That's a great question, and you've hit on a key pain point in public waste management. The short answer is yes, the internal bags for outdoor trash bins can be automated, and the technology is actively being developed and deployed. The concept moves us from manual bag replacement to a "hands-free" system.
The most common approach involves a continuous liner system housed inside the bin. Imagine a large roll of heavy-duty bag material installed in a compartment at the top. As the bin fills, a sensor or a pre-programmed mechanism dispenses a fresh section of liner, while the full section is automatically gathered, sealed, and dropped into a central collection chamber at the bottom. This allows a single worker to service many bins by simply emptying this central chamber, rather than wrestling with individual, often messy, bags.
The benefits are clear: it drastically reduces physical contact with waste, improves hygiene for workers and the public, and can increase operational efficiency. However, widespread automation faces hurdles. Outdoor bins must withstand harsh weather, vandalism, and varying types of waste, making the mechanisms expensive and complex. For now, you'll see these automated systems more in high-traffic, controlled environments like airports or large corporate campuses rather than on every street corner. The future is leaning toward smart bins that not only automate liners but also compact trash and send fill-level alerts, making collection truly efficient.