BigBelly Solar Compactor and Recycling Kiosk in Philadelphia

On April 30, 2009, Mayor Michael Nutter unveiled the first of 500 “BigBelly” solar-powered trash compactors and 210 companion single-stream recycling units to be installed throughout Center City Philadelphia, replacing all 700 of the old litter baskets downtown. The solar compactors are also equipped with the CLEAN wireless monitoring system so they are “smart” trash receptacles: each unit sends a wireless signal to alert staff when it is full, so managers can optimize collection routes in real time based on data from every machine in the field. The City had been making 17 trips each week to empty 700 wire baskets throughout Center City, at an annual cost of about $2.3 million. After replacing those 700 receptacles with 500 solar-powered compactors and 210 recycling units, the City collects only 5 times a week, at an annual operating cost of about $720,000 – representing a 70% savings. The City will save nearly $900,000 in the first year alone, and nearly $13 million over the next ten years. The deployment plan was a comprehensive package including a 3-year financing program, a 4-year extended warranty and service plan, and a wireless monitoring system on all 500 units.

“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.” - Mayor Michael Nutter, City of Philadelphia

To learn more, and download or print a PDF version of the case study,
Click here for the Executive Summary, or Click here for the Full Study.