That's a great question, and yes, absolutely! You'll find them more and more in public spaces like parks, city streets, campuses, and outside larger buildings. These aren't your average single-bin trash cans. They are specifically designed with multiple compartments—often two, three, or even four—each clearly labeled and color-coded for different types of waste.
The most common setup is a trio for "Mixed Recycling" (like plastic bottles and cans), "Landfill Waste," and sometimes "Compost" or "Paper." The compartments are usually housed within a single, sturdy unit to save space and provide a unified look. The lids have different shaped openings (a slot for paper, a circle for bottles) to help guide people and reduce contamination of the recycling stream.
The main benefit is encouraging proper waste sorting right at the point of disposal, which makes recycling programs much more effective. For anyone managing a public area or a business, investing in these bins shows a commitment to sustainability and can help reduce overall waste costs. So next time you're out, take a look—you're likely to see these compartmentalized bins helping to keep our communities cleaner and greener.