What’s Hiding in Backyards? Unearthing the Forgotten History of Underground Garbage Cans

Moisture caused rust and structural damage, rainwater collected in the wells, and freezing winters made them unreliable. As cities modernized waste collection, lightweight curbside bins replaced them entirely by the 1970s.

Most underground cans were abandoned, filled in, or paved over, slowly disappearing from everyday awareness. Today, finding one continue reading …