Almost six years after the first Bigbelly bins appeared in Bristol, we’re revisiting the smart waste system that’s been quietly changing how the city handles litter.

Back in June 2019, 110 of our high-tech bins were rolled out across Bristol city centre as part of a £1 million investment by Bristol City Council. Now, nearly six years later, they’ve compacted millions of litres of waste and helped keep the streets a whole lot cleaner.

Powered by the sun and driven by data, each Bigbelly bin compacts rubbish to make room for up to eight times more waste than a standard street bin. They even email Bristol Waste when they’re full, meaning fewer overflowing bins, less litter on the streets, and fewer unnecessary trips for collection trucks.

Now, six years on, the bins are still doing their job and the city is cleaner for it.

Photo: A recently refurbished Bigbelly Smart Max looking as good as new at six years old! 

Almost six years after the first Bigbelly bins appeared in Bristol, we’re revisiting the smart waste system that’s been quietly changing how the city handles litter.

Back in June 2019, 110 of our high-tech bins were rolled out across Bristol city centre as part of a £1 million investment by Bristol City Council. Now, nearly six years later, they’ve compacted millions of litres of waste and helped keep the streets a whole lot cleaner.

Powered by the sun and driven by data, each Bigbelly bin compacts rubbish to make room for up to eight times more waste than a standard street bin. They even email Bristol Waste when they’re full, meaning fewer overflowing bins, less litter on the streets, and fewer unnecessary trips for collection trucks.

A Cleaner City With Fewer Collections

By increasing each bin’s capacity and reducing how often they need emptying, the bins have helped cut down on collections by around 80%. Over six years, that’s potentially tens of thousands of collection trips saved, reducing emissions from waste vehicles and saving time and money for the council.

Some of the bins were even given a playful twist, decorated as “caged monsters” that live off a diet of rubbish, an eye-catching way to encourage people to use them properly.

“In a time when budgets are shrinking, we need to think ‘smart’ about waste,” said Tony Lawless, Managing Director at Bristol Waste, back in 2019. “By integrating smart and green technology in our Super Hungry Bins, we can not only make our budgets go further but reduce our environmental impact on the city.”

More Than Just Bins

The rollout was part of Bristol’s Clean Streets Campaign, launched by Mayor Marvin Rees in 2016 with a mission to make the city measurably cleaner by 2020.

At the time, Mayor Rees called the investment “practical action” that recognised how much residents care about clean streets.

Now, six years on, the bins are still doing their job and the city is cleaner for it.