Tempe, AZ - CollegeTimes.com:
Green Machines
October 29, 2009 06:01 AM
"BigBelly Solar Powered Compactors," "GreenOps Tracking Stations"; surprisingly, they're not new characters in the next Michael Bay robot explode-aganza, but rather green gadgets on the cutting edge of sustainable technology being employed right here in the Valley.
Carrie Galvan, director of Recycling for Waste Management, recently spoke with College Times about these high-tech garbage solutions.
College Times: What are these "BigBelly Solar Powered Compactors" recently installed at Tempe Marketplace?
Galvan: Basically, this is about the size of a 35 gallon trash receptacle. However, it compacts about five times that much, so you can get roughly about 85 gallons of trash into this unit. And what I think is so great about it, it has a light on it that will indicate when the solar compactor is full. So it has a green light, a yellow light and a red light, and when it hits that red light, it means it's time to empty out the receptacle. If it's got a green light, it's good to go, if it's got a yellow light, that means it's getting full, just keep your eye on it. And what's nice is if you deploy several of these throughout a city, a campus, a shopping center, beaches, etcetera, you'll actually be able to go onto the web and look at where those cans are placed and it'll tell you which ones are full, which ones are empty. So, it's really been able to cut down on labor costs.
Where do the majority of the costs lie in the management of trash?
Most people find it's a labor and collection piece. When you're employing people to go around and check and empty trash cans, that can become very expensive. When you've got something that's solar-powered that compacts on its own, that means they're not having to empty it. So if they normally have to empty it five times in a day, they only have to empty it once.
Is this a trial period for the new compactors?
It's beyond the trial period. The city of Philadelphia was one of the first to roll out and test these new units, and they have determined that over the next 10 years, they'll save roughly $12M through labor costs and transportation costs, as well. ...
What benefit does Waste Management get out of these new programs?
I think it's our commitment to sustainability, number one. And that we partner with our communities to come up with better ideas on how to reduce waste, how to really sustain the environment, really be a good partner to the community.
Where do these ideas come from?
There's a special team dedicated called GreenOps that really focuses on businesses recycling and sustainability and programs that really help the business understand what direction they need, what products do they need, what help do they need from Waste Management to really become a green company.