Testimonials

Whether you are a city official, university president, park ranger or private company manager, the BigBelly Solar intelligent waste collection system will work perfectly in your environment. As the world’s first and only waste collection system combining solar-powered trash compaction, efficient recycling solutions, and network management software and services, the BigBelly system has created a proven, cost effective and environmentally conscious way to manage trash collection.

To hear about how the BigBelly system has made a difference with organizations like yours, see our testimonials below.

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Cities and Towns | Higher Education | More Customers

Cities and Towns

• Dan DiLillo, Assistant Commissioner of General Service, Albany, NY

  “Instead of stopping at 100 trash cans every day, our workers only have to stop at 3 or 4. Everything from gas to man power turns into savings.”

• Scott McGrath, Recycling Coordinator, City of Philadelphia Streets Dep’t:

  “The wireless monitoring system has made it very easy to manage our inventory all across Center City. The ability to sort through historical data by collection route and discover collection patterns gives us valuable and actionable information.”

• Cecilia Cassidy, Executive Director, Rosslyn, VA Business Improvement District

  “The BigBelly trash and recycling kiosks certainly enhance the appearance of our rapidly growing Rosslyn Business Improvement District. They reduce sidewalk litter, and the recycling containers contribute to the sustainability of our community. And they look good! The simple lines create a clean look that fits in well with Rosslyn’s cityscape.”

• Dave Derrick – Public Works Director, Kissimmee, Florida

  The decision to purchase them was a no-brainer. “The main reason is that it saves so much on labor,” he said. With normal garbage cans, sanitation crews had to go around twice a week emptying the trash. With the BigBelly, collection is only once every two to three weeks, cutting down on fuel and manpower costs.…

• Ellen Lythe, Director of Environmental Services for the City of El Paso.

  “This is going to reduce fuel, because it uses a lot fuel for us to run a garbage truck down there every single day, sometimes twice a day, because these litter baskets get so filled up.”

• Alex Norris – Councillor and Portfolio Holder for Area Working, Cleansing and Community Safety, Nottingham, England

  “The City Council works with partners to keep the city clean and is always looking at ways to keep the streets litter-free. The new solar powered BigBelly self-compacting litter bins being trialled are a good example. They are very effective because they can reduce the number of times crews have to go out to empty…

• Charles Klonaris, Co-Chairman of the Downtown Nassau Partnership

  “We think it is very economical and environment friendly. It reduces the number of trucks that have to come in and they are run by solar energy. The garbage and smells are contained better and the sight of the garbage is dealt with.”

• Frank Zeoli, Director of Recycling, Albany, NY

  “This system is helping to save on the carbon footprint of Albany. Our goal is that hopefully more people walking down the streets with empty bottles and cans will put them in the recycling bins as opposed to the trash.”

• Claudia Marsales, Senior Manager of Waste and Environment, Markham, Ontario

  “I don’t think we send the right message to the public if recycling is difficult but garbage is easy. The message we want to send is … let’s make recycling easy and garbage difficult. Not only are you saving your operational costs, your manpower, your trucks you’re saving on carbon, you’re giving the proper messaging.”

• Fred Stovall, Director of Public Works, City of Dayton

  “It allows us to become more efficient in dumping these trash cans. Currently we have to go to those bus stops two or three times a week. With these solar compactors I can send a crew to dump these once every two or three weeks.”

• Larry Prospect, White Plains Road BID, Bronx, NY:

  “The BigBellys are tremendous asset for our Shopping streets. They require less attention from our sanitation people so they can place more attention to other areas. There is no visible garbage and people do not bring their household refuse to drop in the BigBellys.”

• Margaret McAustin, Councilwoman, City of Pasadena:

  “There’s a savings to be had because they require less frequent pick-ups. They were very successful and they were very well received, and because they can accommodate more trash they result in less garbage around the trash cans.”

• Eric Baker, Special Projects Director for the Kitsap County Commissioners:

  “With all 80 installed, we should save about $48,000 a year in truck expenses, such as fuel and maintenance costs. On top of that, by not having to pick up the garbage as often, we will save $61,000 in labor that can be diverted to the maintenance and operation of the parks.”

• Chad Townsend, Environmental Services Coordinator, Town of Banff:

  “It is not only an operational savings, but it’s also an environmental savings from less fuel.”

• Amie Zander, Exec. Dir. of West Ridge Chamber of Commerce, Chicago, IL:

  “We are thrilled with our BigBelly units. We have been able to go from 2 trash pick-ups per day to once every 3 days indicating that they hold 6 times as much as our regular trash receptacles. We are ordering more BigBelly units for next year with a goal of replacing all our trash receptacles with the BigBelly in the next few years.”

• Michael Lambert, Aide to Mayor Curtatone, City of Somerville, MA:

  “Somerville is a densely populated city with a tight budget – so we are always seeking ways to do more with less. We had a number of constantly-overflowing trash cans in our squares that City staff were visiting four times a day or more for collection. We did a several-month test trial with five BigBellys, and they made a big difference. We’ve now dropped to one collection per day at our busiest spots, saving valuable staff time. The BigBellys eliminated unsightly and unhealthy trashcan overflow at each site they were placed, even at our Dunkin’ Donuts/Bus Stop location, and our residents have noticed with approval. We decided without reservation to purchase the trial units, and we plan to budget for more in the spring.”

• David Cohen, Mayor of Newton, MA:

  “Utilizing these compactors, we have saved money by reducing collections while at the same time eliminated unsightly overflowing trash cans, and reducing pests and odor…The BigBelly trash compactors exemplify our willingness to find innovative, environmentally friendly projects to enhance our community.”

