Patent ID: 7703622

Claim:
An apparatus for providing a compartmentalized receptacle for trash and recyclables, comprising: a) a housing having a cylindrical shape, said housing being substantially upright standing, said housing having top and bottom ends, wherein said top end is open, said housing having a wall; b) first and second containers being removably disposed in said housing, each of said containers having a top and bottom, wherein each of said top ends of said containers are open, wherein each of said containers is shaped in horizontal cross-section substantially like a half circle, wherein said first container is for receiving trash and said second container is for receiving recylables; c) first and second lids being disposed side by side on said top end of said housing to permit a user to access the first and second containers, wherein said first lid is complementarily shaped in a half circle cross-section as said top end of said first container and said second lid is complementarily shaped in a half circle cross-section as said top end of said second container, each lid being hinged in one corner thereof, wherein each of said first and second lids is closed in a first position and pivoted upwardly around said hinge to be open in a second position; d) structure for operating said first and second lids whereby the user can move each of the first and second lids back and forth between the closed position and the open position comprising: i) wherein each said first and second lids are hinged side by side to said top of said wall of said housing so that said lids can pivot between said closed position and said open position; ii) first and second foot levers being disposed on said bottom of said housing so that said first and second foot levers operate said first and second lids, respectively, said foot levers being spaced apart with a portion of curvature of said housing separating said foot levers; iii) first and second cables each having first and second ends, wherein said first end of each said first and second cables connects to said first and second foot levers, respectively, and, wherein said second end of each said first and second cable connects to said first and second lids, respectively, so that when said first foot lever is depressed by the foot of a user said first lid moves from said closed to said open position and when said second foot lever is depressed by the foot of a user said second lid moves from said closed to said open position, wherein when said foot levers are released said lids return to their closed positions position; and iv) a plurality of guides being disposed in a spaced apart manner along said first and second cables so as to affix said cables to the inside of the wall of said housing; and e) a third foot lever directly under said side by side hinges for raising said first and second lids simultaneously from the closed position to the open position.