Share & Voice: BigBelly Solar Compactor

We all make trash and then that trash has to be collected.  Well what if it had to be collected less often?  Less frequent collections would mean reducing carbon emissions from giant waste management trucks.  How do we make this happen?  Well UMD already is!  Our campus, along with many others across the nation, have started to use something called a "BigBelly Solar Compactor".  This thing is the smartest trash can you'll come across!  As it fills with trash it uses the power from its solar panels to compact it.  By compacting the trash right where it sits BigBelly goes from a normal garbage can holding 35 gallons to having the ability to hold 150 to 200 gallons of trash!  Not only that, but it sends a text to the city when it's full and needs to be collected!  No extra trips and it frees up city workers to do other things.  Besides having BigBelly trash cans, the campus also has BigBelly recycling bins.  This is great for all the same reasons as the trash can, but the added bonus of street recycling!  You don't see as many recycling bins when you're walking down the street as you do trash cans, that's for sure; however, BigBellies are a part of the solution.  Look for UMD's BigBelly Solar Compactor outside the Sports & Health Building!

One group who has had a lot of success with the placement of BigBellies throughout their city is Philadelphia. They're estimated to save $875,000 a year!  Check out BigBelly for yourself, all the information came right from their website!   http://www.bigbellysolar.com/