Bank complaints put Raleigh's underground trash plan on hold

Just months after its debut, a new garbage collection program in downtown Raleigh is on hold.

At the intersection of Wilmington and Hargett streets, the city installed six Molok bins, trash containers with most of the body underground, designed to save space and reduce odors. One Molok – the name comes from the Finnish manufacturer – can hold more trash than 20 City of Raleigh garbage cans can.

But customer and employees of the Mechanics and Farmers Bank, which shares a parking lot with the new bins, complained, enough to get the city to put a hold on the $30,000 program and remove the trash bins.

A city spokesperson says the bins will be relocated, although a location has yet to be identified. The city plans to test out the cans through summer 2020, hoping that the pilot program will save time and money on garbage collection.

Alex Christoff, who lives downtown, likes the alternative to cans and bags that sit at the surface.

I think it's a good idea," he said. "I hate New York City because of all the trash bags. They just line them up and throw them out on the street, so if this can prevent that, it's a good thing."