High-tech 'BigBelly' recycling bins installed in downtown Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla – The City Beautiful is continuing to make good on its commitment to positive environmental changes. 

The City of Orlando has recently introduced seven new solar-powered compacting garbage cans downtown, accompanying those already introduced in the area surrounding Lake Eola.

These new "BigBelly" garbage cans contain volumetric sensor technology, which allows the city to remotely monitor the fill level of each can.

The city hopes to use these new receptacles to provide insight into the overall waste stream for the city, as well as optimize the efficiency of their garbage collection efforts.  

Along with the BigBelly containers, the city has plans to also introduce 14 new dual recycling/garbage containers downtown throughout the month of December.

According to Downtown Orlando's release on the new recycling units, "The labels on our new containers come from Recycle Across America, and bring Orlando into the nationwide movement of standardizing recycling labels to help users better understand what to put in the bin."

These new recycling units have come to the city only a few months following the announcement that the City of Orlando was partnering with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to become a pilot city for the "Beyond 34: Recycling and Recovery for a New Economy" project.

Green Works Orlando is an initiative launched by Mayor Buddy Dyer. With an overall goal of transforming Orlando into one of the most environmentally-friendly communities in the nation, Green Works Orlando has achieved more than $1 million in savings since 2007.

More information on the recycling units can be found in Downtown Orlando's release. More information and specific initiatives for Green Works Orlando can be found here.