 replacements per week. Public Works described two kinds of solar smart cans on the street (about 150 Big Bellies and roughly 30 PEL/Pell smart cans) and said it is expanding a sensor pilot from an initial 48 cans to about 700. "As the cans fill with waste, an alert is sent to Recology, that service is needed and they can service it before the can overflows," Spitz said.

Recology representatives said each city can is serviced at least twice daily and can be collected up to three or four times depending on demand; Recology described a Tenderloin pilot of locking "clean streets" carts and a shift of collection windows from night to morning that has produced reported cleanliness improvements. John Porter of Recology said 24‑hour business‑day repairs are in place for some concrete‑can doors and that the company is working with Public Works on sensor technology to enable dynamic routing.

Public Works and Recology acknowledged trade‑offs for smart, total‑containment cans: Big Bellies and similar leased units have had positive local feedback but involve higher per‑unit costs and maintenance demands (historical lease figures discussed in committee were roughly $200/month for some leased units), while purchased smart carts (PEL) cost about $6,300 each to buy. Public Works said stronger hinges, spot welding and new designs are being pursued to reduce vandalism and scavenging.

Veronica Slattingren of the Department of Public Health said DPH enforces state solid‑waste regulations locally (Health Code Article 6), manages a Mandatory Refuse Service (MRS) program and receives referrals or complaints for inadequate service. DPH and other departments have formed a work group (October 2019) to evaluate mixed‑use buildings that register as commercial accounts but include residential units that may lack adequate service.

Community Benefit District (CBD) leaders and merchants gave repeated on‑the‑ground endorsements of total‑containment cans. CBD representatives from Union Square, Yerba Buena, Japantown, the Tenderloin and Mid‑Market described Big Belly pilots as reducing litter, leakage and scavenging, while acknowledging occasional vandalism or maintenance costs. Several CBD speakers said maintenance has been manageable under their models and that sponsorships or CBO partnerships helped sustain programs.

Supervisors closed the hearing by asking for clearer, standardized metrics for can placement, accelerated prototypes and pilots in high‑need areas, stronger dumpster security, and clearer enforcement or account‑structure changes to ensure mixed‑use buildings provide adequate residential service. The committee voted to have the hearing "heard and filed" with no immediate policy adoption; next steps include interagency follow up and data collection to inform placement and procurement decisions.

Key numerical details discussed in the hearing: Public Works maintains ~3,500 city cans (about 1,000 older concrete units), replacement pace ~40/week, ~150 Big Belly units in service, ~30 PEL smart cans in pilots, initial sensor pilot 48 cans expanding to 700, roughly 13,000 311 calls over the past year for overflowing cans, Recology collects each city can at least twice daily (up to 3–4 times in high demand), and standard service response times noted as 2 hours for overflowing cans and 3 days for damaged cans on average.

Provenance: topic introduction at SEG 169; topic finish at SEG 2394.