Fox 7 News Reporter Nancy Zambrano in City Hall. Watch the video (click image below) to see how BigBelly is helping the City's Zero Waste program.
Austin, TX - They may look like regular trash bins but inside the BigBellys there’s a lot more you can’t see. These containers are actually solar powered trash compactors.
“We are able to collect about four times as much as a regular public trash receptacle,” said Jennifer Herber with the city’s Solid Waste Services Department.
She said when the compactors are full it wirelessly sends a signal to city crews letting them know it’s time for pick-up, helping to keep down the cost of picking them up each day.
“For the first time we are offering recycling along with them,” Herber said is an added bonus.
She said people are more likely to recycle when given the opportunity. It’s why along the Drag at UT BigBellys can be seen everywhere, 19 of them in total.
“We’re having to empty out the recycling containers a lot more than we thought we would,” said Herber.
That’s because earth-conscience students are putting the BigBellys to good use.
“I think it’s a great idea since there are a lot of college students walking around with water bottles, papers,” said UT Freshman Kassandra Gomez.
The BigBellys are also helping the city achieve it’s zero waste goal.
The compactors are a part of a one year pilot program. If successful the compactors could be expanded to other parts of Austin.
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