• Mark Stodola, Mayor of Little Rock, AR:

  “The BigBelly is an innovative, sustainable, cost-effective product that appears perfectly suited for our River Market District and other downtown areas. During hard economic times when the City is considering a budget with dwindling revenues, it is encouraging to learn about a product that has already produced significant tangible results in reducing costs in other cities.”

• Tim McCarthy, Principal Assistant to Commissioner of Public Works, City of Boston:

  “It has a ton of benefits – it will save the city time and money, keep litter from overflowing, and discourage illegal dumping of trash. This will save us a lot of time for guys to fill potholes, fix sidewalks, and do other things.”

• Marie Torniali, Exec. Dir., Steinway Street Improvement, NYC:

  “The BigBelly has been terrific for our beautification efforts: you can see all the trash with the other cans, which is quite unsightly; but the BigBelly creates a much nicer look.”

• Thomas Menino, Mayor of Boston, MA:

  “The solar trash receptacles have to go citywide. It will give us a more productive work force because you don’t have to pick them up every day.”

• Michael Nutter, Mayor of Philadelphia, PA:

  “This technology will save taxpayers money, introduce sidewalk recycling and keep our streets clean. This is one more important step towards achieving our sustainability goals.”

Higher Education

• Les Lawson, Manager of Campus Services, Iowa State University:

  “BigBelly compactors have been a good addition for our trash management.  They have reduced our tipping frequencies, kept animals out of the trash, and best of all, students like to see and use them.”

• Rob Gogan, Recycling & Waste Manager, Harvard University:

  “We like the BigBelly [compactors] because they can hold four times more litter than a non-compacting barrel. That means no unsightly, pest-friendly litter spilling out of the barrels. It also means that Harvard produces 1/4th the greenhouse gas from vehicle trips to service the barrels, less vehicle noise and air pollution, and fewer times that a truck has to disrupt pedestrian traffic. Most gratifyingly, the new set-up will give Yard visitors the chance to recycle their cans, cups, bottles and papers all across the Yard.”

• Michael Lyons, Senior Buyer, Boston University:

  “During the 2009 fall semester the University installed 33 BigBelly solar trash compactors and recycling receptacles. Beyond reducing the frequency of trash pick-ups and expanding our recycling program, they provided a meaningful step toward increasing visibility for the University’s new sustainability program.”

• Ted Woods, Refuse Coordinator, Arizona State University:

  “I was skeptical at first, but to my amazement, the machines are working great for the university. They’re very attractive and people really use them. We only have to empty them intermittently, and there’s no maintenance – we don’t have to worry about them at all. I’m a believer now.”

• Bill del Vecchio, Recycling Director, Georgetown University:

  “The results have been nothing short of incredible, with waste collection being reduced from seven times per week to two.”

More Customers

• Amy Edelman, founding member of Green in Chestnut Hill (GRinCH)

  “They save the city over a million dollars a year because they’re so efficient. They cut down on labor and fuel for the trash trucks. And the city can sell the recyclables as a commodity. Those BigBelly trash cans really pay for themselves.”

• Mark Sylvia, Mass. DOER Green Communities Division Director:

  The Commonwealth’s 35 inaugural Green Communities are receiving BigBelly solar compactors, including recycling units, as they support key grant program goals to promote the use of renewable technology and reduce carbon emissions and energy costs.

• Michael Whalen, GW Memorial Parkway:

  “I have been extremely pleased. The BigBelly is replacing 3 regular trash receptacles that were picked up 3–4 times per week. With the wireless monitoring system, we do not have to send anyone to pick up the trash until the unit is almost full which we expect will be only once per week. It is a big savings in time and gas.”

• Steve Newman, Biscayne National Park

  “The BigBelly has cut collection frequency by 66% at the visitor center marina. The BigBelly units are great for saving space and reducing manpower.”

• John Kowlok, Chief of Maintenance, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore:

  “Last year in our heavy-use areas, we started using solar-powered trash and recycling compactors. Before, people would toss their trash into the recycling container, but with the BigBelly, recycling has almost 100-percent compliance. It is really helping us out with recycling in the park. We’ve been able to cut down the number of trips we use our vehicle and time we spend dumping trash. We can then use that time to do more general maintenance and general preventative maintenance around the sites.”

• Brian Earley, General Manager, Patriot Place:

  “In addition to promoting recycling and reducing our waste volume and energy consumption, we have realized significant operational efficiencies and cost savings for waste removal.”

• Monica Admas, Pierce Transit, Washington:

  “In general, the area around the bus stop has much less garbage around it. This is attributed to the crows not being able to pick the garbage out of the can as well as the BigBelly never overflowing. Our custodian says he doesn’t spend nearly as much time cleaning the surrounding area as he used to. It’s all good!”

• Gerald Checco, Superintendent, Cincinnati Parks:

  “With the time savings from using the BigBelly system, our trash collectors will be reassigned to other tasks, creating opportunities to do work that was not being done for lack of resources. There is always lots to do – painting buildings, cutting grass, fixing our 60-mile trail system, and so on. Using the BigBelly, we will have more time to do other important tasks – tasks that make us do our jobs better.”

• Jim Burkhardt, Regional Manager, Cincinnati Parks Department:

  “The machines are working magnificently. Normally we would be emptying the cans twice a day, but we empty the BigBellys once a week. They are better than advertised.”

• Mark Newberg, Custodian, Oregon Zoo:

  “I’ve been doing waste services at the Oregon Zoo for 12 years, and the BigBelly machines have changed my life for the better. I have to make less frequent trips, it’s easier on my back, and it even makes me take more pride in keeping the area clean. They’ve been great.”

• Jonathan Gilula, Senior Vice President of Business Affairs, Boston Red Sox:

  “We have become big fans of BigBelly and are supportive of the continued deployment of BigBelly compactors into the neighborhoods surrounding Fenway Park.”