This Shmittah year there is a big innovation in Bnei Brak. For the first time ever, anywhere, the city government set up a hundred Shmittah cans across the city, with plans to set up more. The project is the initiative of Mayor Chanoch Zeibart and his deputy Rabbi Menachem Shapira, head of the Sanitation Department of Bnei Brak.
The goal was to find a proper arrangement for the residents of the city, most of whom follow the rulings of the Chazon Ish that say that produce produced by non-Jews during Shevi'is from fields in Eretz Yisroel may be consumed but it has kedushas Shevi'is. One important consequence of this is that the remains of food preparations and meals must be disposed of in a way that does not immediately spoil the food. Putting it in the garbage is not allowed. The Shmittah cans, set up and operated under the guidance of halachic authorities, provide a relatively easy solution for the average homeowner.
The receptacles are colored brown to distinguish them, and they are housed in special metal frames. They are clearly marked so that residents will put in only food that has kedushas Shevi'is. Special arrangements were made to empty them frequently and into a special truck that is cleaned carefully. The way the refuse is handled within the truck is also unique to the Shmittah produce.
