New Rotating Garbage Trucks Will Keep on Tossing Your Trash

NEW ROTATING GARBAGE TRUCKS WILL KEEP ON TOSSING YOUR TRASH Behold the new German-made Rotopress collection trailers, now making their North American debut — in Houston. Local refuse braintrust Waste Management is introducing the new vehicles in a pilot program here, before rolling them out to 4 other U.S. cities. The natural-gas powered tumblers hold 40 percent more waste than conventional collection trucks, are quieter, have fewer moving parts, and separate from their truck cabs, which the company can switch out and upgrade independently. The rotating drum helps distribute the load more evenly on the trailer, and mixes wet and dry materials, which the company tactfully says “reduces the amount of free liquid in the system.” That should result in fewer leaks and a less pronounced rotting-garbage smell. [GreenBiz] Video: Waste Management

9 Comment

  • That is both disgusting and super cool.

  • I’m still waiting on my green recycling can. Anybody have any idea when they are going to finish rolling them out in the Heights?

  • I’m still waiting on my green can too. Parts of my neighborhood have them, but not my street. 77009

  • It seems part of the efficiency of natural gas powered trash trucks would be the work required to spin the trash around like a cement truck? Or am I missing something?

  • Pretty fascinating stuff!

  • As someone who works for a natural gas E&P, I am totally in favor of these trucks!

  • I have the big green can, but the other side of my street doesn’t. I did hear that there was no immediate answer to when they will finish the Streamlined Recycling program.

  • Whoa, which neighborhoods are they in? My toddlers are obsessed with Youtube videos of garbage trucks, and this is my chance to debut a million-viewer!

    For the record, the best garbage truck videos come from Australia. No surprise there, as Australia leads the world in all of the important technologies: garbage trucks, swimwear, landscape architecture, and family sedans with more than 500 horsepower.

    The Sydney suburbs are just like Katy, except that everyone drives on the left and the postman can ride over your lawn on his motorcycle.

  • @Patrick

    That’s Waste Management, a private waste company – not the CoH solid waste division. WM picks up commercial dumpsters, amongst other things. You likely won’t see them in your neighborhood unless you live next to a business.

  • I’m prepared to buy a family dumpster if that’s what it takes to get the video.