Jaunted - Tag: Garbage

Seattle-Tacoma Airport Fights Back Against Airport Garbage

kjb — 2010-04-20T15:00:25-05:00

Airlines have been promising to collect plastic cups, newspapers, and other recyclable goods for a few years now, but we weren’t totally sure if they ever made it past the landfill. Seattle–Tacoma International Airport appears to be taking a step forward with airport recycling, and they’re eager to show off their new gadgets. Hopefully this means that your plastic cup needed for that in-flight Diet Coke will actually be made into more plastic cups—at least when you travel through Seattle.

The airport’s new program will cut the waste that’s shipped off to landfills and decrease air emissions. They’re doing this at the same time as saving like a quarter of a million dollars per year with some heavy duty compactors. Recyclable goods get crushed into a nice big lump of eco-friendly garbage and then are shipped off to their final destinations. The fancy oversized garbage cans are electronically monitored to determine when they are full, and this should reduce the number of trips needed to clear them out—they’ve already done like 90 less per month.

Helsinki: Finland's Talking Trash Bins Are Not Only Smart, But They Look Good Too

juliana — 2009-07-23T17:15:50-05:00

Earlier this week we told you about Finland's new Talking Trash Bins found in Helsinki, and thanks to a helpful PR rep for Finland Tourism we actually have a shot of the trash bins to show you.

The trash bins are far more intelligent that we are, having mastered six language (ok, select phrases in different languages) and the ability to play music (ok, it's a recording of music from a bunch of high school students). Only eight of these artificial intelligence trash bins can be found in Helsinki this summer so look carefully before you toss your trash.

Have you seen the talking trash bins in person? Send us a picture!

Helsinki: Now Helsinki's Trash Cans Talk To You In English, Too

amandak — 2009-07-20T09:29:21-05:00

Trash cans that talk are an unusual kind of tourist attraction, but just the kind of thing we expect to find in somewhat eccentric Finland. When we first heard about four trash cans in Helsinki which chat away in Finnish, we craved talking trash cans that we could understand, and now the Helsinki Public Works Department has done exactly what we wished for.

This summer, eight trash cans around Helsinki will speak to you in six languages, including English, and some will even play music created by a bunch of high school students. Apparently they say things like this:

One of the sure signs of summer in Finland is that the trash bins start talking.

The idea is that tourists and locals alike will be more interested in disposing of their garbage in the correct way, but we're starting to wonder if conversing with a bin might actually be a sign of madness instead.

Related Stories:
· Talking Trash [Official Site]
· Finns Reward You For Simple Non-Littering [Jaunted]
· Helsinki Travel Guide [Jaunted]

Helsinki: Finns Reward You For Simple Non-Littering

amandak — 2008-08-22T09:33:14-05:00

Yes, Finland is a country that can produce nightmare-inducing rock bands like Eurovision 06 winners Lordi. But they can turn around and be sickeningly polite and friendly, too. The latest ain't-that-nice story out of Finnish capital Helsinki is the installation of talking trash cans.

From today, four very special garbage cans will be placed around the city for the enjoyment of locals and tourists alike. When you place a piece of rubbish in one of them, it will play a recorded "thank you" message from famous locals. For example, the mayor says (in Finnish, of course):

It is great that you care about the city. Cool, isn't it.

Which, if we could just understand Finnish, would certainly entice us to keep feeding it with more rubbish.

Related Stories:
· Helsinki Rubbish Bins to Thank Users for Not Littering [AFP]
· The Nightmares of European Children Have Just Begun [Jaunted]
· Helsinki Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Matti Mattila]