"Nassau County - Long Island, New York"

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano today announced that Nassau County has “Gone Green” just in time for Earth Day, April 22nd, by installing eleven BigBelly solar compactors at various locations throughout the County. BigBelly solar compactors are a patented, compacting trash receptacle, self-powered by solar energy and are software-controlled. In an effort to reduce collection costs and address overflow issues, these next generation trash receptacles use web-based, wireless data technology to transmit alerts to maintenance supervisors that the units are nearing capacity. These solar waste and recycling stations are compactors as well as garbage receptacles, as they hold five times as much garbage as conventional trash can.

“It is my mission to transform Nassau into America’s leading county in safety, prosperity and the nurturing of family life and a clean and safe environment is central to our success. We have rehabilitated parks, supported green construction and developed green jobs,” stated County Executive Mangano. “The BigBelly system is part of a strong set of sustainable policy initiatives. From the management of green spaces to the purchase of electric vehicles, the objective is to have a clean county in every sense of the word. I am pleased to have these new solar trash cans installed just in time for Earth Day, as it is an opportunity to celebrate all we are doing to enhance where we live, work and play while we protect the planet.”

This innovative solution for the collection of waste has many advantages. From an initial volume per container of 120 liters, each BigBelly uses a compaction mechanism powered by solar energy to swallow up to five times their capacity. This reduction in the volume of waste will result in a decrease in collection, thereby reducing costs and emissions of greenhouse gases. Completely independent in the production of energy necessary for their operation, these containers can be moved at will without worrying about any electrical connection. Indicator lights, ranging from green to red through yellow indicate the degree of fullness of the internal bin, thus signaling the need for collection. Autonomous, robust and aesthetic, the BigBelly waste stations can be installed in high-traffic locations according to specific needs.

The eleven solar waste and recycling stations are stationed at the following nine locations:

About BigBelly Solar:

BigBelly Solar is a leading global provider of innovative and sustainable solutions for the management of waste & recycling, with more than 800 customers across the U.S. and 30 other countries. The BigBelly Solar intelligent waste & recycling collection system combines a powerful management console, software-enabled network command center, and family of mix and match waste & recycling stations into a toolkit that enables municipalities, colleges & universities, government facilities and commercial customers to achieve massively greater resource efficiencies (by 70-80+%). Powered by renewable solar energy, the BigBelly System is a “Smart Grid for Waste & Recycling ™” for its customers, providing unprecedented visibility and control for the management of waste & recycling collection operations. www.bigbellysolar.com

Earth Day is a day early each year on which events are held worldwide to increase awareness and appreciation of the Earth’s natural environment. Thefirst Earth Day on April 22, 1970,activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement. The passage of the landmarkClean Air Act,Clean Water Act,Endangered Species Actand many other groundbreaking environmental laws soon followed. Earth Day is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network. Growing out of the first Earth Day, Earth Day Network (EDN) works with over 22,000 partners in 192 countries to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world.

Mangano Announces Nassau County “Go Green” Initiative Just In Time For Earth Day