Pilfering seagulls have prompted the Galway Harbour Board to invest in new high-tech solar-powered litter bins that are plunder proof, and also compact the waste.
Over recent weeks, the Harbour Board have installed three of the compactor bins and are confident that the new system will pay for itself over the long term.
The bins do not come cheaply, at €4,000 per unit, but they have a far greater capacity than the conventional containers because of the automatic compacting device, powered by the solar panel.
Another feature of the bins is an auto text alert system – when the container is 80% filled, a text is issued and another when the bin has reached capacity.
Galway Harbour Master, Captain Brian Sheridan, told the Galway City Tribune that they planned over time to get in more of the ‘compactor bins’ because of their efficiency.
“With the conventional bins, we had constant problems with the gulls finding a way of getting material out through the side openings, but these new bins are also pedal operated to open up.”
For the rest of this story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune. Buy a digital edition of this week’s paper here, or download the app for Android or iPhone.
The post Solar-powered bins . . . to stop pilfering seagulls! appeared first on Connacht Tribune.