Solar smart bins’ Main Street trial
NEW solar-powered litter bins are enjoying a trial run on the Main Street in Wexford.
The Bigbelly bin is a new concept in litter management, compacting rubbish to increase the capacity of the receptacle and sending a message to the County Council when it is full.
Two of the smart bins have been placed outside the AIB in North Main Street and near Penney’s at South Main Street while others are in situ in various locations around the county.
‘They have five times the capacity of a normal bin’, said Cllr. George Lawlor who welcomed the Counci’s attempt to tackle the problem of unsightly over-flowing bins in the centre of town during busy periods.
The bins are hired from the the developer company Bigbelly which has the stated aim of transforming public waste management with a cloud-connected technology system, and are operated and emptied by Wexford County Council.
Cllr. Lawlor said that instead of Council outdoor staff having to drive around the streets to find out which bins are full, they now receive a text telling them a bin is ready to be emptied, making the system more efficient.
The operation of litter bins is an ongoing challenge for the local authority. ‘There are a number of issues with them, including people dumping domestic waste in them or blocking them with large items such as pizza boxes’, said Cllr. Lawlor.