Parts of downtown Windsor are getting new garbage containers.
The new containers are the first-of-its-kind in Canada.
The metroSTOR RCF-Series containers are being installed on Ouellette Avenue, Pelissier Street, Park Street, and other downtown roads.
This pilot project is part of the city's next step in the Strengthen the Core - Downtown Windsor Revitalization Plan to help keep the downtown clean and sustainable.
These containers are sleek, street-level stations engineered for high-traffic areas. Their secure, one-way deposit system ensures that once waste is placed inside, it stays contained to help manage litter and maintain a cleaner streetscape.
Jim Leether, the city's manager of environmental services, says litter has been a known problem.
"What was attractive to us about the bins was to have a bin that's fully enclosed, there's less chance for litter to be blown out of the bin, or removed from the bin by hand if you will. There's a health and safety component - we don't like people reaching in to bins after garbage has been deposited, not only does it make a mess but there could be a sharp or something that could prick someone."
Leether says these will be placed within the main downtown core.
"We're trying to cover everything on Ouellette and Pelissier, from Wyandotte to the river essentially, as well as the side streets in-between. We think we'll be able to do that this year, we have another shipment of these things coming in in about a month, and we should be able to cover that entire area by no later than the end of September."
Ward 3 city councillor Renaldo Agostino says this is a step in the right direction.
"These are great bins, first-of-its-kind in Canada, and they look great. It's a visual, when you're driving down Ouellette Avenue, or driving down Chatham Street, or driving down Park Street, you're going to see these fantastic new bins and it makes you feel good about your downtown, it makes you feel good about your city."
Approximately 75 of these bins will be installed downtown.
Each container has a price tag of $2,400 which is being paid for through city department funds and funding through the Strengthen the Core initiative.