City officials unveil nearly half a million dollar plan to replace all trash cans with unexpected alternative: 'A safer environment for the employees'

St. Paul, Minnesota, is revamping its trash collection with a new set of receptacles drawing comparisons to luxury vehicles.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reported on the city's nearly half-million-dollar investment in solar-powered waste bins downtown. 

The 162 Bigbelly smart trash and recycling bins are replacing 94 conventional trash cans and 20 recycling bins.

"They do a couple of things, so it's kind of a joke that they're the Cadillac of the containers," said Sarah Haas, the city's Garbage and Recycling Program administrator, per the Pioneer Press.

The new Bigbelly bins can hold three times more waste than traditional cans. That's thanks to their self-compacting feature, which uses solar power to condense waste. Another smart feature in some of the bins is a sensor that can signal to workers when the receptacle is full. 

City officials also took time to optimize the Bigbelly bins for efficiency and effectiveness. They are strategically located to have consistent sun exposure and match foot traffic. 

Another benefit of the new bins is increased worker safety.

"The No. 1 thing probably was reducing labor and creating a safer environment for employees," added Haas. 

The new bins improve on the old ones by reducing the need for workers to lift all the trash on their shoulders to put it in the trucks. Trash is either bagged or loaded onto a truck's lifter for emptying.

The change is also enhancing city aesthetics, according to locals. As Haas noted, the new bins keep trash in place and provide four times as many recycling options for locals. The sides of the bins can also be decorated with advertising, art, or promotions.

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That's in part inspired by some of the old bins taking on mosaic decorations. Those bins aren't going to waste, and they are instead being repurposed into planters. Another shipment of Bigbelly bins is expected in spring to replace the remaining holdovers.

By investing in this technology, St. Paul aims to reduce litter, improve efficiency, and enhance the downtown experience. Providing more recycling opportunities is a great way to solve the persistent problem of potentially recyclable items going to landfills.

The improved tech can also reduce how much litter ends up in nature. From there, it not only hurts a city's aesthetics, but it also threatens the local ecosystem. 

Last but certainly not least, the change benefits workers who will get to do fewer trash pickups and will be safer while doing them. "It's reducing straining, increasing recycling, and beautifying," Haas concluded.

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