In most cities trash collection and recycling seems like an automatic, and perhaps invisible process. In fact many of us take it for granted. So it's easy to miss the fact that it is a laborious effort that wastes valuable city resources. Large, noisy trucks barrel down city roads picking up cans and dumpsters no matter if they are full. And if they are overflowing, there's no potential for them to be picked up early.

Now imagine a world where the trash receptacle signals to city crews when the can is full. Instead of a steady route, trucks and manpower are only deployed when needed. The cost savings are significant, rodent populations are kept in check and the data collected can even help restaurants avoid health department concerns.

Turning Trash into Treasure

Here are two companies with two different approaches, but both prove that you can build a successful company and benefit a city's bottom line.

What looks like an ordinary, modern-designed trashcan to the human eye is actually a smart, sensor-laden device. Real time updates on capacity are communicated in real time via a cloud-connected, web-based platform. As a result the number of collection stops is reduced by up to 80 percent, which means savings on everything from labor costs to trashcan liners.

Additional benefits include the fact that the physical structures are wifi enabled and solar powered. Also technologies that enable smart city applications such as Internet-enabling small cells can be hidden in the container. Beacons and traffic-tracking data collectors can also be added to track pedestrian traffic.

Big Belly trashcans are on city streets, university campuses, transit systems, parks and more public areas in more than 50 countries. Because of the large footprint, many cities are leveraging the Big Belly system to usher in other smart city solutions that are in the public right-of-way. Many city governments struggle with how to streamline regulations to enable this kind of smart city innovation.

No newcomer to the public furniture space, Victor Stanley has been manufacturing city solutions for 55 years. They are a great example of a traditional company that is keeping up with innovation, as they now offer products that come wired for the smartest city. Their site boasts, "Remaining current in the marketplace defines our daily efforts."

Their litter receptacles look like every trash bin you've ever seen on a city sidewalk, except now they come with removable tops that contain "street level sensing" such as advanced wireless technology, fully integrated sensors and even an onboard GPS module. And they are all designed to handle the harshest outdoor conditions.

The Victor Stanley Relay™ offers a geocoding service to city operators, providing the trash can or recycling bin's exact street address or location. Think about how this impacts large-scale event producers where trash overflow can be a real hassle and off putting to attendees.

The Innovation Doesn't Stop There

It turns out that you don't have to make trashcans to get in on the garbage-to-gold rush. From hazardous waste to data optimization, these startups are helping cities realize incredible savings while also providing benefits to their residents.

Smarter Sorting in Austin, Texas uses technology and data to help cities identify hazardous materials in their waste stream. Harmful chemicals, such as unused paint, can be both costly and dangerous for city staff. Smarter Sorting automates the process through scannable regulatory information as well as quick sort and shipping processes. They are in nine municipalities and looking to launch 11 more.

Open Data Nation in DC leverages hundreds of millions of data points collected from various sensor technologies, openly available public sources and even commercial information repositories. They then organize them in a way that helps cities mitigate risk and plan smarter. They call their proprietary technology Hopper, after infamous computer scientist Grace Hopper, as homage to how innovation can transform communities.

These are just a few of the creative companies that are turning city problems into booming businesses. What challenges are you seeing in your communities that need a new approach? Are you the one to create that solution?