Big Belly Trash Compactor Helps Keep the Palm Beach Community Clean

Palm Tran is helping keep Palm Beach County clean and pristine with an innovative solution to avoid overflowing waste receptacles at bus stops. Palm Tran has teamed up with Waste Management for a unique, grant-funded pilot program.  As part of the program, a large, solar-powered trash compactor known as the “Big Belly” has been stationed at Palm Tran’s bus stop at Lantana Road and Military Trail. 

“The Palm Beaches are a beautiful and special place, and we at Palm Tran are dedicated to environmental stewardship and sustainability,” Palm Tran Executive Director Clinton B. Forbes said.

The Big Belly not only helps keep the environment clean, it creates efficiency by reducing the number of trips to empty trash receptacles by maintenance staff.  The big belly has a 150 gallon capacity and sends information electronically to Palm Tran about how close it is to being full.

Since being installed several months ago, the big belly has been so successful, Palm Tran aims to expand the program by adding smaller, “Smart Big Belly” receptacles at additional high ridership stops.  The smaller receptacles also send real-time information about the amount of trash in the container, but do not have compactors, making them an ideal solution for less-frequented stops.