by Graham Reid

This week, the Maintenance Department installed the first of Kenyon’s new trash cans along Middle Path and near Peirce Hall. These units are the first of 16 planned trash cans, which will replace the red wooden receptacles.

Each can costs $1,336, with a bulk discount. However, including the cost of the concrete pad and manual labor needed to put them in place, the total cost will be over $1,600 per can. The College hopes the new powder-coated metal cans will age better than the wooden units.

The project is currently on track to meet the goal of being installed before Commencement, according to Director of Facility Operations Greg Widener.

Each trash can takes two workers approximately two hours to install. The project will not drain a larger portion of Maintenance’s personnel resources, but it has required a steady investment of time from the grounds staff.

The installation process has been smooth, but Widener noted that some students have been touching the wet concrete of the pads. “The top surface [of one pad] looked like a golf ball, it had so many dimples from fingerprints — every one was different,” he said. “[The workers installing the pad] got a kick out of that.”