WALTHAM, Mass., May 9, 2013- The Smaller Business Association of New England (SBANE) has announced the eight winners of the prestigious 2013 SBANE New England Innovation Awards. The winners, narrowed from a list of 20 finalists, were announced at the May 8th Evening of Innovation program held at the Westin Hotel, Waltham, MA.

“The New England Innovation Awards showcases the best innovative companies in our region who possess the most explosive growth potential to expand our economic base. The health of the New England Economy depends upon the creative forces of innovation to drive capital formation and job creation” said SBANE President, Robert Baker.

The nominees competed in two rounds of judging. The initial round was held on March 21st at SBANE’s headquarters in Waltham, MA where the nominees were narrowed to a list of 50 semi-finalists. In a second judging session, that list was then narrowed to 20 finalists.

“As is the case each and every year, the task of selecting our 20 finalists from a pool of over 200 nominees is an arduous one, with this year being no exception,” said SBANE’s New England Innovation Awards Committee Chairman, Todd Faber, President, The Faber Group.

The 20 Finalists presented to a panel of 70 judges on April 10th at the Henderson House in Weston, MA. After the presentations, the judges chose four winners in the “Profit” category and two in the “Non-Profit” category. Two companies were honored as “Rising Stars”, who are in the early stage of development and have clearly demonstrated the validity of their business.

“All of our winners have exemplified what SBANE considers true industry agnostic innovation and we are delighted that they have joined an exclusive group of tremendous companies and organizations from throughout New England in SBANE’s ‘Circle of Excellence’” said Faber, after the winners had been announced.

And the winners are:

• Actifio, Waltham, MA (Profit)
• Affinnova, Waltham, MA (Profit)
• Arteriocyte Medical Systems, Hopkinton, MA (Profit)
• BigBelly Solar, Newton, MA (Profit)
• Community Water Solutions, Boston, MA (Non-Proft)
• Found in Translation, Medford, MA (Non-Profit)
• NuLabel Technology, Providence, RI (Rising Star)
• T2 Biosystems, Lexington, MA (Rising Star)

About SBANE:
The Smaller Business Association of New England, Inc. (SBANE), founded in 1938, is a private not-for-profit association of approximately 600 member companies located throughout the six-state region. SBANE was established to provide a legislative voice for small business at the state and federal levels and to make practical information available to help business owners grow their companies. SBANE runs diverse, educational programs each year and has active chapters in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The membership is characterized by a high degree of participation, reflected in a large and dynamic committee structure, addressing a range of topics from international trade to human resources. Visit SBANE at www.sbane.org.

Deputy Streets Commissioner Donald Carlton, Mural Arts Program’s Executive Director Jane
Golden, NKCDC Executive Director Sandy Salzman, students and artists from the Big Picture
Program celebrated the newly wrapped BigBellies™. Rock to the Future’s Student House Band
played for the crowd and Little Baby’s Ice Cream handed out ice cream to attendees.
“Earth Day is an opportunity for all Philadelphia residents to become more environmentally
conscious and sustainable. It’s also a time for us to liven up our neighborhoods,” said Deputy
Commissioner Carlton. “Paring the beautiful Litter Critter artwork by the Mural Arts Program
with our sustainable BigBellies™ is a great way to mark the occasion.”

The newly wrapped BigBellies™ now line the Frankford Ave Arts Corridor and showcase creative
designs inspired by the idea of litter bugs. Teaching artists Rodney Camarce, Yis Goodwin and
Sarah Folger worked with Mural Arts students on the concept and creation of the artwork. Big
Picture provides young people ages 10 to 14 with free visual arts education with a focus on
community and social responsibility. Students concentrate on foundational art skills, mural
design, and small indoor or outdoor murals.

According to Golden, the Mural Arts Program is about connecting city youth with art projects
that impact the community.

“Mural Arts Program works with nearly 1,500 students in our art education program each year,”
she said. “It is so gratifying to help young people beautify the city and have a stake in keeping it
that way. First our students designed gorgeous wraps for Philadelphia’s recycling trucks, and
now the BigBellies™ will continue to beautify the city streets as well.”

