Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Feed me

Out with the old (right), in with the new (center)

Amherst took one giant leap into the space age of trash removal by installing solar powered trash collectors in the downtown. The $4,000 units, purchased with a state energy grant, hold about 5 times the amount of normal trash. A built in sensor detects when full and then engages the compacting phase. And it's powered by solar cells located on the top of the unit. Thus saving labor and space at the landfill.

Downside is you can't practice basketball with crumpled paper like you can with the basic $100 receptacles because you have to grab the handle and open the unit, which some germphobes may find a bit disconcerting.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

$4,000 bucks? I'll stop on the trash for half that price. What a waste.

Larry Kelley said...

Now, now... it's state money.

You know--like Community Preservation Funds--the manna that falls from the heavens.

Anonymous said...

Larry, your right, I wouldn't touch the handle of the damned thing.....but I'd probably pull down my sleeve on my coat or shirt and cover my fingers to keep from having to touch it.
I think it is great that they are trying to eliminate trash (and possibly jobs from DPW having to empty these more often than needed)

Anonymous said...

Also accepts property tax payments.

Anonymous said...

How long before this happens:

http://icanhascheezburger.com/2007/11/25/cat-compactor/

hexafluoride said...

stupidest thing i've ever seen

have you ever been in a landfill? they pack that shit down anyways.

what are the environmental costs of making the thing?

http://venturebeat.com/2009/01/14/solar-panels-pose-an-environmental-hazard-claims-report/

Making solar panels, which are in many ways directly descended from semiconductors, also produces toxic byproducts that could sicken living beings, warns the SVTC. Among these are caustic liquids like silicon tetrachloride, dusts and nanoparticles like kerf (a remnant from cutting silicon ingots), and potent greenhouse gases like sulfur hexafluoride.


i say cram the larry's in there and turn on the sun

Anonymous said...

Ahh! This is the Amherst I know and love. No matter what you do, how you do, when you do there is always a coallition of piss and moaners wait for their turn. Keep up the good work you salamander crossing guards! Oh yeh and don't forget to comment on any of my puncuation and spelling errors!

Larry Kelley said...

Yes indeed.

Although I probably would have used a comma after yeh, and added an a before the h.

Anonymous said...

Already looks like it needs a scrubbing

Anonymous said...

Solar powered stupid.

urodele wind said...

fake environmentalism.

bogus dichotomy


lets throw all kinds of shit away, but use sloar energy to pack it into a tight, non biodegrdable mass.

smart!

Anonymous said...

Larry, thanks for keeping the Luddites in our community busy at the computer with something to do.

Anonymous said...

Poor Larry. I know you can give as good as you get but the vile bile from some of your commenters is really unnecessary. I guess it's a sign of the times that if one disagrees with another it's license to be rude and disgusting. Sometimes I agree with you, sometimes I don't, but I always respect the right you have to your opinion. Maybe Amherst used to be that way. It certainly isn't that way now.

(My favorite comment here is "also accepts property tax payments." Very clever. All too true...)

Larry Kelley said...

Yeah, welcome to my virtual (24/7) world.

Amherst indeed "used to be that way." About 50 years ago--before the rapid expansion of our flagship University.

Anonymous said...

Also accepts the democrat party.

Matt W. said...

These are actually really economical in the long run. They require way less pick-ups, so fewer city employees are required. If 10 of these can eliminate one state waste management worker, they pay for themselves in a year.

Anonymous said...

put those slackers out of work

Anonymous said...

LUV U Larry, just in case U felt un-appreciated. LUV your blog and best of all being able to expose the nitwits and NINBYS of the town