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Want to support this channel and help us preserve old films? Visit Visit our website This documentary on waste management from 1970 explores “The Green Box” project implemented in Chilton County in the state of Alabama. It shows a time capsule of sorts in the story of American trash, with overburdened waste management organizations upgrading from small metal trash cans to a new platform for dealing with large amounts of garbage. The switch from open dumps to a containerized trash collection system utilizing green containers was part of a clean and green initiative of the county. The film is photographed by Theodore Jones, produced by Stuart Finley, and presented by the Chilton County Commission and the Bureau of Solid Waste Management Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Official summary: The Green Box illustrates a novel rural solid waste collection and disposal system developed by Chilton County, Alabama, to serve its 26,000 predominantly rural residents scattered over a 700-square-mile area. Four-cubic-yard containers located throughout the county are emptied every other day by a specially equipped packer truck. The county's old rat-infested dumps were closed and roadside maintenance problems have been solved. The film is designed to interest the lay public and assist local officials to devise workable rural solid waste management systems. “The Green box” project director Bob Alexander speaks about a green area (00:10). Views of the green area which was previously a city dump (00:17). Director Alexander explains the sign stating the prohibition of dumping trash (00:43). Roadside piles of garbage (01:10). Views of Alabama Chilton county dump site (01:22). A conventional garbage truck driving in the county to do pick-ups (01:48). “The Green Box” title banner (02:07). The truck arrives to empty the ‘green box’ garbage cans located along the highways for locals to dispose of their waste (02:09). Residents empty their private trash cans in a garbage truck driving by to show the waste-disposal system prior to ‘The Green box’ initiative (03:16). African American garbageman loads trash truck (3:25). The truck empties its load at the new sanitary landfill (04:10). Heavy machines move the trash around on the fill (04:28). Judge Thomas Hayes of the Board of Revenue and Control speaks about the Green Box in Chilton County (04:55). A car drives past a Green Box located along a highway, where a resident is dumping waste (06:00). A garbage truck arrived to empty a Green Box (06:15). The location of some of the total of 90 green boxes in the county (06:31). Some Green Boxes are situated on a paved area along the roads to improve convenience for residents (06:53). Scenes of the undertaken user education program (07:09). A Methodist Church (07:25). The pastor of the church comments on the Green Box Program (07:39). Project director Bob Alexander speaks about the newly established sanitary landfill (08:18). Views of the small town of Clanton in southern Alabama (09:36). A meeting between the board of commissioners at the Chilton County courthouse concerning the green box program (10:22). Project consultant Dr. James V. Walters works to review and report on the green box program (13:07). He reveals his results at the meeting in progress at the Chilton County Courthouse (13:47). Project director Bob Alexander tests the new lids on the Green Box containers (14:44). Regular personnel perform regular check-ups and cleans the containers (15:02). A garbage truck arrives to empty a Green Box (16:14). We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: “01:00:12:00 -- President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.“ This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit
