Chicago, IL - Chicago Sun-Times:
Putting a crunch on garbage costs...
May 25, 2007 12:00 PM
Move over, wide bodies: There's a new BigBelly on Chicago's beaches this summer.
The BigBelly, a $3,600 solar-powered garbage bin, periodically crushes the refuse inside. With fewer pickups required, Chicago Park District officials hope the solar panel-equipped containers will reduce trash collection costs and cut garbage truck pollution.
Twenty-five of the boxes will be anchored at four lakefront locations: beaches at North Avenue, 31st Street and 63rd as well as Queen's Landing near Buckingham Fountain. In April, the city's Streets and Sanitation Department installed three boxes downtown.