The Litter Critter BigBelly™ project is part of the Streets Department’s UnLitter Us movement,
the first sustained public service campaign to rid Philadelphia of litter. UnLitter Us engages
citizens to volunteer across the city in ongoing efforts to eliminate and prevent litter from
invading our streets through community outreach programs. The creative designs on the
BigBellies™ encourage people to use the sustainable trash cans and not litter. The project is an
extension of the innovative “Design in Motion Project”, where students from the Mural Art’s
Education Program designed wrappings for 20 of the Streets Department’s recycling trucks in an
effort to raise awareness about recycling. The solar compactors hold up to five times the
quantity of a wire trash can and allow the City to save gas and space by limiting pick up and the
amount of garbage created. The Streets Department’s BigBelly™ and UnLitter Us programs are
initiatives aimed to make the City of Philadelphia the Greenest City in America by 2015.

For more information about this project and all Philadelphia Streets Department initiatives,
please visit www.philadelphiastreets.com or the UnLitter Us movement Facebook Page at
www.facebook.com/unlitterus. For more information about the Mural Arts Program, please visit
www.muralarts.org.

# # #

About The City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program
The Mural Arts Program is the nation’s largest mural program. Since 1984, the Mural Arts Program has created over
3,000 murals and works of public art, which are now part of Philadelphia’s civic landscape and a source of inspiration
to thousands of residents and visitor who encounter them, earning Philadelphia international recognition as “City of
Murals.” The Mural Arts Program engages over 100 communities each year in the transformation of neighborhoods
through the mural-making process. The Mural Arts Program’s award-winning, free art education programs annually
serve nearly 1,500 youth at sites throughout the city and at-risk teens through the education outreach programs. The
Program also serves adult offenders in local prisons and rehabilitation centers, using the restorative power of art to
break the cycle of crime and violence in our communities. For further information, call (215) 685-0750 or visit
muralarts.org.

Carol Stream, Ill. – April 17, 2013 – The top companies in agriculture, automotive, energy, healthcare, and more will be honored this June by Connected World magazine. The publication today announced the finalists for the 2013 Value Chain Awards.

The Connected World magazine Value Chain Awards honor the most successful corporate adopters of M2M technology and connected devices, as well as the solution providers that help make their technology adoption a success.

The awards recognize the process of combining multiple technologies, such as device-connectivity hardware, modules, network service and provisioning, as well as application software and infrastructure, to create a winning solution for the end customer based on quantifiable results.

The 2013 Connected World Value Chain Awards finalists are:
Acclaim Energy Advisors
AimTruancy
All Traffic Solutions
Allen Lund Company
Anheuser Busch Inbev
BI Incorporated
BigBelly Solar
Cartasite
Carvoyant, Inc.
EosHealth
Genesis Health Technologies
Guardity Technologies, Inc.
Intelligent Illuminations, Inc.
Kelle’s Transport Service Inc.
LINC Technologies
MEI
Net Irrigate
OnFarm Systems
Restaurant Technologies
Securus, Inc.
Sensuss
SoBi Bicycle Connected by AT&T
Southwest Airlines Cargo
TrackPoint Systems
Urban Green Energy
USA Technologies
Varian Medical Systems
Vecima Networks
Wheelz, Inc.

“When it comes to technology today, innovation is a term we hear everywhere we turn. But what exactly can―and should―it mean for your company? At this year’s Connected World Conference, we will examine how this idea can be converted into something tangible, something that will allow your business to grow to new levels,” says Peggy Smedley, editorial director, Connected World. “The 2013 Value Chain Award finalists are outstanding examples of how companies are ‘reinventing innovation’ today, and we look forward to honoring the winners in June.”

The Value Chain Awards are annually presented during a formal gala, along with the winners of the ConnectED Awards. The Connected World magazine ConnectED Awards honor individuals who have applied innovation and vision to successfully bring their ideas to the M2M and connected-devices marketplace.

The awards gala is one of the highlights of the annual Connected World Conference, being held June 10-12 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in California. This year’s conference will also include the second annual M2M App Challenge, held June 7-9.

The Connected World Conference brings together technology-driven professionals, tech-minded consumers, and upwardly mobile entrepreneurs, all around the idea of either creating or consuming the latest emerging devices and technologies.

About Connected World magazine
Connected World is the business and technology publication that provides the intelligence industry titans need and the guidance consumers crave. It’s all about M2M. www.connectedworldmag.com

The trash receptacle itself is made up of two parts: the BigBelly unit and the SmartBelly unit. The BigBelly accepts trash and the SmartBelly accepts recyclable materials, such as paper and plastic. Both work as compactors compacting deposited materials. Once the trash receptacle is full, the CLEAN Management System onboard every BigBelly and SmartBelly unit sends a real-time alert to StarMetro’s maintenance staff. This process allows StarMetro to save money as staff is not continuously checking the receptacle for emptying.

