“A Solar Trash Can?”

After you drop your garbage in a public trash can, it’s usually picked up by a garbage truck that gets less than three miles per gallon. And most times, the trash cans are not even full.

Philadelphia is trying to cut its carbon pollution and cut costs too. When the Streets Department realized its garbage collection methods were, well, wasteful, the city called in Bigbelly.

A Bigbelly garbage can has an automatic solar trash compactor inside, allowing it to hold five times more waste than a regular can.

And when a Bigbelly can hold no more, it transmits a wireless signal to the garbage collectors, telling them it’s time to make a pick-up. What’s more, all the power needed for Bigbelly to compact trash and communicate comes from solar panels on the top.

bigbelly solar trash compactor

Philadelphia has installed a thousand Bigbelly solar trash cans, and the savings have been nothing short of spectacular.

CARLTON: “We went from seventeen times a week in the Center City downtown area to only needing three collections per week.”

That’s Donald Carlton, Deputy Commissioner of Philadelphia’s Streets Department. He says his Department has saved millions of dollars and dramatically reduced its emissions. Now in more than 1,500 cities, Bigbelly proves that even trash cans can be smart.

Source: Yale Climate Connections; by Bud Ward and ChavoBart Digital Media.

 Bigbelly Smart Waste & Recycling Products


For over 20 years, Bigbelly has been on a mission to make communities and public spaces better. That means cleaner, safer cities. Beautiful, more efficient campuses. And smarter, more sustainable businesses with better guest experience. Together, we can transform your space into a great one.

Interested in learning more about Bigbelly waste and recycling solutions? Contact us today.

Download Brochure

Want to learn more about Bigbelly’s altogether better waste solution? Download our brochure.

Download Brochure