Dive Brief:

• Iowa City, IA, is purchasing four solar-powered trash compactors to be installed in its downtown area this spring.
• The containers, which compact both waste and recycling, are manufactured by Bigbelly.
• The tech-savvy receptacles feature two separate compartments for trash and materials and send an alert to crews when the bin reaches capacity. 

Dive Insight:

Funding for the smart bins was provided by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ Solid Waste Alternative Program. 

A 2014 study in Iowa City found that 40% of waste tossed into municipal trash cans was recyclable. 

In similar cases, New York City installed 16 Bigbelly bins around Lower Manhattan in July 2013 in an effort to double the city’s recycling rate to 30% by 2017. That same month, Bigbelly bins were set up in Syracuse, NY. The smart bins were so popular that the county is looking to add more throughout the city.