By David Kilby, Special Writer
BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP — As the town continues to explore the idea of placing some Big Belly Solar Compactors in town, a representative of Advanced Enviro Systems, a company that distributes the compactors, recently gave a detailed presentation on the “innovative” trash cans.
Advanced Enviro Systems maintains all of the approximately 20,000 solar-powered, WiFi-enabled Big Bellies trash compactors in Philadelphia and many other Big Bellies on college campuses, said Ann King-Musza, representative of the distributors, at the Bordentown Township Committee meeting Monday.
”Big Belly Solar is the only company in the world that makes outdoor solar trash compactors,” Ms. King-Musza said, adding some other companies make indoor compactors that plug into an outlet.
The battery of a Big Belly costs about $25 and has a life of five years. The cans require minimal maintenance for the motor chain that compacts the trash and just need to be washed every once in a while.
Ms. King-Musza said Big Bellies don’t get nearly as dirty as regular trash cans because all the compacted trash is contained behind a locked door.
Big Bellies, which are made entirely in the United States, hold three to five times as much trash as a regular trash can and have a dial on the can that lets you control the weight of each bag.
”What makes the Big Belly unique is that it’s not just a unit,” Ms. King Musza said. “It’s a system that lets you know what can needs to be emptied and when.”
The Big Bellies are connected to a WiFi network that enables trash collectors to keep track of how full each can is through a computer or smart phone. This has proved to save a great deal of time for trash collectors, Ms. King Musza added.
”If you need to go out there three times a week, there’s no money saving in having it,” she said.
Roger Plew, chairman of the Bordentown Environmental Commission, suggested the township place eight Big Bellies in Northern Community Park. He said there needs to be that many in order for the change to be profitable.
”If you have a Big Belly and another can, you’re still going to have to check the other can,” he said.
Ms. King Musza addressed the concern some people have raised regarding the Big Bellies in Princeton. She said some people have noticed how dirty some of Princeton’s Big Bellies are, but said that’s only because they’ve been placed in very high pedestrian traffic areas.
Even so, she said, when the outside is dirty, all one has to do is hose the Big Belly down. Ms. King-Musza also added regular trash cans often have a problem with attracting insects, especially yellow jackets, but Big Bellies don’t have that problem since all of the trash remains locked behind a door.
Also, the WiFi network keeps a log of every time that door is opened, Ms. King-Musza added.
The Township Committee discussed possibly renting a demo Big Belly unit to see how it works out for Bordentown, but Ms. King-Musza discouraged that idea.
”It’s a proven unit,” she said. “They’re all over the place.”

