Bikes vs. Bins

A group of fifth-graders at Rutherford Elementary in Stillwater, Minn. had a problem. Reliant on bikes or walking to get to school, the kids were forced to navigate a maze of trash bins on collection days. Cars weaving through bins in the road made things even more unsafe.

Dubbing themselves the Twizbots, the kids sought solutions. They first investigated Envac, an elaborate underground piping system that uses a high-pressure vacuum to move trash around. Despite successful deployments at Walt Disney World and in Montreal, the Twizbots realized such an expensive project was not feasible for their neighborhoods.

As an alternative, the Twizbots worked with Waste Management and members of the city council to more accurately define the term “curbside,” ensuring that bins would be constrained to the curb and not allowed in the street. They followed up by distributing leaflets to residents explaining the updated ordinance. The city council, previously unaware of then Envac system, said they might even consider it for some upcoming park construction projects.

Quick! Someone send the Twizbots to Congress.

Source: The St. Paul Pioneer Press