Big Bellies come to Shoreline

The thought of an overflowing garbage can is becoming a thing of the past in Shoreline parks, with the installation of several Big Belly solar trash and recycling compactors.

Approximately $3,400 a piece, the units harness the sun's rays to compact around 160 gallons of solid waste and recycling (4 to 5 times the volume of a normal trash bin) before they need to be emptied, cutting the number of collection trips, and reducing operating costs for the city. The installation of new solar compactors comes after the success of the first two installed at City Hall plaza in 2009.

"In 2008, the city council adopted Shoreline's Environmental Sustainability Strategy. This strategy supports the city's LEED Gold certified city hall, as well as the solar compacting Big Bellies, since they promote renewable energy, fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emmisions," said Rika Cecil, environmental programs coordinator for the city. "The city hall solar compactors have worked well and provide visitors the opportunity to learn about the importance of renewable energy."

The compactors are surprisingly simple machines, with the only moving parts being an electric motor, and two motorcycle chain drives. The solar panel (which does not require direct sunlight) extracts and transfers the energy needed to a battery for storage. Software inside the machine triggers compactions automatically, and when the bins reach a certain fullness level, an LED indicator is triggered, signaling that the bin is ready to be emptied.

Along with the City Hall plaza, the solar compactors can now be found at Shoreview, Richmond Beach Saltwater, Twin Ponds, and Paramount Parks, Shoreline Fields A & B, and the Shoreline Park & Ride at 192nd Street and Aurora Avenue. The funds to purchase the solar compactors came from state and county grants, and Cecil said that the efficiency and greenhouse gas reductions will be calculated by the city next year.