--- ---  # Self-Driving Garbage Can Inspires a Lot of Jokes Worth Treasuring by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Oct 1, 2019 3:52 PM UTC  Wheelie Bins for Recycled Rubbish Wheelie Bins for Recycled Rubbishlenscap67—Getty Images/iStockphoto by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Oct 1, 2019 3:52 PM UTC Helen of Troy famously had a face that launched a thousand ships. Now, a video of a self-driving garbage can taking itself to the curb is the GIF that has inspired a thousand jokes. It all started when tech news outlet [_Gizmodo_](https://gizmodo.com/this-self-driving-garbage-can-remembers-to-take-the-tra-1838621440)tweeted out a story about a new innovation in trash—the SmartCan. According to the company’s [website](https://smartcan.app/#hero), “SmartCan eliminates the need to take a homeowner’s garbage can to the curb by providing a plug-and-play motorized trashcan attachment and mobile application.” Basically, it’s a trash can that takes itself to the curb on trash day. To showcase its value, the company even released a video showing the [robotic](https://time.com/5273746/boston-dynamics-jogging-robot/) garbage can taking itself out, a clip of which _Gizmodo_ shared in its tweet. > [](https://twitter.com/Gizmodo/status/1178731786429456384) While this robot may not take [anyone’s job](https://time.com/4742543/robots-jobs-machines-work/) any time soon, the short clip of a self-propelling trash bin was enough to spark a meme as Twitter users caught sight of the self-powered garbage. Some are using it as the new go-to reply [meme](https://time.com/5661634/memes-summer-2019/), others are taking the opportunity to be self-deprecating, others are making political jokes, and the best are using the image to mock their chosen sports team and movies. > [](https://twitter.com/DanSpenser/status/1178733059564298240) > [](https://twitter.com/starclusterr/status/1178742518722236419) > [](https://twitter.com/szyszekFL/status/1179028335353122816) > [](https://twitter.com/edsbs/status/1179042903039066112) > [](https://twitter.com/jbhinely/status/1178818191222607875) > [](https://twitter.com/CupAJoeK/status/1178737967692685313) > [](https://twitter.com/timmshady/status/1178759023925043201) > [](https://twitter.com/valor%5Fclub/status/1178742164530089984) > [](https://twitter.com/darth/status/1178734599830155269) Self-Driving Garbage Can Inspires A Lot of Jokes ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5690082/self-driving-garbage-memes/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5690082/self-driving-garbage-memes/"},"headline":"Self-Driving Garbage Can Inspires a Lot of Jokes Worth Treasuring","datePublished":"2019-10-01T15:52:31.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:00:27.458Z","description":"The internet has a new favorite insult GIF","url":"https://time.com/5690082/self-driving-garbage-memes/","keywords":["Newsfeed","viral","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e62b54e35e0b4b3/698a03a897cdff24526b99e4/garbagecan.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Melissa Locker","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e62b54e35e0b4b3/698a03a897cdff24526b99e4/garbagecan.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Wheelie Bins","caption":"Garbage can","creditText":"lenscap67—Getty Images/iStockphoto","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5690082/self-driving-garbage-memes/","name":"Self-Driving Garbage Can Inspires a Lot of Jokes Worth Treasuring"}}]}] ```