New solar-powered trash cans arrive in Philadelphia's Olney section

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia is taking new steps to reduce litter in the city.

On Friday, city officials unveiled 20 new "Big Belly" trash bins in Olney - and they aren't your average trash cans.

These are high-tech trash cans and are highly efficient. City leaders were excited to cut the ribbon.

They were installed along the 5th Street corridor. The solar-powered bins will line the streets from 5th Street through the boulevard.

Philadelphia's streets commissioner says the units can hold up to five times the normal amount of trash and will prevent overflow and spillage.

"When they fill up to a certain level, it pushes down and the trash does not overflow into the streets creating litter conditions, so we are excited that we continue making these investments in the city of Philadelphia," said Streets Commissioner Carlton Williams.

City leaders say this is all in an effort to revitalize the 5th Street business corridor and attract more foot traffic to the more than 200 businesses that operate out of Olney.

There's another cool feature to these big bellies: the units will actually notify the streets department when they're at capacity.