In January 2024, Imperial College London began a 6-month trial of 12 Bigbelly duo stations for general waste & dry mixed recycling streams at their South Kensington Campus. After the success of the trial, they entered into a 3-year rental agreement on these units. Since then, the project has expanded with an additional 9 duo units to house general waste and dry mixed recycling, as well as 8 Elements specifically for food waste. This signals a major shift in how Imperial manages waste and aims to build a cleaner, greener student experience.

Why Bigbelly?

Compacting technology – Bigbelly bins are solar-powered and have an integrated compactor mechanism that compacts waste and increases capacity by up to x5 compared to standard litter bins.

Fewer overflows, less litter – As the waste gets compacted, the bins fill more slowly. This means fewer occasions of overflowing rubbish, less wind-blown litter, and a tidier campus environment. The enclosed hopper design also helps keep pests like rats and birds away from the waste. This was one of the main issues Imperial College faced with their waste management before changing over to the Bigbelly system.

Smart monitoring & efficiency: Bigbelly bins support connected smart waste management and can report their fill-level to the CLEAN software platform. This technology lets campus waste-management staff know exactly when bins need emptying, optimizing collection routes, reducing unnecessary collections, and saving on labour and transport.

The Impact on Students, Staff and the Environment

Operational & environmental efficiency

Since Bigbelly bins need emptying less often, campus cleaning services can use their time more efficiently, fewer collection trips, less fuel consumption, and less disruption. When we spoke to Marcin Olejnik – Soft service, Stores & Distribution Manager, Imperial College London, he informed us “the grounds staff don’t have to go and check every bin all the time because they have notifications.” He also explained that the notifications allow staff to “save time on other duties which increases efficiency rates across the board.”

 Supporting recycling & sustainability culture

The addition of Bigbelly bins on the South Kensington campus has helped Imperial College increase their recycling rates. By installing modern waste infrastructure like Bigbelly bins, Imperial communicates a commitment to sustainability best practice and encourages responsible waste behaviour, something especially relevant in a large, diverse student community.

Grantham Climate Art Prize Ceremony

Another way in which Imperial College London is encouraging sustainability is through the Grantham Climate Art Prize awards. Last summer we had the honour of sponsoring these awards, and the winning mural is proudly displayed at Imperial’s South Kensington campus. Using the Bigbellys as a canvas, we gave the four runners-up their moment by unveiling their artwork on the bins around campus.

What’s Next?

Expanded rollout & data-driven insights: At present, the units are only deployed at the South Kensington campus, but they may look to introduce some units at their White City campus.

As more Bigbellys are deployed, Imperial has an opportunity to gather data on which locations generate most waste, which times are busiest, and where additional bins or different bin types (e.g. recycling, compost, standard waste) may be needed.

The decision by Imperial College London to trial and then expand Bigbelly bins represents a forward-thinking, practical approach to campus waste management. These smart, solar-powered, high-capacity bins bring real benefits: fewer overflows, less litter, reduced collections, improved hygiene, and a cleaner campus environment.

n other duties which increases efficiency rates across the board.”