Montclair Township has installed 40 Bigbelly smart waste disposal units throughout Montclair Center. The Bigbelly Smart Waste & Recycling System will help streamline collection operations and keep public spaces clean by keeping waste in and critters out.
With the Bigbelly smart waste disposal system the Township will be able to optimize collection routines, track and measure operations, and show location-based waste patterns (such as volume, fill rate, collection activity). Measurable data from the stations on the street provides real-time reports on metrics such as waste volume, efficiency, and diversion when a recycling stream is present.
Plus, the Bigbelly station compacts waste to hold five times the amount of a standard refuse bin (150 gallons vs. a standard traditional bin’s 30-gallon capacity).
“Collections at public refuse stations are no longer a guessing game,” said Bigbelly Regional Account Manager Joseph Nardello. “On average, cities with the Bigbelly system deployed at scale reduce their waste collections and associated operational expense by up to 70-80%. Fewer trash collections mean fewer refuse vehicles for shorter periods of time, and, in turn, fewer greenhouse gas emissions polluting the atmosphere, thereby contributing towards a calmer, more sustainable environment,” he said.
The cornerstone of the Bigbelly system is the CLEAN Management Software. The smart stations on the street communicate with the software signaling their fullness status so Community Services staff know exactly which stations need to be emptied.
The solar-powered stations are smart with a CPU plus cell and GPS antennas inside. Fullness sensors know when a station is reaching capacity and automatically send notifications to collection crews either daily, with a list of stations requiring collection, or immediately when a station needs attention.
“The new system is another example of the Township striving to keep our public areas clean for enjoyment by residents and visitors,” said Mayor Robert Jackson, “and we now have the added benefit of a more energy- and resource-efficient refuse collection system. Montclair Center will serve as a Bigbelly pilot program and, with the anticipated measured success of the initial 40 units, we will likely deploy more Bigbelly waste disposal bins throughout Montclair in the future.” he said.
And the per unit cost is: ??? And how many jobs will be lost because of these new expensive Big Belly computer trash bins?
That’s what I want to know.
1.) how many jobs will be lost: none. savings on overtime and headcount will be reallocated.
2.) 40 containers: ballpark is $48,000/yr (leased)
PS: thanks DCS for ensuring the containers had foot-activated doors.