Don't Say We Didn't Warn You: RFID-embedded Bins in Cleveland

Not content with sending us their cheddar cheese and their tea, the English have now exported their terrifying trash technology to the United States. In a story almost too chilling to believe, The Cleveland Plain Dealer exposed a new program that the City of Cleveland is set to roll out next year to make sure residents are going green.

On August 18, the Cleveland City Council announced that it had approved a $2.5 million budget request for the high-tech carts for 25,000 customers. The recycling carts will contain a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip that will send a signal to the city’s waste management department every time the recycling cart is rolled to the curb. If too much time passes without a signal being received, the city will send out a “trash supervisor” to rifle through the trash in search of recyclable items.

If the rubbish regulators find that the regular trash cart contains more than 10 percent recyclable material, then a $100 fine could be imposed on the guilty planet haters.