Pasadena, CA - Government Technology:
Solar-Powered Self-Compacting Trash Bins Save City Labor, Fuel
October 16, 2009 06:01 AM
As local governments are looking for any and every way to save money during the economic recession, Pasadena, Calif., has found that spending the extra money on new technologies can sometimes reap cost savings for the future.
The city participated in a pilot program with a local organization, Leadership Pasadena, to deploy 12 solar-powered self-compacting trash cans to city streets. "We participated in the program with them, and we discovered that they were very efficient and required very little maintenance," said Gabriel Silva, environmental programs manager for the city's Department of Public Works.
The specialized trash cans -- or BigBelly Solar Compactors -- can hold up to five times the amount of trash that regular containers can, according to the company's website. Instead of being connected to the power grid to run the compactor, the BigBellys run off solar power.
Silva said the city is only using the containers for trash disposal because less than 10 percent of the material collected during the pilot program was recyclable. He said a majority of the trash was soiled papers from fast-food wrappers and drink containers.
Recently the City Council approved the purchase of 40 additional containers, which will cost $146,550. Although Silva didn't know the exact cost of the standard steel trash cans used on city streets, he estimated that they cost several hundred dollars.
Pasadena found the solar compactors to be cost-effective because they only need to be emptied weekly instead of daily, which has allowed the city to redirect its labor force to focus on other areas. Since employees don't need to visit the containers as often for trash pickup, the city also has reduced the amount of fuel used. Through the combination of redirected labor and fuel savings, the city expects to save $61,400 annually once the additional containers are deployed, therefore producing about a three-year return on investment, Silva said.
To determine where to deploy the BigBelly compactors, Pasadena conducted a survey of all the trash cans deployed throughout the city. "We identified all the containers that required maintenance every day, daily emptying, and we're replacing those high-use trash containers with these more effective trash compactors," Silva said.