Short answer: yes, but not in the way most people imagine. You won’t usually find a standard city trash can that runs only on footsteps. What you do find is a small, growing set of prototypes and pilot projects where footstep energy is one part of a hybrid power system. The idea is appealing: busy sidewalks are full of people, and every step produces a small amount of mechanical energy. With piezoelectric tiles or electromagnetic generators, that movement can be converted into electricity.
In practice, footstep power is usually used to run low-power electronics rather than heavy machinery. A smart bin might use it to power fill-level sensors, a small display, or a wireless transmitter that tells sanitation crews when it is full. Some concept bins combine footstep energy with solar panels and a battery, because a single step generates only a tiny amount of power. Compacting waste takes much more energy, so a footstep-only compactor is unlikely unless it also has a manual pedal or another power source.
There are real examples of footstep-energy technology in urban spaces, especially Pavegen tiles installed in sidewalks, plazas, and transit areas. Those installations have powered lights, sensors, and interactive displays. A trash can could be added to that kind of system, and some smart-city concepts show exactly that. However, most widely deployed smart bins today rely on solar power, batteries, or grid connections. Footstep-powered trash cans are still niche: they are expensive, need maintenance, and generate limited electricity.
So, are there urban trash cans that use kinetic energy from footsteps? Yes—mostly as prototypes, pilot projects, or hybrid smart-city installations. They are not yet a common replacement for ordinary bins, but they are a useful reminder that cities can capture small amounts of energy from the people moving through them.