Philadelphia`s BigBelly Solar Trash Compactor
Philadelphia is the latest city to go solar trash. BigBelly Solar is placing 500 new solar trash compactors in the city streets. The solar devices have already been installed in cities throughout the USA and so far Philadelphia is the largest installation so far.
The city estimates that it will save US$875.000 by replacing 700 standard trash baskets with 500 of the new solar powered trash compactors.
Currently each trash can is emptied around 19 times each week, with the new solar compactors this can be reduced to around 5 times and thus around 75% savings can be made on the cost of running around emptying bins.
As the containers fill up with trash, an electron beam detect the level and decided when its time to compact the trash allowing the unit to be used for longer. The BigBelly also detect when it is full and using a wireless network alerts the city collectors to come around and service the unit.
All this is completely powered by solar energy which the compactor collects with its inbuilt solar array.
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