Yes—but not everywhere, and not as often as regular trash cans. In cities with citywide organics collection, you’ll sometimes see public trash cans with separate openings for landfill trash, recycling, and compostable food scraps or yard waste. They’re usually labeled with pictures and colors, and the compost side is often green or marked “food scraps” or “organics.” I’ve seen this most in places like San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, and parts of Toronto, but even there, public-space compost bins are less common than residential green bins.
The idea is simple: give people a place to put banana peels, food scraps, and compostable paper while they’re out instead of tossing them into regular trash. In practice, the hard part is contamination. People accidentally drop plastic wrappers, coffee cups, or greasy food containers into the compost slot, and that can ruin the load. Cities try to solve this with clear signs, smaller openings, locked bins, and frequent servicing, but it still takes education and maintenance.
So if you’re standing in front of one, look for a green or clearly labeled organics section and follow the local rules. If there’s no compost option, it’s usually better to carry your food scraps home or put them in the correct public bin rather than guessing. Urban compost bins do exist—they’re just not universal, and they work best when cities keep the signs clear and the bins clean.