Waco has its first solar-powered equipped waste and recycling station in the city.
The Big Belly Smart Bin with an estimated cost of $7,000 is located at University Parks and Franklin Avenue is part of the Keep Waco Clean and Green Program.
The bin has a solar trash compactor so it can hold 160 gallons of trash that can be contained in the 32 gallon bin inside. This means it can hold five times the trash than a regular bin.
According to Public Works Operations Administrator Anna Dunbar, the bin has a software that can notify crews via email when it is almost full.
“We can put it almost anywhere that gets sunlight so we will not have to be dependent on electrical outlets. It will hopefully make the staff time more efficient so they won’t be coming to this unit until it announces the appropriate staff that is nearly full,"
Next to the trash compaction, there is also a recycling bin.
The project is a joint effort between Solid Waste Services, Parks and Recreation and the Waco City Council.
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