The BigBelly Solar trash receptacles are making trash collection easier.
What if we could reduce the cost of waste removal and save
the environment at the same time? That’s what the BigBelly Solar trash and
recycling system is aiming to do. Using solar panels, the receptacles are also
trash compactors that can hold five times the waste of an ordinary garbage bin.
That means fewer trips for garbage trucks, but the real innovation is in the real-time data transmissions.
Sensors, powered by solar energy, track how full the compactor is so that municipalities
can plan their garbage routes accordingly, saving even more on fuel and labor.
The result is an 80 percent reduction in garbage collection trips.
The city of Philadelphia is trying out the BigBelly system right now,
replacing 700 trashcans with 500 solar compactors. The city has gone from 17
collections per week to just five, reaping a 70 percent savings, or $900,000 in
the first year.