BigBelly Solar Compactor - Philadelphia, PA
N 39° 57.062 W 075° 09.214
18S E 486882 N 4422333
In 2009, Philadelphia has replaced 700 public trash receptacles downtown with 500 of the high-tech compactors, which use solar energy to condense trash — cutting collection trips by 75%.. This is one of 700.
Waymark Code: WMCGYQ
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 09/06/2011
Views: 7
This garbage can can be found at the tunnel entrance to the Hi-Speed line and other underground train lines (The Frankford Line is one of them). The location is the corner of 8th and Market street. The can is curbside. The solar part is on top.
The devices are being tried by governments and others in 40 states and 20 countries, but no other group is trying an approach as comprehensive as Philadelphia, says Richard Kennelly, vice president of marketing for BigBelly Solar, based in Needham, Mass.
The BigBelly is powered by light, but it does not need direct light, Kennelly said. When trash gets to the top of the bin, it breaks an electronic beam that triggers a motor that pushes it down. As trash gets more densely packed, the machine senses the resistance and changes a light on the front of the bin from green to yellow.
In Philadelphia, the cans also have a wireless monitoring system that notifies the city when they're full. In addition, the city is introducing curbside recycling containers next to many of the compactors.