Hunters Point Parks Conservancy installs
high-capacity Bigbelly trash compactors
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TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | AUG. 14-20, 2020 5
BY BILL PARRY
All summer long, residents
of the Long Island City waterfront
have been tormented by
an influx of massive crowds
at Hunters Point South Park.
Numerous food vendor trucks
have been operating up and
down Center Boulevard, resulting
in mounds of trash
strewn about the park on most
mornings.
Over a three-week period
in late July and early August,
seven brand-new, high-capacity,
solar-powered compacting
trash cans have been installed
throughout the park. The machines
are manufactured by
Bigbelly, the global leader in
solar-powered compacting
garbage cans, and were purchased
by the Hunters Point
Parks Conservancy for use by
the New York City Parks Department.
On Thursday, Aug. 6, at 9:30
a.m, Hunters Point Conservancy
will be hosting a ceremonial
ribbon-cutting ceremony
in Hunters Point South Park
near the intersection of Center
Boulevard and Borden Avenue.
NYC Parks Commissioner
Mitchell Silver and Queens
Parks Commissioner Michael
Dockett will be present to help
unveil the new receptacles.
“The Conservancy is
thrilled that during these
challenging times we were
able to address a community
concern and provide a muchneeded
asset to Hunters Point
South Park,” HPPC President
Rob Basch said. “We particularly
want to thank our New
York City Parks employees for
their cooperation and efforts
to make the Bigbellies a success.
We will continue to look
for opportunities to further assist
our beautiful waterfront
parks.”
Each compactor unit can
hold five times as much garbage
as a standard trash can,
by using solar power to compact
the garbage inside. The
units are fully enclosed and
have a hands-free foot pedal,
which enables HPPC and NYC
Parks to reduce and eliminate
overflowing trash cans; prevent
windblown litter within
the park; provide patrons of
the park a cleaner environment;
prevent rodents and other
animals from consuming
the trash; reduce plastic bag
usage by five times and save
hundreds of bags each year;
and divert more labor hours to
other high-value tasks within
the park instead of trash collecting.
“Hunters Point South Park
is a heavily used green space
in Long Island City, and the installation
of new trash compactors
comes right in time for the
busy summer season,” NYC
Parks Commissioner Mitchell
Silver said. “We’re grateful to
the Hunters Point Parks Conservancy
for their continued
support and we remind all visitors
to pitch in to help keep this
waterfront gem litter-free.”
Seven new Bigbelly trash compactors have been installed in
Hunters Point South Park to alleviate a trash problem that plagued
LIC residents all summer. Courtesy of HPPC
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