Categories: News

Big Belly Solar Trash Cans in Philadelphia!

Huge confession … I’m getting trashy.  Or at least excited about trash.

(Seriously!)

If you reside in Philadelphia/have visited recently, you’ve noticed the Big Belly Solar Trash cans popping up all over Center City.  The city of brotherly love decided to test trash receptacles last year and has exploded to over 500 units. At least 210 units have a corresponding recycling bin component, which is a first for the city.  (No more excuses about not seeing a recycling bin nearby!)

The Big Belly cans are the only solar-powered cordless compaction system.  Using the sun’s energy, the trash condenses waste automatically to be 1/4 of the size, equaling reducing overflow, cutting collection trips and cutting greenhouse gas by 80%!  These bins can hold 200 gallons of trash (versus the average 55 gallons) and can operate on ONE WEEK the energy it takes to make 1 pot of coffee… Talk about efficient!

The receptacle itself is green, made of galvanized steel and recyclable ABS plastic sides. And for those who question the city’s priorities in the middle of this “recession”, these puppies will be saving the city over $12 million over 10 years.

Fore more information, check out Big Belly Solar’s site shoutout to Philadelphia.

Posted by Julie

Julie Hancher

Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake.

Recent Posts

Greening Avenue of the Arts, July 4th heat wave, & more

Catch up on the latest sustainability news: New beautification efforts along Broad Street. Construction of…

2 days ago

Urban trees aren’t just nice, scientists say — they’re mandatory

"This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist's weekly newsletter here." They…

3 days ago

Mussels clean canal, new housing budget, & more

Catch up on the latest sustainability news: Mussels clean the Manayunk Canal. Once trash-filled and…

1 week ago

Dinosaur Trail path to connect Gloucester County towns and institutions

A multi-use trail would allow pedestrians and bikes to travel from Rowan University to the…

1 week ago

Floatlab on Schuylkill, PGW debates electric vs gas future, new pedestrian safety measures & more

Catch up on the latest sustainability news:  Heat health emergency ends. Last week, the Department…

2 weeks ago

Aging infrastructure, extreme weather, and pollution: Why drinking water is under pressure

Pennsylvania’s century-old water infrastructure faces modern climate threats. Here’s why it’s complicated. The U.S. has…

2 weeks ago