New Solar-Powered Trash Cans Line the Streets of Philadelphia

Posted by EcoFriendly

Jul 28

The city of brotherly love is now the city of brotherly BigBellies. While it’s not the first city to adopt BigBelly Solar’s cordless trash compaction system, Philadelphia’s installment of 500 new solar trash compactors represents the most “comprehensive” program seen thus far.

BigBelly Solar, originally the Seahorse Power Company, has also found homes for its 32-lb trash compactors in cities throughout 40 different states, like Boston, Chicago, and LA, as well as 20 countries worldwide.

Despite the joy of a World Series title, the Philly sits atop a $1.4 billion, five-year budget deficit. A solar-powered waste basket wouldn’t appear to be the obvious solution to the city’s financial woes, but by replacing 700 standard receptacles with the solar compactors, dubbed “eco-stations,” the city will save a tidy $875,000 per year.