KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Last week, the Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership (KDP) installed 25 Bigbelly smart, double-station waste and recycling bins in the Downtown Kalamazoo area.
“We are pleased to announce the launch of downtown’s new Bigbelly waste and recycling program,” KDP Communications and Marketing Manager Meghan Behymer said in a statement. “By deploying 25 smart Bigbelly systems, downtown is moving forward with technology that results in a cleaner, more welcoming and environmentally-friendly community core.”
The installation of these bins also marks the introduction of the first downtown-wide recycling program. Since the installation, officials say nearly fifty percent of all collections have been diverted to recycling.
The Bigbelly smart waste and recycling system is comprised of two parts –
- The smart, connected stations on the street, and
- CLEAN software – the centralized dashboard from which system set-up, management, monitoring, and optimization is done.
At the street level, Downtown’s Bigbelly bins have a variety of features including:
- Smart technology with a CPU, cell and GPS antennas inside
- Ability for multiple waste streams (landfill and recycling) at a single location
- An enclosed design with the iconic “hopper” that keeps waste in and pests out
- A foot pedal for a hands-free experience
- Fullness sensors that know when the station is reaching capacity and needs to be collected by the Downtown Kalamazoo Ambassador team.
Officials add that the cornerstone of the Bigbelly system is the CLEAN management software that allows the smart bins to communicate real-time status directly into the CLEAN Management Console.
This capability allows for greater productivity and efficiency in waste collection, officials said.
It also provides measurable data from the stations on the street to report metrics such as waste volume, diversion and collection savings.
“These new Bigbelly bins are more than just a way to keep downtown clean, they are an all-encompassed system to drive productivity for our team of Downtown Ambassadors and provide measurable sustainability for the downtown community,” Behymer said. “Enhanced efficiencies from the Bigbelly data will allow Downtown Ambassadors to focus on more meaningful projects throughout downtown.”
For more information, readers can visit downtownkalamazoo.org.
A map of where the bins are located can be viewed below:
“Bigbelly” recycling and waste program map in Downtown Kalamazoo. (Photo courtesy Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership).
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