City Rolls Out BigBelly Solar-Powered Recycling Compactors

Newport Mayor Harry F. Winthrop and the Newport Public Services Department’s Clean City Program would like to announce the placement of 5 BigBelly solar-powered recycling compactors in downtown Newport. Mayor Winthrop will unveil the BigBelly recycling compactor located at the Armory, 365 Thames Street, on Wednesday, September 5 at 3 p.m.

“The placement of five BigBelly recycling stations here in Newport goes hand-in-hand with our environmental goals and will boost our recycling rate,” said Mayor Harry F. Winthrop.

The BigBelly recycling compactors will be paired with existing BigBelly trash compactors along Thames Street at Long Wharf Mall at Washington Square and Brick Market, the Armory, the Post Office and at Howard Wharf. The recycling units are identical in size to the trash compactors and match the existing design. A blue hopper with a recycling symbol and colorful designs of common pedestrian recyclables on the side of the compactor designate it as a recycling bin.

“The blue hopper for recyclables and the clear labeling should prove we can collect a clean stream of recyclables from pedestrians in Newport,” said Kristin Littlefield, Newport’s Clean City Coordinator.

BigBelly solar-powered compactors, both trash & recycling, can hold five times more items by volume, reducing collection requirements by up to 80 percent. An electric eye inside detects the level of trash or recyclables and triggers compactions as needed.

The previous 50 Victor Stanley black barrels along Thames Street were . The trash compactors are emptied 1-2 times per week in the winter & spring months and 3-5 times per week in the summer, versus 14 times per week when the black barrels reigned Thames Street. This equates to a reduction in collections of 70-85%, depending on the time of year.

The City of Newport was able to purchase the BigBelly recycling compactors through a grant from Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, as well as a grant from the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources and from a fundraiser held by student Alycia Karlovich.

For more information about the BigBelly compactors in Newport, please contact the Clean City Program at 845-5613 or visit www.cityofnewport.com/cleancity.