Florida: Solar-Powered Trash Bins Sends Emails When Full 

Great Forest consultants in Florida are reporting that they are seeing more high tech solar -powered trash bins in public areas in cities like Jupiter, Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale and Delray Beach. The bins have also been spotted in Philadelphia, Chicago and Brooklyn. Each contains a solar-powered compactor that crushes its contents, allowing it to hold more trash with less emptying. The bins also send an email requesting pickups when they reach capacity.      

"These high tech bins should work especially well for hotels and universities that have large common areas and are looking to reduce their labor costs for collecting garbage and recycling," says Christine Engle, a Great Forest sustainability consultant based in South Florida.  

"However, because of their price - about $4000 versus around $125 for a regular trash can - a cost benefit analysis should be conducted to determine if potential savings are worth the investment."

According to news reports, Delray Beach is projecting that they will save about $15,000 a year with about 13 bins, while Philadelphia, which has at least 500 bins, is expecting about $1 million in savings.          

Contact your Great Forest representative to learn more. 

Did You Know... Sustainable Consumption is Possible 

Did you survive Black Friday? There's probably no better time of year to question our consumption habits than the holiday season.  

Sustainable consumption is typically defined as the use of goods and services that bring about a better quality of life while minimizing the use of natural resources. 

A recent poll, published by GlobeScan and SustainAbility, indicates that a panel of more than 500 global sustainability experts believe sustainable consumption is possible to achieve... but not without changes to the way we make, use, and discard products. 

A majority of respondents think that businesses have a duty to offer sustainable product lines instead of, rather than in addition to, unsustainable ones.  The concept implores businesses to examine the life cycle of their products and ensure they meet the goals of sustainable consumption. Businesses can use tools and techniques such as life cycle analysis, carbon footprinting, or LEED standards as a way to evaluate their impact.

This holiday season, businesses can start to limit consumption by cutting back on holiday decorations and switching from standard holiday lights to LED lights to drastically reduce energy consumption. For more ideas, look to organizations like the Center for a New American Dream.

Have a question?  Ask a Great Forest expert.