Downtown

Downtown Brooklyn Partnership to install smart waste, recycling system

New Solar-Powered System to Dramatically Increase Waste Collection Capacity and Efficiency

March 22, 2016 Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Photo courtesy of Downtown Brooklyn Partnership.
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The Downtown Brooklyn Partnership (DBP) on Monday announced the installation of Bigbelly’s smart waste and recycling system throughout Downtown Brooklyn. This system is part of DBP’s long-term commitment to encourage and facilitate the use of green technology in the neighborhood and to keep the area clean.

The first set of solar-powered trash and recycling compactors will be installed by Sunday, and the remaining will be installed once the MetroTech BID expansion is completed. Bigbelly, Inc. is providing the smart and connected waste and recycling system. 

“Solar-powered compactors will transform the streetscape of Downtown Brooklyn for the better,” said Tucker Reed, president of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. “This installation will help us achieve one of our chief goals: ensuring that the area is clean for workers, residents and visitors.” 

“The DBP has championed the Bigbelly system to deliver improved core community services and infrastructure, while making this world-class destination smarter, cleaner, and more enjoyable,” said Jack Kutner, CEO of Bigbelly. “This innovative use of technology to create a connected infrastructure is continuing to support the Partnerships’ commitment to provide substantial benefits and an improved environment to all who live, work, and visit the area.”

“The partnership with DBP is a model of how to fund important public improvement projects,” said Rob Gheewalla, co-founder and managing partner of Green City Solutions, “and there are many other cities that can similarly benefit from this unique opportunity to implement the innovative Bigbelly system.” 

The smart system harvests energy from the sun through its solar panel. It is completely self-powered, making it a mainstream solution for public space waste management. Each unit can accept up to five times the amount of a standard trash or recycling receptacle. This will amount to a 290 percent increase in waste collection capacity — from 8,910 gallons a week to 25,860 gallons, in addition to 5,400 gallons of new recycling capacity. The design will also reduce the presence of rodents through completely enclosed and secured linings.

The smart, cloud-connected Bigbelly system utilizes smart sensors to know when to begin compression and leverages cloud-connection to signal when the smart station is full, making collection more efficient and reducing the amount of truck traffic needed to service the waste containers.

Similar smart waste and recycling systems have also been installed by the Times Square Alliance and the Downtown Alliance, in Lower Manhattan.

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