Progress Shanghai style

This is what I found today in my email:

Ten solar-powered, "speaking" garbage bins appeared at People's Square recently, a local newspaper reported yesterday.

The bins use solar energy to provide power for the electronic voice, which is activated by a button, that tells pedestrians where the closest two toilets are. The solar energy also provides power for a map on the top of the trash bins which lights up at night, Oriental Morning Post reported.

The map shows surrounding roads and public facilities, the report said.

The report did not say how much the garbage bins cost.

A total of 480 such trash cans will also be placed on Nanjing Road, at the Bund and other main streets, according to the Huangpu District Sanitation Bureau.

The bins are also easy to see at night. They are the first solar-powered garbage bins in the country.

Perhaps you understand now why I find it sometimes difficult to explain China to people who do not live here. While in Holland they are struggling to introduce a smart card for public transport, the garbage bins in Shanghai are clever enough to tell you where the closest two toilets are. I will try to get a photo, or even better a video!