Winston-Salem, NC - OGB/News:
Trash Compactors save resources
October 15, 2009 06:00 AM
The university recently invested in two BigBelly Solar Trash Compactors, which were installed Oct. 8 on the patio in front of the Reynolda Fresh Food Company. An informal show-and-tell demonstration was held on Oct. 9.
Made in the United States of 80-100% post-consumer recycled plastic and other environmentally sensitive material, the first and only solar trash compactor operates entirely off-grid, powered only by a visible, in-unit solar panel that functions in all weather, climates and locations, even without direct sunlight.
The BigBelly Solar Compactors “make a high profile statement to our sustainability movement,” Jim Coffey, director of Landscaping Services, said. “It will pay for itself over time.”
The trash receptacles have five times the capacity of standard trash cans but take up the same amount of space. That means that a single unit can hold up to 200 gallons of trash. By compacting trash on the collection site, BigBelly Trash bins eliminate four out of every five trash collection trips, reducing time, fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 80%.
Estimates on the two units installed in front of the Fresh Food Company indicate that the bins will need to be emptied no more than twice a month. An in-unit wireless monitoring system remotely alerts staff when a BigBelly unit is full, maximizing efficiency and minimizing resource waste. The enclosed design of the unit keeps odors in and rodents, birds, and other small animals out of the trash, preventing the unsanitary, unattractive and potentially hazardous spread of waste.
Infrequent trash collection trips minimize the amount of plastic used in plastic bags for the units as well. One BigBelly unit uses 75 percent fewer plastic bags on average than a conventional trash bin. The university also purchased the integrated recycling units to provide onsite compaction of waste while promoting side-walk recycling in keeping with the university-wide commitment to recycling. In 2008, more than 22% of the university’s waste was diverted through the recycling program according to GreenReportCard.org’s 2009 report card for the university.
According to BigBelly Solar, a single Trash Compactor unit will save the university anywhere from $1,300 to $18,000 dollars in trash collecting fees and negative environmental effects over its lifetime compared to a standard bin. Employment of BigBelly machines also contributes to LEED building credits that can be used to achieve LEED Silver Certification or higher.
The university made a commitment to build all new buildings on campus up to at least LEED Silver Certification in the Campus Master Plan. The new freshman residence hall, South Residence Hall, will be the first LEED certified building on campus and will be fully operational before the beginning of the 2010-2011 academic year.