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Moment of truth for Philly's so-called "solar-powered trash cans"
The Web site for the award-winning alternative weekly, the Philadelphia City Paper.
Moment of truth for Philly's so-called "solar-powered trash cans"
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| BigBellySolar.com |
Perhaps to thoughtfully alert media outlets – perhaps to keep us chewing our fingernails to pieces in anticipation all weekend (who wouldn't?) – the office of Philadelphia City Controller Alan Butkovitz informed the media today that Mr. Butkovitz will unveil this Monday his "investigation" of the city's BigBelly Solar Compactors.
You've seen these – in 2009, the city replaced 700 Center City trash cans with 500 BigBelly Solar compactors. The idea, simply, is that the machines use solar-powered motors to compact the trash, requiring fewer pickups (and reducing trash overflow), saving the city money and keeping it cleaner. The machines are the result of a $2.1M contract awarded by the city to BigBelly Solar.
We don't know yet, of course, what Butkovitz will have to say about the machines.
The Office of Controller, though, tends to release these special reports when something is not working, and not vice-versa.
And there's this: when I hear people grumble about the new compactors, which I do now and then, I hear the machines described derisively as "solar-powered trash cans" – a phrase that carries the implication that a "trash can" doesn't usually need power in the first place (calling them "compactors," on the other hand, emphasizes the reason for solar).
Taking all that into consideration, check out this excerpt from Butkovitz's press release:
Controller Butkovitz will release his report that investigated the circumstances a BigBelly distributor was awarded a $2.1 million sole-source contract for the CityÂ’s new solar powered trash cans.
We'll see what the report says on Monday (and we'll post it here, of course) – but if I were BigBelly, I wouldn't order a cake just yet.
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20100713_Controller_trashes_solar-compactor_deal.html I'm only going off this coverage, but it sounds like all he can show is that "we didn't save as much as we thought we would." Not that we lost money. Still seems like a good deal if we've saved any money at all, no? If they are paying for themselves, it's good.
It's just a matter of time before some kittens, fetuses, puppies or penises end up in one. As a sports fan I have a strong faith in my city that has never let me down.
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