Trash is getting smarter at bus stations around Duval County.
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority has installed new solar-powered waste and recycling stations at three area bus terminals: Rosa Parks Transit Station downtown, and the Regency and Gateway Transit Hubs.
The new trash cans are high tech. When they become full, the units compact the garbage automatically, creating more space. When they can hold no more, a signal goes out to maintenance staff so the trash can be picked up.
"The new units can hold five times as much waste as a typical trash can," said JTA public relations manager Leigh Ann Rassler.
Regular commuter Valerie Jenkins comes through the Rosa Parks station several times a week.
“It’s probably a good idea because it compacts everything," Jenkins said. "That way it’s already compressed and ready to go. And, you can get more in it than a regular trash can.”
The units are part of JTA’s sustainability strategy that includes converting 100 busses to run on compressed natural gas, a bike-sharing program, and other initiatives.
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