Waste Management has entered into an agreement with BigBelly Solar under which Waste Management will provide WM Solar Powered Trash Compactors to its customers, including municipalities and high-traffic facilities. Under the agreement, Waste Management has become the exclusive waste and environmental services company distributor of BigBelly solar compactor technology in North America.

The new service offering was officially launched at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Providence, RI, with a solar-powered compactor present at the conference.

“We know busy intersections, public parks, city streets, sporting events, and other public spaces can be magnets for trash,” said Dave Aardsma, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Waste Management. “Ordinary trash barrels can easily overflow and become eyesores. The Waste Management solar-powered trash compactor can provide a number of solutions in those uses, by reducing waste collection frequency, lowering costs for our customers, and ensuring a greener, cleaner environment.”

WM Solar Powered Trash Compactors are completely self-powered, using built-in solar panels to compact trash. About the same size as a standard 35-gallon trash barrel, each compactor provides five times the capacity of a traditional trash receptacle. When the unit reaches capacity, sensors trigger an internal compactor that flattens the contents, converting 180 gallons of waste into easy-to-collect bags. A wireless system then signals that the unit is ready to be picked up.

According to Waste Management, this cuts the need for trash pickup by up to 80%, which reduces collection costs, fuel use, and greenhouse gas emissions. The compactors also include receptacles for collecting plastic bottles, newspapers, glass, and other recyclables.

“We’re very excited to bring the benefits of on-site solar compaction to such a wide group of customers nationwide,” said Richard Kennelly, vice president of marketing for BigBelly Solar. “These compactors are made from recycled materials and even work in areas that don’t receive direct sunlight.”

Waste Management will initially target municipal governments and high-traffic facilities interested in reducing the need for trash collection and keeping public spaces clean and litter-free.

Waste Management has installed 15 units at Patriot Place, a 1.3-million-sq-ft retail, dining, and event destination adjacent to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. “Our WM Solar Powered Compactors are an important piece of Patriot Place’s overall sustainability and recycling initiatives,” said Brian Earley, general manager of Patriot Place. “In addition to promoting recycling and reducing our waste volume and energy consumption, we have realized significant operational efficiencies and cost savings for waste removal.”