“By employing these 100 percent solar-powered trash receptacles, we at StarMetro can save money in labor, fuel and maintenance costs,” said Ivan Maldonado, interim executive director for StarMetro. “Most importantly, though, we can ensure that our bus stops are clean and litter free.”

The six bus stop locations for the trash receptacles include:

– C.K. Steele Plaza
– Thomasville Road and Bradford Road
– Governors Square Boulevard and Magnolia Drive
– North Monroe Street and John Knox Road
– Tennessee Street and Macomb Street
– Orange Avenue and Meridian Street

With the addition of these six new receptacles, StarMetro will have a total of 13 solar-powered trash receptacles. In 2009, StarMetro began a pilot project with five BigBelly units. All of StarMetro’s solar-powered trash receptacles have been purchased with monies from a grant supplied by the Federal Transit Administration.

This week, Main Street in Manayunk will blossom into a hub for public art. The Manayunk Special Services District in conjunction with Springside Chestnut Hill Academy will wrap 14 Big Belly Solar Compactors in spectacular art pieces. The project began on April 8.

The project, dubbed “Smart Partners in Art,” aims to combine art with a learning experience, not only for the students who created the compactor’s skins, but for passers-by. Each piece of art includes an animal indigenous to the Schuylkill River created in the style of a well known artist. For example, an Andy Warhol styled-frog envelopes one, a Van Gogh inspired fish, the Pointillism of a Henri Rousseau goose in flight, and much more.

“Manayunk is the perfect town to implement this public art project that also promotes a green initiative, as it’s nestled right on the banks of the Schuylkill River.” saidd Dan Neducsin, President of the Manayunk Special Services District (MSSD).

MSSD chose the best partner to combine green initiatives, SCH Academy is known for its groundbreaking efforts in eco-friendly practices. The school received the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon School Award in 2012, has multiple solar panels atop its buildings, and is working towards a zero-waste cafeteria.

SCH Academy President Priscilla Sands said, “This project is emblematic of a school that is dedicated to sustainability, creativity, and innovation. We have a long history of partnerships such as this one with the Manayunk Development Corporation, which help our students explore their passions in a real-world context.”

Finally, several months after the project came into fruition, the artwork has been created, the fun has been had, and the Big Belly trashcans will finally be covered in beautiful pieces of art by our local students.

“We are ecstatic to see public art being used to promote greener living, the Schuylkill River environment and the education of young people in the area,” said Jane Lipton, Executive Director of the Manayunk Development Corporation. “We are so proud of the work these students have done and can’t wait to see the artwork come to life on Main Street in Manayunk.”

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RALEIGH, N.C. — City of Raleigh employee Bobby Singleton collects garbage and recycling from public bins all over downtown Raleigh. He remembers how long it used to take him to do his job.

“Every can I had out here, I had to stop by,” he said.

But the Big Belly cans bounced into town and changed everything.

The large, solar-powered cans automatically compact trash and recyclables, and they send workers an email when they’re full.

A grant from the U.S. Department of Energy paid for about 40 cans that were placed downtown in a pilot study last year.

The cans cost about $7,000 each, said Bianca Howard, a community education specialist with the city’s Solid Waste Services department. But they ultimately save taxpayers money because they need to be collected less often, she said.

During the pilot program, the city replaced 32 traditional open-top cans along Fayetteville Street with 10 Big Belly stations and reduced costs from $40,903 to $1,607 for the year. In the Glenwood South area, collection costs were decreased from $12,056 annually to $115.

Singleton says it used to take three trucks a day to keep the cans on Fayetteville Street clean. Now, workers need just one truck.

“It cut back a lot of manpower, a lot of time,” he said.

The cans also are clearly marked for recycling, which a private company pays the city to collect.

“Not only do we avoid the cost of throwing those materials in the landfill, we actually bring in revenue for the city,” Howard said.

She said more of these high-tech trash cans could be coming to high-traffic pedestrian areas, city parks and greenways – helping people go green while saving some serious green.

Called BigBelly Solar Compactors, the high-tech trash eaters hold five-times the amount of litter of a traditional trash can thanks to a built-in trash compactor.

Philadelphia Streets Department spokeswoman Keisha McCarty-Skelton says the extra capacity has made all the difference.

“The collections have been reduced from 17 to three collections per week,” according to McCarty-Skelton.

