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Germany Pavilion’s Trash Game Is Wunderbar Thanks to Smart Solar-Powered Cans
There’s something waste-fully wonderful happening at EPCOT’s Germany Pavilion—and it’s not just the bratwurst. Over the past few months, there’s been a noticeable uptick in the number of solar-powered, smart trash cans quietly popping up throughout the area, and let’s just say…they’re truly the future of theme park cleanliness.
Related: New Solar-Powered Trash Can Installed at EPCOT
These futuristic bins come equipped with solar panels on top, which provide all the juice they need to operate—no strings (or cords) attached. The cans allow for hands-free trash disposal via a foot pedal, making them more hygienic and more accessible. For Cast Members, a built-in handle grants access to the interior, but here’s where it really gets high-tech: LED lights on the cans show fill levels (green for good, yellow for halfway there, and red for time to empty), and that data is also sent remotely to custodial teams. The result? Smarter, more efficient cleaning routes with fewer unnecessary trash runs.
Even better, these new bins don’t just collect trash—they compact it as it builds up, significantly increasing capacity and reducing the number of times they need to be emptied. It’s all part of Disney’s ongoing sustainability mission, cutting down on energy use and overall carbon footprint, one solar-powered compactor at a time.
Related: 5 Must-Eats at the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival 2025
While we first spotted a few of these bins back in December, the recent spread across the Germany Pavilion suggests we might be looking at a test run before a park-wide rollout. And if that’s the case, we say: bring it on, because trash has never looked so eco-chic.
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