That's a really interesting and practical question. It comes up a lot in city management discussions. The short answer is: yes, technically they *can* be made smaller, and many cities have tried it, but the effectiveness and side effects are complex.
The main idea is straightforward. By reducing the aperture on public street bins, you physically prevent people from stuffing in large, bulky bags of household garbage. The goal is to encourage residents to use proper municipal collection services (like curbside pickup or designated dumpsters) for their home trash, keeping public bins available for the litter and small items generated by pedestrians.
In practice, however, it's a mixed bag. It can reduce the overflow from oversized bags, making streets look tidier and reducing scavenging by animals. But it also has downsides. Frustrated people might just leave their bags piled *next to* the bin, creating an even bigger mess. It also makes it harder for everyone to dispose of legitimate larger pieces of street litter, like a coffee cup tray or a small cardboard box.
So, while smaller openings are a tool some cities use, they're rarely a standalone solution. They work best when combined with clear public education about proper waste disposal, consistent home collection services, and perhaps even enforcement. It's more about guiding behavior through design than completely blocking a determined person. The real fix involves a holistic look at why people are using public bins for home trash in the first place—is it a lack of convenient options, confusion about rules, or something else?