This may just feel like salt being jammed into our collective garbage wound, but you may be interested in the 500 new trash bins being installed in Philadelphia at this very moment.
“But, Paul,” you say, “We just got new Astral Media bins! Why do we need to look at what some other city is doing?” We look because they’re doing it so much better.
The 500 bins they’re installing are the latest evolution of the Big Belly. The solar powered device compacts garbage (compacting doesn’t fly with recycled stuff – which requires separation or loses value when broken).
Compacting does a lot of good. First, That 32 gallon capacity increases by five times because of the solar powered smushing. Philly says the number of collections per week drops by 75%. When the device does reach capacity, it sends a wireless message to collectors alerting them of the need to empty it.
They don’t come cheap, with units costing US$3,000-$4,000 each, but pay for themselves in about 18 months through collection savings. In fact, Philly expects to save US$895,000 a year with these.
They’re also aesthetically pleasing with simple, clean lines, that delightful solar panel on top and a small overall footprint – totally contrasting the Megabin disaster Toronto toyed with years ago and the blimp bins we’re locked down to now.[rssbreak]