McCarty-Skelton says the department saves around $800,000 a year in operational costs by using the BigBellys over traditional cans. Another $200,000 is saved in fuel and truck costs.

“Throughout the day, text messages are sent by each BigBelly to a website that monitors the status of each unit,” she said. “Using data from the website, the city can identify which units require collection each day and if mechanical or software problems are detected, so that repairs can be scheduled.”

Philadelphia began replacing traditional, 55-gallon open-air trash in 2009. Since then, 900 BigBelly units have been installed across the city. More than 400 of those have a recycling can attachment for reusable trash.

“In corridors where BigBelly units were installed, all litter baskets were removed which significantly improved operational efficiencies,” McCarty-Skelton said.

The units have also reduced litter – both intended and unintended. McCarty-Skelton says on a windy day, litter would blow out of a traditional trash and wind up all over the street. Since the BigBelly units are enclosed, the trash is contained.

“Public feedback has been very positive,” she said. “For example, a number of community groups have raised funds on their own to purchase additional units to expand the network where there is no coverage of BigBelly units or litter baskets.”

The facilities department installed eight BigBelly Solar compactors and Smart Belly recycling units around the student union. The units contain a trash compactor operated by solar power and a recycling unit.

The new compactors replaced 40 trash cans from around the Russell House. This will have an impact on labor for facilities workers, the appearance around the union and increased access to recycling, said Larry Cook, recycling coordinator for the facilities department.

With the old trash cans, the facilities department was unable to match a recycling unit with every trash bin. The new compactors provide parallel access.

The units also offer five times the capacity, meaning workers won’t have to empty the bins as often, and because the units are connected to the Internet, workers will be alerted when the bins are filling and need to be emptied.
This will allow the workers to complete other landscaping projects around campus rather than spending so much time emptying the trash bins, Cook said.

And it just looks better, he said. The crew was able to replace the eight bins in one location with two Big Belly compactors.

Cook said he hopes these new bins also help improve recycling awareness on campus and make people think twice before throwing away recyclable items.

“This is a major step forward in access to recycling on campus and achieving the kind of clean, green campus we want,” he said.

RALEIGH — The sleek new trash cans downtown aren’t just keeping garbage from blowing down the street – they’re also saving the city money and encouraging recycling, according to a report released Tuesday.

Last year, Raleigh installed 37 “Big Belly” solar trash compactors on Fayetteville Street and Glenwood South, using a $150,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. Each receptacle harnesses solar power to compress the garbage, allowing for less frequent pick-ups. The devices also alert sanitation crews by email when they fill up.

With fewer collections, the cost of emptying cans has been reduced dramatically. The city used to spend about $53,000 a year to keep the busy downtown districts clean. Now they’re spending about $1,700 a year.

Each unit costs about $6,000; estimates indicate they’ll pay for themselves within four years.

The sanitation workers also find less debris around the cans. “There’s no more cleaning up around the Big Bellies,” said Phillip White of the city’s Solid Waste Department. “It’s a much pleasanter sight.”

Recycling efforts have also gotten a boost since the Big Belly units each have attached recycling containers. Earlier downtown receptacles were unmarked.

“It was unclear what was recyclable and what was not,” White said.

Big Belly receptacles show drawings of what materials are recyclable. The units have collected 65,000 gallons of recyclables in the past six months, making up 73 percent of what goes in the cans, White said.

In recent months, the high-tech garbage cans have been added at Baileywick and Chavis parks and along the Neuse River Greenway.

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Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and the Times Square Alliance, in partnership with BigBelly Solar and Alcoa Foundation, today announced the debut of the largest public space recycling initiative in New York City. The pilot, which will bring 30 new BigBelly solar-powered waste and recycling stations to Times Square, will encourage public space recycling among the more than 500,000 daily visitors to the crossroads of the world. Times Square generates approximately 15,300 pounds or 900 bags of garbage a day – more than any other New York City neighborhood. Alcoa Foundation granted Times Square Alliance $250,000 to purchase the 30 Big Belly units that will be placed throughout Times Square. The Mayor was joined at the announcement in Times Square by Sanitation Commissioner John J. Doherty, Alcoa Chairman and CEO Klaus Kleinfeld, Times Square Alliance President Tim Tompkins and BigBelly CEO Jim Norrod.

