cheaper garbage collection

Major cotributors to the basic cost of garbage disposal are the time to stop and start between pick ups and the manual labor to move the containers to the truck. My suggestion keeps the vehicle in motion at all times and removes the need for the manual labor. The vehicle would pick up the container on the move with a device that matches the forward velocity of the vehicle (but in the opposite direction) thereby reducing the shock to the container. This could be a belt or track. Like a tank the portion of the track on the ground is at zero relative velocity to the ground. The next acceleration is vertical so the contents will stay in place. The container then disconnects from the track (like a seat on a high speed chair lift at a ski area) and is dumped into the vehicle. The container is then stored until its needed to replace a collected container. Then the arm and the container reattach to the belt or track immediately in front of the arm thats about to retrieve a container. The replacement of the container occurs at the same moment as collection but displaced in the direction of vehicle travel one container width. So as one container with trash is picked up another empty one is put in its place. much of this would be automated and only require the driver to swing close to the area with the garbage cans and turn the system off if someone is in the way.

A reasonable speed could be maintained in this manner and the labor costs would be reduced. One truck could conservatively handle five times the area with one worker in an airconditioned cab.

Now why is this idea halfbaked --- simple the Unions would never allow it to happen....grin