Huế City in the central province of Thừa Thiên-Huế received 20 smart rubbish bins from tyre manufacturer Bridgestone on Monday.
Smart rubbish bins provided by tyre manufacturer Bridgestone. — VNS Photo Nguyễn Văn Phúc
Bridgestone gave the bins to the local Department of Tourism for the use in the city’s busy public places and tourist sites.
The bins have capacity of 120 litres each and have separate boxes to facilitate waste sorting. Four of the 20 bins are powered by solar energy and they make various sound and light signals to alert users when they are full.
According to Nguyễn Văn Phúc, the department’s deputy director, the bins will encourage visitors and locals to dump waste in the appropriate place, thereby reducing litter in places with frequent crowds.
In September last year, Bridgestone gave the Huế Monument Conservation Centre similar bins to help collect waste inside the former Nguyễn Dynasty (1802-1945) royal palace.
Local authorities have yet to issue penalties for littering, and education on the topic is not widespread. — VNS