It's a garbage can that only a mother could love.
Long Beach officials are bursting with pride over the city's first solar garbage can.
The unveiling -- set for 11 a.m. Wednesday at 245 Pine Ave. -- will mark the installation of the first of three solar trash cans in Long Beach for a pilot period of six months.
These solar trash bins harness the power of the sun in an effort aimed at slashing waste, costs and greenhouse gases.
The containers have the same blueprint as regular trash cans but can compact about 150 gallons of trash and compact the material into a 32-gallon bin, squeezing the trash into just 20 percent of its normal volume and operating entirely on solar energy.
This could translate into savings as trash collections are expected to be reduced, according to city officials.
The solar trash bins are being tested in three Long Beach locations, in partnership with the Business Improvement Districts, to test the success of the solar technology.
The bins will be placed in high traffic areas, highlighting another green project in the city.
Joe Segura, a mild-mannered reporter for a major metropolitan newspaper, has covered Gotham City, er Long Beach, for 34 years. During his very, very long -- endless -- tenure, he's covered almost every beat, and he was the main writer for BeachWeek, which focused on life and lifestyles of the shoreline communities from downtown Long Beach to the Huntington Beach pier.
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