Chicago has been talking about going more eco friendly for a while now. In fact the Mayor of the city who brought out the solar trash cans for the downtown area talked about environmental commitment and how the ‘BigBelly Smart Cans’ can help the city in becoming greener. The idea of these recycling and garbage collecting units was to have a more eco-centric system that will encourage the denizens of the Windy city to go clean. Also the solar panels on top of the barrels would generate a bit of power and be an added advantage with the ads on them that bring in some cash.
But with a NATO summit scheduled for late next month in the city, the administration is busy in replacing the BigBelly barrels with the more traditional wire trash cans that will allow the police to keep an eye on what exactly is inside without too much fuss. The solar garbage barrels are closed and come with a system in which they send out an email when they are full so that workers can clear them up. But with the closed model comes the risk of not knowing what is on the inside and with atop-level NATO summit on, that is a chance the city administrators are just not willing to take.
The barrels in the downtown area are already being replaced with the wire trash cans and those in charge say that they will return the solar containers when the ‘public safety department’ deems it fit. So far 40 of the units have been replaced and more replacements could follow in the area and along the path that leads to the NATO summit. While the security concerns are understandable, one sure hopes the solar barrels return soon after the event.
Via: Chicagotribune