Watch the press conference from Times Square

“We want to encourage visitors to Times Square to recycle so we are trying to make recycling easier”, said Mayor Bloomberg. “By year’s end, our Administration will put 1,000 new recycling containers on streets in all five boroughs. Making recycling easier for New Yorkers will build on our work to make our entire system of solid waste management less polluting, more energy-efficient, and more sustainable, both economically and environmentally.”

“Recycling is practical and it is adaptable,” said Department of Sanitation Commissioner Doherty. “The goal of this program is to prove that on-the-street recycling works and can be transferred to other communities around the world.”

“The potential benefits of recycling are limitless,” said Alcoa Chairman and CEO Kleinfeld. “In the U.S. alone we lose about a billion dollars a year when we don’t re-use scrap aluminum. With recycling you can put a used aluminum can back on the shelf in 60 days with only five percent of the energy it takes to make a new can. And because aluminum is infinitely recyclable, there is literally no end to the payback. For cities pressed to cut spending, increase revenue and green their communities, recycling is by far the best investment. We’re proud to make that investment today with Times Square and New York City.”

“Sometimes in Times Square, we nurture habits that are, shall we say, a bit less wholesome,” said Tim Tompkins, President of the Times Square Alliance. “Today it’s all about helping a habit that helps the planet – recycling.”

“Times Square is a fabulous showcase for what our solution can do to create cleaner and greener public spaces,” said Jim Norrod, CEO of BigBelly Solar. “Being able to bring public space recycling to one of the busiest places on Earth, while freeing up resources to better service the area, is a tremendous opportunity.”

The high-tech stations will channel solar energy to cut greenhouse emissions by 80 percent and hold five times the capacity of traditional sidewalk trash receptacles, significantly reducing the number of trash bags on Times Square streets. The City will launch the program by installing 30 of the high-tech stations in Times Square along Seventh Avenue and Broadway between 42nd and 47th Streets. The stations, which can be remotely monitored to enable staff to only send out collection personnel when they are full, will replace 53 trash bins in the area. The plan calls for additional solar stations to be installed throughout Times Square.

Big Belly units have 3 sections: Cans & Bottles; Garbage; Paper. They use solar energy to compact
trash are more sanitary that the current bins and require fewer pickups.Last month, in the State of the
City speech, Mayor Bloomberg renewed the Administration’s commitment to doubling the city’s
recycling rate to 30 percent by 2017. By year’s end, the City will have put 1,000 new recycling containers
on streets in all five boroughs.

The public space recycling program was launched in April 2007 as part of the City’s
comprehensive 20-year Solid Waste Management Plan. The first bins were placed in major commercial
strips, in parks and at large transportation hubs, like the Staten Island Ferry terminals. As part of the
program, large blue recycling bins collect metal, glass and plastic containers and green bins accept
newspapers, and other paper products that previously had been deposited into the City’s 25,000 street
corner litter baskets.

About Times Square Alliance
The Times Square Alliance works to improve and promote Times Square – cultivating the creativity,
energy and edge that have made the area an icon of entertainment, culture and urban life for over a
century. Founded in 1992, the Alliance keeps the neighborhood clean and safe, promotes local
businesses, manages area improvements and produces major annual events with partners, including
New Year’s Eve, Solstice in Times Square and Taste of Times Square. As the custodians of Times Square,
the Alliance works every day to improve the quality of life for the neighborhood residents and
businesses while driving economic growth in New York City.

About BigBelly Solar
Recognized as a C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group best practice and winner at the 2012 Smart City
Expo Awards, BigBelly Solar is a leading global provider of innovative and sustainable solutions for the
management of waste & recycling, with more than 1,000 customers worldwide.

About Alcoa Foundation
Alcoa Foundation is one of the largest corporate foundations in the U.S., with assets of approximately
US$460 million. Founded 60 years ago, Alcoa Foundation has invested more than US$570 million since
1952. In 2012, Alcoa Foundation contributed more than US$21 million to nonprofit organizations
throughout the world, building innovative partnerships to improve the environment and educate
tomorrow’s leaders for careers in manufacturing and engineering. The work of Alcoa Foundation is
further enhanced by Alcoa’s thousands of employee volunteers who share their talents and time to
make a difference in the communities where Alcoa operates. Through the Company’s signature Month
of Service program, in 2012, a record 60 percent of Alcoa employees took part in more than 1,050
events across 24 countries, benefiting more than 450,000 people and 2,050 nonprofit organizations. For
more information, visit alcoafoundation.com and follow @AlcoaFoundation on Twitter.