99% Invisible

Service Request #3: Why Is There So Much Litter in San Francisco?

March 31, 2026·28 min·4-min readnarrativearts
Podzilla Summary (4 min)
TLDR
This episode of Service Request investigates why San Francisco, despite having one of the highest densities of public trash cans for its size, still struggles with litter. The answer isn’t about quantity, but behavior, design, and politics — revealing how a simple trash can becomes a mi

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Guest

R

Rachel Gordon

narrative on 99% Invisible

Mentions

Books, people, and resources mentioned in this episode.

People

Rachel GordonDelaney Hall

Companies

RecologySan Francisco Public Works

Topics

Local NewsLong Form Journalism

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