James Poss is an entrepreneur and a dreamer. But he also has a practical side.
As founder and Chief Technology Officer of BigBelly Solar, he wanted to make trash disposal more environmentally friendly and, ultimately, less expensive.
BigBelly Is All Over the Country
So he invented the BigBelly solar-powered trashcan, which has been installed in parks, schools and other locations around the country.
It can hold four times as much trash as a normal can since it has a built-in compacting unit.
Poss talks about the real and social costs of conventional trash cans in the accompanying video.
Now, a BigBelly is coming to Echo Park.
Echo Park’s Trash Abatement Project has arranged to have one placed at the northeast corner of Echo Park Avenue and Sunset Boulevard.
Right now, that's where an overflowing wire can is the norm.
Echo Park BigBelly Funded by City Grants
TAP’s head Ida Talalla has been spearheading the project, which received grants from the city Office of Community Beautification and Keep Los Angeles Beautiful.
She says the project may seem costly at first, but will be cost-effective in the long run.
Talalla also hopes the can will remind residents that overflow trash often ends up in storm drains that empty in places like the Echo Park Lake.
She sees it as one step in protecting the new lotus beds that will arrive there in 2013.
The official ribbon-cutting for BigBelly takes place on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. at 1571 Sunset Blvd. Come then and see what a BigBelly looks like.
