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September 6, 2023

The Pros and Cons of Philly’s $6,000 Trashcans

City Cast Philly

The Pros and Cons of Philly’s $6,000 Trashcans

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Philly has a lot of litter, enough that it’s earned the nickname “Filthadelphia.” One way our city deals with trash is with the BigBelly Program, hundreds of solar-powered trash compactors located in major commercial districts. These trashcans cost around $6,000 a piece and send an alert to the Streets Department when they get full. But some residents and business organizations say the bins overflow, break down, and simply attract more litter. Host Trenae Nuri speaks with Meir Rinde, investigative reporter at Billy Penn, about these complaints and ways the city could clean up their performance.

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