The City of Charlotte Solid Waste Services (SWS) has installed five BigBelly solar waste stations in Uptown as a pilot to further reduce litter, encourage recycling and enable the City to deliver essential services at a reduced cost.
Two of the solar waste stations are for garbage only and are at the following locations:
· Price’s Chicken Coop at 1614 Camden Road
· Charlotte Area Transit bus stop at 715 Charlottetown Avenue
Three stations in the following locations allow for the disposal of recyclables and garbage:
· Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center on the 4th Street side
· Time Warner Cable Arena at the 300 block of E. Trade Street
· Time Warner Cable Arena at the 300 block of 5th Street
Combining solar-powered remote monitoring and on-site compaction, the BigBelly solar systems use data and increased capacity to reduce the need for collection trips by 80% – conserving fuel, saving money and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“The BigBelly Solar solution gives us an efficient way to manage our on-street waste collection that demonstrates the City’s overall commitment to sustainability,” said Victoria O. Johnson, SWS Director. “The management console will enable us to improve operations and deliver tremendous efficiencies by significantly reducing collections – with no risk of overflow or litter.”
Not only do the solar waste stations reduce collection trips and litter in Uptown, they also reduce the City’s carbon footprint by minimizing fuel consumption and diverting recyclables from the waste stream. The solar stations compact garbage – allowing for five times more capacity than regular containers – and include receptacles for collecting plastic bottles, newspapers, glass and other recyclables. The systems also send notifications to staff when full, so crews know when to provide collection.
The results from the one-year pilot will determine if SWS explores installing additional BigBelly stations in other areas of the city.
For more information on Solid Waste Services, visit http://curbit.charlottenc.gov.
About BigBelly SolarBigBelly Solar is the pioneer and industry leader for delivering financial and environmental savings to the public space waste and recycling collection process. Combining solar-powered remote monitoring and on-site compaction, the BigBelly Solar system uses data and right-sized capacity to empower municipalities, universities and other organizations to reduce their collection frequency and increase public space recycling. With nearly 1,000 customers worldwide, the award-winning BigBelly Solar Intelligent Waste & Recycling Collection System has saved communities tens of millions of dollars in fuel and labor costs while reducing their carbon footprint. BigBelly Solar products are “Assembled in the USA” and recognized as a best practice by the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and Clinton Climate Initiative. www.bigbellysolar.com
