International Downtown Association:
Solar-Powered Compactors Put the Squeeze on Trash & Recycling Collection Costs

On average, Americans throw away 30 lbs of trash per week—that's 245 million tons of municipal solid waste each year. Worse, this number has more than tripled over the last four decades. At the same time, budgets are tightening and costs are spiraling out of control, especially when it comes to fuel, labor, tipping fees and equipment. Cities and towns have responded by increasing the number of receptacles and increasing collection trips. Despite these efforts, trash remains the top nuisance complaint. But a new solution is helping reduce costs and promote sustainability in downtowns across the U.S. and in 20 other countries. “BigBelly” solar-powered trash cans,  which possess integrated recycling units, automatically compact and do not require direct sunlight or wiring. They are also equipped with a wireless monitoring system that sends a signal to alert staff when they need to be emptied. Moreover, their enclosed design keeps pests out, while keeping litter neatly contained and off the ground.  

Several cities in the U.S. and abroad including Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Vancouver, are using the device. Philadelphia has done this on a large scale, recently replacing all 700 litter baskets in its downtown and installing 500 "BigBelly" solar compactors and 210 recycling units. The city aims to save as much as $875,000 each year and $13 million over ten years, or about 70 percent on collection costs. Richard Kennelly, a BigBelly Solar executive was recently quoted in the press as saying that Philadelphia is using the compactors in a more comprehensive way than many other cities have been doing. Click here for a case study on Philadelphia and several others that have successfully employed BigBelly.

Along with the solar compactor project, Philadelphia also introduced public space recycling for the very first time and launched a major educational campaign called "Philly Throws Green". This program is part of Mayor Michael Nutter’s broader initiative, Greenworks Philadelphia, designed to help the city meet its goal of becoming "America's number one green city."