High-Tech Trash Bins Hit the Streets of Lower Manhattan

With the introduction of the innovative BigBelly Solar Stations, Lower Manhattan’s 57,000 residents, 310,000 workers and 10 million annual tourists now have a new way to dispose of their trash. Able to hold five times more than regular receptacles, BigBelly Solar Stations provide on-site trash compaction driven by solar power and remotely monitored via wireless technology.

“With thousands of people walking our bustling streets each day, BigBelly Solar Stations are sure to be a big success in Lower Manhattan,” said Joseph Timpone, Senior Vice President of Operations for the Alliance for Downtown New York. “Lowering fuel emissions and streamlining sanitation services by compacting the litter, these bins will reduce both the amount of bags needed to collect waste and the number of trips needed for collection.”

As part of a three-month pilot program, the Downtown Alliance has placed five BigBelly Solar Stations, affixed with maps of Lower Manhattan, at five highly-trafficked pedestrian intersections in the district. These locations include:

• Southwest corner of Broadway and Vesey Street
• Northeast corner of Broadway and Maiden Lane
• Northeast corner of Church Street and Cortlandt Street
• Southwest corner of Water Street and Fulton Street
• Northwest corner of Water Street and Wall Street

BigBelly Solar Stations, which have a capacity that is five times of a standard trashcan, use solar panels to power a motor that automatically compacts contents, resulting in less bagging and trips for pickups. An electronic sensor installed in the bin alerts sanitation units when it becomes full.

BigBelly Solar technology has been adopted by other New York City commercial corridors including Union Square, 86th Street in Bay Ridge, all Bronx Business Improvement Districts, 5th Avenue in Park Slope, and North Flatbush in Brooklyn.