In a semi-underground waste receptacle, a concrete cylinder, or well, sits five feet below the surface with 39 inches showing above the surface. Suspended within the well is a reusable bag and when it needs emptying, is lifted out along with the lid it is attached to.

Developed in Europe 25 years ago and in use in Ontario, Canada, for the past 15 years, semi-underground waste containers have recently been introduced in the U.S. by startup company Sutera.

Billed as an environmentally friendly, aesthetically appealing alternative to stand-alone dumpsters, wooden enclosures, and roofed structures, this garbage collection solution is being put to the test in Greenville, S.C.

"The company has been in existence doing research and development, but we just started marketing in January of this year," says Bill Higgins, the director of business development for the manufacturer. "Our first units are just starting to go into the ground."

According to Higgins, this product appeals to architects and landscape architects because it has a more attractive, less imposing appearance, takes up less surface space, can have its own landscaped area, and the exposed part of the receptacle can be customized with exterior wraps or specialty materials that complement the aesthetic of buildings or surrounding landscapes.

The system consists of a concrete cylinder, or well, that sits five feet below the surface with 39 inches showing above the surface. A reusable bag of 18-ounce PVC coated polyester fabric is suspended within the well and connected to the polyethylene lid that covers the unit.

The container is emptied by a garbage truck outfitted with a hook lift that picks up the lid and bag, positions them over the truck's collection bin where the cinching mechanism at the bottom of the bag is released by the driver who cinches it back up afterwards. In this manner, multiple containers next to each other can be emptied without ever having to move the truck. And the typical 90-foot clearance needed by garbage trucks to empty dumpsters can be greatly reduced, leaving more area for parking.

The manufacturing company also points out that at a little more than three feet high, they do not provide a place for criminal activity or concealment in the same way as a traditional dumpster and its enclosure. And because no enclosure is needed, the cost savings is enough to buy an extra unit or two.

Previous products have been made of one-piece plastic wells that, even though they have concrete footings, are susceptible, because of their buoyancy, to being pushed out of place by high water tables. And if the well breaks, from being hit by a vehicle for instance, the unit has to be dug out, and all the concrete removed before a new unit can be put back in. Sutera's model is a two-piece unit so the top portion can be easily replaced. And because it is essentially a manhole, they are readily available around the country at less cost due to shorter shipping distances.

Other advantages include a quick release feature so the bags can be easily detached from the frame when the bags have to be replaced, which the manufacturing company puts at 10 years plus, or repaired, which Higgins points out; their bags can be while others can't.

For the product tryout in Greenville, Sutera bought a specialized truck and services the existing receptacles but expects waste service providers to convert their trucks or buy new trucks once a certain product density has been reached.

"When we get 25 to 50 units into South Carolina, I think that (the local waste management provider) will come in and put a truck down there and start servicing our accounts," says Higgins. "We don't want to be in the waste hauling business."

And at the time of the interview, Higgins let on that the company was close to an agreement to expand their presence to another region of the country.