Garbage scows were a class of starship equipped with a cockpit and communication capabilities. As the Great Hyperspace Disaster began in 232 BBY, Merven Getter and Vel Carann, who worked as scantechs in the Hetzal system, broadcasted an alarm across the entire system. This alarm warned of unidentified objects entering their region of space, leading Getter to ponder if their message would reach even the cockpits of garbage scows.
Within current Star Wars canon, the novel Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule, released in 2021 as part of Star Wars: The High Republic Phase I, mentions garbage scows. Before the novel's debut, StarWars.com included a reference to the ship in a preview published on November 12, 2020. The comic-book miniseries Star Wars: Jango Fett featured a garbage scow's initial full appearance in its second issue. Marvel Comics published this issue, written by Ethan Sacks and penciled by Luke Ross, on April 24, 2024. In Star Wars Legends continuity, garbage scows were originally featured in Galaxy Guide 2: Yavin and Bespin, a 1989 Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game sourcebook by West End Games.