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Americans are famed for their big bellies -- no, we're not talking the human variety, we're talking solar-powered bins with a capacity to match the nation's appetite. The BigBelly Solar is a smart bin that uses a 30W solar panel to charge a motor that crushes rubbish, and it's just had a makeover to fit in better on city streets.
By compacting rubbish, fewer trips are needed to empty bins -- in turn reducing congestion and exhaust fumes, according to the company. It claims that compacting can eliminate four out of five trips, and the savings from less frequent disposals can cover the bin's up-front cost of about $4,000 (around £2,000) within a couple of years.
The company has sold about 1,000 units based on its environmental attributes and has generated a huge amount of popular press, with mayors of cities and towns talking up the compactors' eco-features.
The first incarnation of the BigBelly was big and boxy. Spruced up, the look of current edition is 25 per cent smaller, and doesn't sacrifice any of the compacting power, according to Bruce Todtfeld, vice president of marketing and product management at BigBelly Solar.
They've also incorporated recycled plastics on the hopper that people pull down before dumping in their rubbish, and Todtfeld says the company is looking at adding more intelligence to the BigBelly. In the next few months, it plans to start testing a version with remote communications ability. "It will provide customers more information about the collection system and make it more efficient," says Todtfeld.
As with most things, the idea should cross the Atlantic sooner or later -- we just hope it's sooner!
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