PATERSON — In the city where many people complain about litter-strewn streets, officials celebrated Tuesday the installation of the first of 90 new solar-powered trash containers — devices that cost $4,700 each.
The trash bins are shaped like a mailbox and are equipped with solar panels to provide power to the compactors that are programmed to crush the waste placed in their sealed 32-gallon compartments.
The devices are also designed to send alerts when they are full so that Paterson public works crews can come and empty them. People are supposed to use foot pedals to open the mouth of the bins so they can throw their trash in.
The compactors will be installed on sidewalks in commercial districts within Paterson’s Urban Enterprise Zones, including Union Avenue, 21st Avenue, Main Street, Market Street, Broadway, 10th Avenue and Vreeland Avenue.
Paterson is spending $423,000 of its state funds on the UEZ to purchase the containers from Premier Compaction Systems. In October 2022, the city council had approved the use of $700,000 in UEZ funds to purchase 200 solar-powered garbage bins. City officials said they could purchase additional devices depending on the program’s success.
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Mayor Andre Sayegh on Tuesday highlighted what he described as the innovative technology that he said would reduce waste overflow problems associated with traditional dumpsters on sidewalks.
Councilman Luis Velez said during Sayegh’s news conference that the success of the program will depend on the residents of Paterson.
“This is no good if you don’t use it,” Velez said.
Officials stated that all 90 compactors would be installed before early July. They said they were aware of another New Jersey city using the same devices: Western New York in Hudson County.
Community activist Roger Grier attended the mayor’s event and said he was unimpressed by the compactors. He noted that solar-powered waste bins used in Passaic County parks are also equipped with recycling compartments.
“We need to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in our landfills,” Grier said.
Joe Malinconico is editor of Paterson Press. Email: editor@patersonpress.com
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paterson NJ unveils new solar-powered trash compactors
