Talkin' Trash

[rct247]

I've been told that each individual Disney trash can costs close to $1000 to make plus $300 for each color used to paint it.

The trash cans have been specifically designed by the Disney company and are made to withstand the elements, not get too hot, can easily be cleaned, and also look good.

The most expensive trash cans at Walt Disney World are the Tower of Terror trash cans because they are given a special rough coating not found on any other Disney trash can.

Trash cans are specifically placed throughout the park. They are never found too close to a water fountain for instance.

 

[Lucky]

I've been told that each individual Disney trash can costs close to $1000 to make plus $300 for each color used to paint it.

The trash cans have been specifically designed by the Disney company and are made to withstand the elements, not get too hot, can easily be cleaned, and also look good.

The most expensive trash cans at Walt Disney World are the Tower of Terror trash cans because they are given a special rough coating not found on any other Disney trash can.

Trash cans are specifically placed throughout the park. They are never found too close to a water fountain for instance.

I'll bet the talking trash can in Tomorrowland is the most expensive.

 

[monkeysammich]

I remember when I first got hired on, they told us that the trash cans were set a certain number of steps apart. After extensive research they found that if they were too close together, trash would be placed on top of the cans... and if they were too far apart, trash would be dropped on the ground.

I wanna say it was like 26 steps.

 

[rct247]

I'll bet the talking trash can in Tomorrowland is the most expensive.

Well... yeah, but that's a special type of hybrid. Good catch though.

 

[rct247]

I wanna say it was like 26 steps.

I tested this out, and depending on your step size and giving and taking a few steps for each can, it is roughly between 25 & 35 steps, usually around 30 steps. At least on the trash cans, I walked between.

 

[Master Yoda]

I would be a bit skeptical of that $1300 figure. Trash cans similar to what are used in WDW retail for less than $800 fully painted and that is for a quantity of 1. With the number WDW would order the price would be considerably less.

 

[rct247]

My guess is that when they were initially made, they cost $1000 to design, manufacture, etc, but then again, maybe they do cost $1000 for the materials used, cost of labor, etc. Obviously they don't buy them very often, they reuse them and just repaint.

 

[Rob562]

As far as I know, most of the trashcans in the parks are just purchased from an outside vendor and then re-painted by Central Shops. I know at one point a while ago I found a website selling those same trashcans in a generic color. I'll see if I can find it again.

I also read somewhere that the most expensive cans are the tree-stump cans on Tom Sawyer Island.

-Rob

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

Why the heck would they cost so much?!

 

[Rob562]

I found the original thread I'd posted in about the trash cans.

Unkadug posted the link to the manufacturer, Lit-R-Gard:
http://www.litrgard.com/

If you poke around on their website, you can also see an example of the custom square-edged "steamer trunk" ones they use in IOA's Port of Entry.

One after-market thing Disney's been doing lately are installing the new access door latches on the trash cans. The original design required the Custodial CM to reach *into* the can to unlatch the door from inside. The new latches open from the outside, and while they are a little less "clean looking", they make emptying the cans easier and safer for the CMs.

Oh, and while the manufacturer's website doesn't list the prices (you have to call), I found a company selling them, ranging from $514-$627. I'm sure Disney gets them in a bulk discount from the manufacturer...

And while we're talking trash cans... Here's a little tidbit I noticed a couple years ago...
It's the only place (that I know of) where you'll see two differently-themed trash cans right next to each other, but still follow their proper theming rules...
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/steerr/100_5384.jpg

-Rob

 

[rct247]

I found the original thread I'd posted in about the trash cans.

Unkadug posted the link to the manufacturer, Lit-R-Gard:
http://www.litrgard.com/

If you poke around on their website, you can also see an example of the custom square-edged "steamer trunk" ones they use in IOA's Port of Entry.

One after-market thing Disney's been doing lately are installing the new access door latches on the trash cans. The original design required the Custodial CM to reach *into* the can to unlatch the door from inside. The new latches open from the outside, and while they are a little less "clean looking", they make emptying the cans easier and safer for the CMs.

Oh, and while the manufacturer's website doesn't list the prices (you have to call), I found a company selling them, ranging from $514-$627. I'm sure Disney gets them in a bulk discount from the manufacturer...

And while we're talking trash cans... Here's a little tidbit I noticed a couple years ago...
It's the only place (that I know of) where you'll see two differently-themed trash cans right next to each other, but still follow their proper theming rules...
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/steerr/100_5384.jpg

-Rob

Excellent find! Thank you for posting! Again, I am thinking the $1000 was initial cost for design, labor, material, etc plus a rounded up estimate.

Still, either way, pretty expensive trash cans, eh?

 

[Master Yoda]

Excellent find! Thank you for posting! Again, I am thinking the $1000 was initial cost for design, labor, material, etc plus a rounded up estimate.

Still, either way, pretty expensive trash cans, eh?

When you start getting into industrial quality items like this price does tend to depart with what us regular Joe's see as realistic. Every time you go into Wal-Mart you see playground stuff for a few hundred up to maybe a little over a grand. But when you step up to public playground quality equipment it is not uncommon for a simple swing set to cost $4000 plus.

 

[jonnyc]

I have really got the Disney bug bad, because I am finding this incredibly interesting!

 

[monkeysammich]

I have really got the Disney bug bad, because I am finding this incredibly interesting!

You arent the only one.

 

[Dabeast]

The distance between garbage cans is apparently based on an experiment Walt did himself. In the opening days of DL, he or a cm would hand candy to a child, watch them after they took the candy, and see how long it took them to drop the wrapper. The average of where the children dropped the wrapper, is where they placed the trash cans are placed. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but it sounds like a Walt Disney way of doing things, to make sure he got it right. Think I read it on this site somewhere.

 

[MickeyPalNick]

Garbage distance

The distance between garbage cans is apparently based on an experiment Walt did himself. In the opening days of DL, he or a cm would hand candy to a child, watch them after they took the candy, and see how long it took them to drop the wrapper. The average of where the children dropped the wrapper, is where they placed the trash cans are placed. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but it sounds like a Walt Disney way of doing things, to make sure he got it right. Think I read it on this site somewhere.

I read this somewhere as well. Walt did the experiment himself before DL opened (I think he visited other parks around the country.) He found that if people walked more than 30 steps they would just throw the garbage on the ground. So suposedly you are never more than 30 steps from a garbage can...at least at the MK.