That's an excellent and very observant question! Yes, absolutely. The design you're describing is a real and increasingly common strategy in urban waste management. These are often called "anti-litter" or "aperture-controlled" bins. The core idea is simple: by limiting the size of the opening, you physically prevent people from disposing of oversized bags of household garbage, bulky items, or even small pieces of furniture that don't belong in a public street bin.
You'll typically see these in high-foot-traffic areas like downtown cores, parks, transit stations, and tourist spots. The small opening—often just a slot or a narrow funnel—encourages its intended use: for casual, on-the-go litter like wrappers, cups, and cigarette butts. This design solves a major pain point for cities. It stops bins from overflowing prematurely with improperly dumped domestic waste, which is unsightly, unhygienic, and costly to collect multiple times a day.
From a user's perspective, it does require a slight moment of aim, but it's a minor adjustment for throwing away a candy wrapper. The trade-off is a cleaner, more pleasant public space for everyone. So, next time you see a bin with a surprisingly small opening, you'll know it's not a design flaw—it's a very intentional feature working to keep the city tidy.