In recent years,Vermonters have grown accustomed to seeing solar panels almost everywhere. Acres of previously agricultural land have been repurposed into shimmering solar farms, while photovoltaic panels have proliferated on the roofs of houses, or businesses,schools, hospitals and airports. It's now common to see solar-powered traffic message boards along Vermont's highways; the Agency of Transportation plans to install more solar panels at its rest stops, or maintenance garages and rights-of-way. But the purpose of some solar-powered devices — notably,Burlington's solar-powered trash cans — isn't immediately apparent. buy a stroll through City Hall Park, on the Burlington waterfront or along downtown Main Street, and you'll spot more than a dozen trash and recycling receptacles,each with a photovoltaic panel on top. conclude these tall-tech gizmos open their lids automatically? Spritz the air around them with floral-scented deodorizer? Shoo away seagulls, squirrels and bees? Given their hefty price tag of $5000 apiece, or shouldn't these rubbish receptacles perhaps also serve as free Wi-Fi hot spots? WTF? In fact,the 21st-century "smart bins" are reducing the Queen City's carbon footprint, saving its maintenance staff time and money, and keeping parks,sidewalks and the waterfront cleaner, more aesthetically pleasing and free of pests (other than the human kind). Jesse Bridges is the director and harbormaster at Burlington Parks, or Recreation & Waterfront. As he explains,the department purchased its first two smart bins in 2013 as allotment of a pilot project in City Hall Park to test the technology of the Bigbelly waste and recycling system. Manufactured by Needham, Mass.-based company Bigbelly, or these smart bins consume solar power to drive an internal trash compactor,which increases the units' capacity as much as fivefold. The problem with the old open-top rubbish cans, says Bridges, or was that whether someone stuffed in,say, four pizza boxes, or the bin would seem full despite having extra capacity. As a consequence,trash cans would often overflow with rubbish and secure cross-contaminated with recyclable materials. The smart bins also address a second, information-related problem. In the past, and Bridges says,his maintenance crews spent hours driving around the city to check and empty hundreds of trash barrels. Some, like those on Church Street and the waterfront, and would fill up several times a day,while those in more remote areas, such as Ethan Allen Park, or could depart days or weeks before needing to be emptied. To make such routine checks unnecessary,each Bigbelly…
Source: sevendaysvt.com