In a bid to reduce carbon emissions and promote environmental sustainability, the American company BigBelly Solar has developed solar-powered trash cans. These high-tech trash cans have been deployed in over 30 countries, and Germany is currently testing them in selected cities. The unique feature of these trash cans is that they use solar cells to power an internal trash compactor, which compresses the waste deposited in them. Built-in sensors constantly monitor the fill level and alert the relevant cleaning service when the trash can needs to be emptied.
This ingenious technology has already saved cities around the world thousands of euros per year and reduced CO2 emissions from garbage trucks by up to 80%. The integrated press of the solar trash can operates at a pressure of around 780 kilograms, reducing the volume of waste to one-seventh of its original volume. This means that garbage trucks are used much less frequently, reducing fuel costs and CO2 emissions. To further enhance this effect, modern trash cans have built-in sensors that monitor the current fill level and transmit it to the relevant central office. This allows for optimal emptying intervals to be planned, and garbage trucks do not have to drive unnecessarily to empty them.
The effectiveness of these new solar trash cans has been demonstrated in practice. For example, the city of Philadelphia replaced 700 public trash cans with 500 solar-powered trash cans, reducing CO2 emissions from garbage trucks by 80% and saving the city more than 700,000 euros in the first year alone. Experts are confident that solar trash cans will become the norm, and they are already being tested in Germany. With their ability to reduce carbon emissions and save money, it is clear that solar trash cans are a step in the right direction towards a more sustainable future.
