

The Basic Design and Walt’s Impact
Firstly, Walt realized that if you keep a place tidy, it’s more likely that guests will throw away their rubbish, so he did research into how far someone would walk before they dropped their trash on the ground. He found that 30 feet was the magic number, so wherever you go in a Disney park, a trash can will never be more than 30 feet away from you. When you consider how big Walt Disney World is, that’s a lot of cans – Frontierland alone has over 120! The basic design of the Disney trash can is a masterpiece in itself and goes all the way back to Walt as well. It's reported that he decided to make the cans have swinging doors to keep the smell inside and so that guests didn't have to see trash by lifting a lid – genius! The rounded edges of the top also gives a much smoother appearance, and the doors which the Custodians open are out of obvious view, making trash as invisible as possible. The recycling cans have a hole instead of a swinging door, perfect for depositing empty bottles and the hole instantly helps guests know what that bin is for. The Disney trash can has faced a few changes over the years. For instance, many of them used to say "Push" on the flap or had 3D plaques on the main body to signify the area they were placed in. But, the general design and idea behind them has remained the same since Disneyland first opened. Often people think of trash cans as being something riddled with germs and, I'm not saying they're spotless by any means, but they get cleaned by the Custodians very regularly.
Themes - It's what's on the outside that counts
This is where we get to the really good stuff. How could something related to garbage be so aesthetically pleasing? Every trash can is designed in a way that blends into its surroundings and doesn't remove the guest from the immersion that is created by the land. If you just dumped a rusty brown bin in the middle of Tomorrowland, I don't think it would transport you to the future in quite the same way. Notice how these two cans from Fantasyland in Disneyland Paris blend into the scenery. The pink can links to the red and pink tones of the wall and merchandise kiosk behind it, and the blue one connects to the blue railing and roofs of the buildings in the background. It's all about making each element coordinate.

