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<br /> Comprehensive Review of <br /> S olid W aste Collection and Disposal Options <br /> <br /> <br />v2.1 63 10/22/12 <br />Since the Town is not planning on charging its residential customers by individual pickup or by <br />the weight of refuse placed in the cart, it seems that the use of RFID technology will have little <br />benefit with billing or customer service since customers typically call to report missed pickups. <br />SCS recommends the Mobile 311 system and its GPS capability would be a better tool for <br />monitoring waste collection progress. However, RFID tags can be useful for inventory <br />maintenance and enforcement. It is recommended for the Town to invest in a RFID reader and <br />software that utilizes the RFID tag to track inventory and distribution of waste collection carts. <br />The software can also be used as an enforcement tool in disputes to assess the rightful user of <br />waste collection carts. SCS does not recommend retro-fitting existing waste carts as the stick-on <br />tags often become detached and the labor to maintain failing tags is an added cost. <br />4.3.4 On-Board Scales <br />To improve the daily collection activities and accountability of commercial solid waste <br />collection services, the Town may consider on-board scales. An on-board scale system would <br />assist the drivers in monitoring their load to maximize their truck volume, while maintaining <br />their gross weight within NCDOT regulations for transport longer distances to a transfer station. <br />GPS and/or RFID systems would assist route supervisors in scheduling collections, tracking <br />collection events, and responding efficiently to random collection requests. <br />These systems cost about $30,000 per truck and are used by large private haulers to audit their <br />customers. A single truck can be outfitted with the on-board scale system and rotated through <br />the various collection routes to monitor each business’s waste quantities. <br />4.3.5 Solar Powered Trash Compactor Receptacle s for Public <br />Areas <br />Solar powered trash compactors such as those manufactured by Big Belly Solar have been <br />installed in many towns, cities, and universities to replace traditional, sidewalk trashcans with <br />reported cost and energy saving results. Existing customers of these compactors include: <br />Philadelphia, PA; Albany, NY; Boston, MA; and, Kissimmee, FL. The capacity of the solar <br />compactors is roughly 5 times that of a normal trash can, allowing pickup frequency to be greatly <br />reduced. Installing solar trash compactors downtown and near Town bus stops would potentially <br />reduce collection frequency and related costs in these areas. The Big Belly brand of trash <br />compactors utilizes side-by-side trash and recycling containers which can also improve recycling <br />diversion rates. These solar compactors can relay information back to the Town Operations <br />Center, letting employees know when they have reached maximum capacity and collection is <br />required. The cost for a solar compactor is about $3,700 each. An example of a solar-powered <br />trash compactor is presented in Exhibit 4-7.