Comments on: Waste Management juiced by solar trash cans

Trash removal giant Waste Management signs a deal to distribute BigBelly Solar's solar-powered trash compactors popular in U.S. cities and other public places.

[jbuberel]

Question: Does Waste Management or the manufacturer give any information about the long-term cost advantages of these? I imagine they cost MUCH more than a typical non-automated trash bin, so the savings from reduced pickups would have to be fairly dramatic to justify the investment.

Any clues as the the payoff period for these?

[nightstar]

That is nice, a smart garbage can and more aching backs! Guys who pick up the garbage will now lift trash that a few times heavier than normal! I do say it is a step in the right direction of being green though. What will they think of next?

[Eddie-c]

You still have 'guys' that pick up the cans?? Everywhere i've been, for years, the 'crew' of bin-men has been reduced to 1 guy driving a truck that pulls up besides them and a mechanical arm lifts & empties it.

[kaibelf]

Exactly. Not everyone likes in the Ozarks.

[mchlmrtz]

Pretty cool. I saw these in use up in Big Bear, Ca 6 months ago. Glad to see they have a major distributor like WM.

[theauthor]

The trash is going to be compacted anyhow. I can't see how this is anything more than a greenwash considering the amount of energy it took to manufacture not only the trash cans themselves, but the solar panels as well, will never be canceled out by the benefits of the cans themselves merely compacting trash.

[mangcamej]

The savings come not from compacting itself, but from the fact that large gas-guzzling garbage trucks have to come out to each can less often.

[waynerifish]

That may not be exactly true. Labor costs are very significant. If this can reduce the number of pickups that must be made to 1/4 of that of a normal trash can, that cuts your trash pickup labor cost to 1/4 of normal too. Even if the heavier bins of compacted trash require two workers to unload, that would still cut your trash pickup labor force in half, which can add up quickly. Obviously, it will take a while for that labor savings to offset the cost of the solar compactor units, but I think it could be very feasible.

[waynerifish]

Good point mangcamej. That's probably especially true for more remote places like parks, beaches, etc.

[Cole_Brodine]

I think it is important to remember that most of a garbage man's time is spent in transit to and from, not actually unloading cans. The wireless sensors that tell you when they are full will probably be one of the biggest advantages. You won't have to worry about going to get that trash can way at the end of your route that doesn't see much use every week. Could really help reduce labor forces needed.

[theauthor]

The idea of the cans is to have less frequent pickups from the trash trucks by compacting the trash in them; not reducing the trash. Because they get full less often there are less trips to empty them; hence, less fuel used and emissions released.

The idea only works though if all the cans in an area are of this variety. Otherwise, the trash truck comes through at the same frequency regardless and the entire point of the solar cans' functionality is wasted.

[daversa2]

We have these in Flagstaff, AZ I was pretty happy to see them!

[lois228lois]

I hope they use separate bins for recycled items.

[greenpower1]

http://www.youtube.com/BigBellySolar