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Philadelphia, PA – City leaders cut the ribbon on a new solar-powered trash receptacle yesterday and then, appropriately, threw the ribbon away.

The ribbon-cutting in Center City came during the unveiling of the BigBelly, a trash receptacle and compactor that can store four times the volume of ordinary litter baskets and cut fuel use and greenhouse emissions from trash collection by 80 percent.

To top it all off, the waste container can run daily on the amount of energy needed to toast a slice of bread.

“They require less energy, which means potentially they’re a lot more cost-effective,” said Paul R. Levy, president and chief executive officer of the Center City District.

The receptacles are being tested in 30-day trials at three locations in Center City: Seventh and Chestnut Streets, Broad and Walnut, and 18th and Walnut.

If the trials show an increase in cost- and energy-efficiency, the city would “be interested in doing a larger purchase” from the manufacturer, Streets Commissioner Clarena I.W. Tolson said. “We’re looking forward to a successful [trial period]. We think this is going to be a winner.”

The garbage accumulated inside the unit gets compacted when internal sensors detect that the receptacle is full. It doesn’t require direct sunlight, and its 12-volt solar battery can last three weeks without recharging, said Rick Gaudette, vice president of sales for BigBelly Solar, the Massachusetts company that invented the device in 2004.

Different and older models have already been in use in other parts of the city, including the campuses of Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania. The receptacles are also common in cities such as Baltimore, Boston, and Sacramento, Calif.

Tolson said the BigBelly is more proof that the city government is serious about going green. Yesterday’s unveiling came after Monday’s announcement that single-stream recycling is now available throughout the city.

The receptacles “should be something really quite great for our city,” Tolson said, “in terms of litter prevention, in terms of sustainability, in terms of all our focusing on the environment.”

City of Philadelphia and Center City District Partner in Solar-Powered Trash Can Demonstration Project

Philadelphia, PA -  The City of Philadelphia Streets Department and the Center City District announced they are partnering in a demonstration project to test solar-powered trash receptacles in Center City. The trash compactor unveiled today at 7th & Chestnut Street is one of three cans installed as part of the test program. The other two are located on the 1400 and 1800 blocks of Walnut Street.

Brand-named BigBelly®, the receptacles are the world’s only solar-powered cordless compaction system. Manufactured in the USA, the receptacle is made of galvanized steel and recyclable ABS plastic sides. It uses the sun’s energy to automatically compact trash at the point of disposal, significantly increasing capacity by four times within the same footprint as ordinary receptacles. Increased capacity reduces overflow, the number of collection trips and can cut related fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions by 80%. It has the capacity to hold 200 gallons of trash (normal city trash cans hold 55 gallons) and can operate for a week on the energy it takes to make a pot of coffee. The enclosed design keeps pests out and litter in.

“We are pleased to work with the Streets Department on this trial run for the BigBelly® receptacles,” said Paul R. Levy, President & CEO for Center City District. “These cans look better and seem to work better than traditional trash cans so we are eager to test how well they perform in Philadelphia.”

“We are pleased to be partnering with the Center City District in the use of this advanced technology and embrace ideas like this that can potentially save us money and natural resources,” according to Clarena Tolson, Department of Streets Commissioner for the City of Philadelphia, noting that the solar-powered compactors are used in over 50 municipalities from Baltimore to Sacramento, as well as in parks, zoos and on campuses across the country.

Mark Alan Hughes, Philadelphia’s Director of Sustainability and Senior Advisor to the Mayor added, “Innovative solutions that promote a green and clean city like BigBelly® are a small but critical piece of creating a more sustainable city and region. I look forward to working with the Streets Department and the Center City District to implement additional strategies for trash collection, recycling and a clean environment.

The BigBelly® needs no direct sunlight. It runs on a 12-volt battery that is kept charged by a solar panel on sunny or cloudy days. The demonstration period for the receptacles will last a month during which time Center City District personnel will collect the compacted trash from the three receptacles as needed and track machine performance, operational impact and public perception.

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