By Kyle Wilson
“Go clean, Go Green” Can be seen on the side of each BigBelly compactor. This one Can be found on Madison Ave. in front of Pine Hills’ Dunkin Donuts
Walking around the streets of the Pine Hills neighborhood it’s easy to notice the new solar compactors. These machines are all over the country in just about every major city saving money and redirecting man power.
BigBelly Solar is the organization behind this idea. With more than 100 installations in Albany, 93 trash compactors and 20 recycling bins have been installed. BigBelly Solar is quickly helping Albany and Pine Hills to cut down pollution.
“The aim of the solar compactor is to provide a much greener approach to life, while also blending into a college area. It appears to have a much more natural and contemporary look to it,” said Tom Owston, a customer satisfaction employee at BigBelly Solar. The trash compactors can be seen all around the Pine Hills neighborhood, but blend in with a much more aesthetically pleasing look.
The BigBelly Solar compactors have done more than just replace old garbage cans. The new solar compactors permit up to an 80% reduction in collection frequency, saving time and work.
“The new compactor actually sends out a text message to alert us when it’s full,” said Owston. Innovations like this one are designed to decrease pest activity and public health concerns, but most importantly set standards for energy consumption, all part of BigBelly’s “Go Clean, Go Green.”
“This system is helping to save on the carbon footprint of Albany,” said Frank Zeoli, director of recycling in Albany.
The new BigBelly system has changed the work process entirely. The garbage itself still goes to the dump, but the efficiency of the collecting process has improved dramatically.
“Instead of stopping at 100 trash cans every day, our workers only have to stop at 3 or 4. Everything from gas to man power turns into savings,” said Dan DiLillo, assistant commissioner of General Service for the City of Albany. The new garbage compactors have red, yellow, and green lights on them that display the amount of garbage that is inside.
Not many people know how much this new system is replacing and saving. The BigBelly Solar compactors save time and money, as well as keep our neighborhoods free of loose debris and pests. Rich Gould, an Albany Police Detective, said: “It’s a cool concept, and there’s a whole lot less trash blowing around the streets lately.”
Copyright BigBelly Solar, Inc. 2011. All rights reserved.