Reposted from Stratford-upon-Avon Herald:
Smart solar-powered litter bins that tell waste operators when they need emptying have been installed on Stratford-upon-Avon’s Bancroft Gardens. The [Bigbelly] bins are also fitted with an internal compactor which crushes rubbish placed in them to make room for more.
This means they can hold up to eight times more litter than traditional bins. When they are full, an automated e-mail/text is sent to the street cleaning services team of Stratford District Council.
The solar panel on the top only needs eight hours of sunlight a month to provide enough power to operate it.
The district council and its contractors, The Landscape Group, say the hi-tech bins will make waste collection services more cost-efficient as they require to be emptied less frequently.
It is hoped they will also improve the appearance of the area as they will be less likely to overflow when filled with bulky items such as food packaging.
Cllr Mike Brain (Cons, Quinton), portfolio holder for technical services, says: “The bins are able to hold a lot more waste than the normal litter bins that are currently in place and, importantly, they’re less time-consuming to empty which helps us use our resources efficiently on the Bancroft Gardens and the Recreation Ground.”
Twelve of the 23 traditional litter bins on Bancroft Gardens have been replaced by seven of the new Big Belly bins, which were developed in the US and have been introduced by other cities in the UK.
