Short answer: yes, but it depends on the bin design. Urban trash bins do exist that are emptied from the top without requiring someone to lift out a full, heavy bag. They are usually not standard household-style bins with a loose plastic bag inside. Instead, they use one of a few practical systems.
One common design is a bag-retention or liner-ring system. The bag or liner stays clipped or anchored around the top rim while the crew opens the bin and tips the contents out from above. The bag is not lifted out as a whole, which reduces strain and helps prevent tears. Another design uses a tilting inner bucket or hopper. The outer body stays in place, and the inner container is tipped or released from the top so waste falls into a collection cart or truck. There are also bagless public bins made from steel or plastic liners that can be emptied directly, so there is no disposable bag to lift at all.
For high-traffic streets, semi-underground and compacting bins are sometimes emptied from the top by crane, vacuum, or compatible lifting equipment. These are less about “bags” and more about sealed inner containers or direct collection.
The main thing to check is whether the bin is genuinely no-lift or simply top-access. Some “top-emptying” bins still require staff to remove a full bag before cleaning or replacing it. If you are specifying bins for a city or campus, ask suppliers for top-emptying, bag-retention, or bagless models and confirm they match your collection truck and maintenance routine. Used correctly, these designs can improve hygiene, speed up collection, and reduce lifting injuries.