Dumpsters are a necessary evil in urban landscapes – necessary because these are crucial components in an effective trash disposal system and evil because of their unsightly appearance. And then there’s also the issues of space and security for these large trash receptacles. Space and Security Concerns Because of their large sizes, dumpsters can take up considerable space wherever these may be placed so much so that companies will designate certain areas for garbage disposal for this reason. The large amount of trash generated by organizations can result in more dumpsters and, hence, larger areas for their placement.

Dumpsters are also an attractive sight for various individuals. Divers will root through the trash to find edible food and usable items while robbers will simply want to steal the entire thing for themselves. Suffice it to say that dumpsters can be a safety and security concern for many organizations. Solar Energy Enclosed Dumpster System And then here comes SEEDS, which stands for Solar Energy Enclosed Dumpster System. It is an invention of Ray Salucio of EarthSure, a garbage company known for its innovative trash disposal systems. What does SEEDS actually bring to the table of safe, secure and effective garbage disposal? According to Salucio, the solar-powered dumpster enclosure has solar panels that generate energy for lights, video cameras and emergency phones, all of which are apparently necessary for security purposes. The surplus energy will then be sold back into the grid, thus, making it an income-earning dumpster as well. Essentially, SEEDS kills two birds with one stone – a more efficient use of space wherein garbage disposal and sustainable energy generation can be combined on one hand as well as a more effective method of securing both the dumpster and its contents. As Salucio will say it, the SEEDS is engineered for the 22nd century although it must be said that there are critics of the project. The main criticism: While solar panels can beautify the appearance of a dumpster, these are also just as hot targets for thieves as the container. The question then lies in the period wherein both can remain safe from thieving hands. Then again, any initiative that will take our society one step closer to more effective sustainable energy and more efficient garbage disposal is always a step in the right direction. Salucio and his team can always improve on the original design, as is expected among inventors. Perhaps in the 22nd century we will have sophisticated dumpsters that will make trash magically disappear. But since we still have garbage in the 21st century to deal with, making these ubiquitous trash receptacles into small power stations makes good sense.

SEEDS: Not the First It must be emphasized, furthermore, that SEEDS is not the first of its kind in terms of combining solar panels and dumpsters. Waste Management, for example, has developed a product known as the SmartEnergy Compactor with its solar panel-controlled compactor as well as its remote monitoring system for its contents (i.e., whether it is full or not). The company also has the Big Belly Solar, which are solar-powered waste bins. What does the future hold for solar-powered dumpsters? Well, from this angle, the future looks good because society certainly has to find innovative ways to harness the energy of the sun while also lessening its impact on the Earth – and the solar-powered dumpsters fit the bill.