THE power of the sun is being used to tackle high street rubbish in Ealing with the trial of a ‘Big Belly’ solar litterbin this spring.
The new bin takes up the same amount of space as a regular one but is able to store up to eight times as much rubbish with the help of its solar-powered compactor.
The built-in smart technology will send the street cleaning team a message when it reaches 85% capacity, to alert them to empty it.
The bins have been used by other boroughs to save money while reducing the number of collections necessary.
They also help stop birds, foxes and vermin scattering rubbish.
There are two volume sensors in the bin and, when the rubbish reaches a certain level, the sensors trigger the compactor.
The new bin has been installed outside Ealing Town Hall.
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