Solar-Powered Rubbish

So i read about these bins called Big Belly and thought they sounded like a great idea. Then i discovered we have them in some of the public places in Brisbane.

The solar panel on the top collects energy for an internal compactor which can compress rubbish to 1/8th of the original size. Obviously this greatly reduces the number of collection trips done by the garbage trucks (which saves on greenhouse gases). There's also an in-built device that can SMS the binmen when the bin is near capacity (to save on picking up part-full bins).

The company estimates that customers can save 80% on their operating costs (trucks, fuel and labour). Another great example of reduced greenhouse emissions saving money.