Dive Brief:
- Almost 100 solar-powered Big Belly trash containers were installed on the grounds of Virginia Tech.
- The containers are expected to cut down on costs for the university, increase the recycling rate and use less staff resources. The new bins are simple to use and require less maintenance, alerting workers when it needs to be emptied.
- Virginia Tech collects over 3,600 tons of waste and 2,300 tons of recyclables. Its recycling rate is 44%, and hopes to push the rate up to 50% by 2020.
Dive Insight:
The new smart bins compact the trash using solar power, creating additional space for a larger volume of materials to collect in the receptacle before it needs to be emptied. The two-sided bin holds both waste and recycling, and can handle plastics, metals and glass. The Big Belly Solar bins are finding their way onto college campuses and around cities, as institutions and towns embrace the money-saving technology and ease of use.
