Solar-Powered Trash Cans for Fifth Ave!

Fifth Avenue is going green – or at least its trash cans are.

Today the Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District installed six solar-powered, self-compacting garbage cans on the avenue, hoping the new receptacles will help curb the issue of overflowing trash bins. 

“These hold twice as much as regular garbage cans,” said Irene LoRe, Executive Director of the Fifth Avenue BID. “You always see the trash pails overflowing. It really hurts the look of the avenue.”

LoRe said the move cost the BID a hefty $20,000 for the six trash cans, at $4,000 a pop for new solar-powered bins and $2,000 each for the two refurbished ones the BID purchased. Today they were installed at locations that the BID determined have an especially large problem with overflowing trash, including two at the intersection of Ninth Street and Fifth Avenue, and one in front of Washington Park.

Both local business owners and bystanders were thrilled by the news.

“The amount of garbage that spills out onto the street is unbelievable,” said Linda Pugliese, whose son owns Bagel World on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Fourth Street. “This will be delightful.”

Pugliese said that overflowing trash bins in front of the store are constantly a problem. Before the BID hired contractors to help with sanitation issues on the avenue a year and a half ago, she said the store even received frequent fines for the overflowing trash.

“I’m a big fan of recycle, reduce, reuse,” said Jane Tomkiewicz, a Fifth Street resident who was passing by as the first solar-powered bin was installed on Fourth Street and Fifth Avenue. “I think this is awesome.”

A solar-powered rod inside of the receptacles, which are produced by BigBelly Solar and distributed locally by Mr. Rubbish in Gowanus, works to automatically compact trash as the bin fills up, meaning each bin can accommodate a maximum amount of waste. After being fully charged, the bins can last a whole three days without sunlight.

The trash will still be collected by the city, meaning no additional maintenance costs for the BID. LoRe said that if the bins workout, they  may consider adding four to six new ones next year.

“These will help us keep less trash from blowing around and overflowing,” said LoRe.