Good Looking and Smart Too!!

We admired their look a couple weeks ago. Who knew?!?

From the Downtown DC BID:

“Waste receptacles equipped with sensors were installed this month in Chinatown and are being installed in Anacostia as part of a DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID), Anacostia Business Improvement District (ABID) and D.C. Government pilot to explore innovative waste management solutions in the District to influence maintenance programs across the country.

A total of 34 new, red Victor Stanley Relay™ Sensor and Service smart waste receptacles have been installed in the Chinatown neighborhood along several streets including H, 7th, 6th and I streets NW, in a pilot in partnership between the BID, the Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (MOAPIA), the Department of Housing and Community Development (DCHD) and with funding support from D.C.’s local soft drink companies and the American Beverage Association.

The Chinatown pilot cans are easily distinguishable. Each red can features brightly-colored Chinese-themed motifs on the lids and on a side plaque, which displays a Chinese dragon. Each can is outfitted with a smart sensor to monitor fill levels and send alerts when service is required.

The DowntownDC BID is simultaneously supporting a similar pilot in Anacostia where 53 waste bins with sensors are being installed.

“These innovative pilots harness key technology to create a smarter waste management system in DowntownDC that will directly lead to more efficient deployment of our ambassadors,” said Neil O. Albert, executive director of the DowntownDC BID. “More importantly, the Chinatown and Anacostia pilots will help inform the city’s larger smarter waste program, creating a model to be replicated across the nation.”

“The ABID is excited to partner with the DowntownDC BID to bring 21st Century waste management technologies to Ward 8. It is part of our continued efforts to revitalize our commercial corridors,” said Malcolm Williams, Director of Business Development and Marketing for ABID.

“My office is very excited to be part of an effort that promotes a clean and sustainable city through the use of smart city technology,” said David Do, Director of the Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs. “These new trash receptacles are equipped with sensors that will increase the efficiency of trash removal operations to help keep our streets clean for residents, businesses, and visitors. Their unique design will also accentuate and enhance the cultural identity of Chinatown.”

“We were pleased to use our local funding sources to help make this project possible,” said Polly Donaldson, Director of the DC Department of Housing and Community Development. “This demonstrates the creative ways we use the tools at our disposal to revitalize and beautify neighborhoods.”

Both the Anacostia and Chinatown pilots will share two-way data with the Department of Public Works (DPW) and the Office of the Chief Technology Officer, which are implementing a citywide pilot involving 400 cans covering a significant portion of one of DPW’s major routes. All activities are being reported as part of the “Sense, Report, Act, Refine” Global Cities Team Challenge project.”