Yes, they do exist—and you’ve probably walked past a few without noticing. Cities often use what manufacturers call anti-scavenging bins, secure litter bins, or tamper-resistant containers. They are not always aimed specifically at people digging for cans or bottles; many are designed for general security, wildlife resistance, or litter control. But the same features that keep raccoons, rats, or thieves out also make it harder for a person to reach in and rummage around.
The most common features are pretty simple: narrow “letterbox” openings, self-closing flaps, sloped or curved hoods, smooth metal or plastic surfaces with no ledges to stand on or rest a bag, recessed handles, and locked front panels. Some bins use internal baffles or gravity locks so waste can go in but hands cannot easily reach back out. Others have a fixed inner liner that only maintenance staff can release, often with a bottom-emptying system. In busy public spaces, you will also see bins housed in heavy enclosures or bolted to the ground, which makes both digging and removing the bin itself much harder.
So yes, tamper-resistant design is real. But it is always a trade-off. Small openings can jam, locked panels can slow down public space maintenance, and smooth, hostile-looking bins can feel grim in a park or plaza. There is also an ethical and practical issue around waste picker access. In many cities, people rely on collecting cans, bottles, and scrap metal for income. A bin that is too hard to open may reduce scavenging, but it can also push collection into messier or more dangerous places. For that reason, some cities use semi-secure bins with separate recycling openings rather than fully sealed containers.
In short: yes, urban trash cans are sometimes specifically designed to discourage digging, but most are not magic anti-scavenging machines. They combine small openings, locked liners, smooth surfaces, and internal barriers to make digging difficult. Whether they work depends on maintenance, local waste habits, and how much the city is willing to trade convenience and fairness for security.