Bigbelly recycling and waste program launched in Downtown Kalamazoo
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, December 28, 2021
Contact: Meghan Behymer, Communications + Marketing Manager
mbehymer@downtownkalamazoo.org | 269-344-0795
Last week, the Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership installed 25 Bigbelly smart, double-station waste and recycling bins, which helps keep the downtown clean, advance environmental goals, and support downtown visitors and stakeholders.
“We are pleased to announce the launch of downtown’s new Bigbelly waste and recycling program,” said Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership Communications and Marketing Manager Meghan Behymer. “By deploying 25 smart Bigbelly systems, downtown is moving forward with technology that results in a cleaner, more welcoming and environmentally-friendly community core.”
The installation of these bins also marks the introduction of the first downtown-wide recycling program. Since the installation, nearly fifty percent of all collections have been diverted to recycling.
The Bigbelly smart waste and recycling system is comprised of two parts (1) the smart, connected stations on the street and (2) CLEAN software – the centralized dashboard from which system set-up, management, monitoring, and optimization is done.
At the street level, Downtown’s Bigbelly bins have a variety of features including:
- Smart technology with a CPU, cell and GPS antennas inside
- Ability for multiple waste streams (landfill and recycling) at a single location
- An enclosed design with the iconic “hopper” that keeps waste in and pests out
- A foot pedal for a hands-free experience
- Fullness sensors that know when the station is reaching capacity and needs to be collected by the Downtown Kalamazoo Ambassador team.
More importantly, the cornerstone of the Bigbelly system is the CLEAN management software that allows the smart bins to communicate real-time status directly into the CLEAN Management Console. This capability allows for greater productivity and efficiency in waste collection and provides measurable data from the stations on the street to report metrics such as waste volume, diversion, and collection savings.
“These new Bigbelly bins are more than just a way to keep downtown clean, they are an all-encompassed system to drive productivity for our team of Downtown Ambassadors and provide measurable sustainability for the downtown community,” Behymer said. “Enhanced efficiencies from the Bigbelly data will allow Downtown Ambassadors to focus on more meaningful projects throughout downtown.”
About Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership
Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership is a 501(c)3, non-profit organization that works with both the public and private sectors in preserving and enhancing the economic health of Kalamazoo’s downtown area and, in turn, the Kalamazoo community. In conjunction with its affiliate organizations, it manages a full range of activities that include capital improvement projects, business development and recruitment programs, image marketing and event planning to establish Downtown Kalamazoo as an accessible, diverse, green, progressive and vibrant urban center. For more info, visit downtownkalamazoo.org, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or find more downtown news on our website.
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