Underground Waste Collection Coming to Downtown Raleigh, N.C.

A new initiative coming to downtown Raleigh, N.C., aims to keep sidewalks clean and save space, time and money. Raleigh’s oldest streets were built without alleys, and the trash and recycling carts lining their sidewalks have long been an issue for pedestrians. According to the city, the containers smell, restrict access and were identified as the top concern in a 2018 downtown cleanliness survey.

Transportation began installing an underground waste collection system at the corner of Wilmington and Hargett streets on May 28. The pilot project includes six new, high-capacity containers from Molok North America to collect trash, mixed recycling and cardboard.

"It’s a simple concept using innovative technology. The bottom line is that we want to improve quality of life—and part of that is getting garbage carts off the sidewalks and away from neighbors and visitors enjoying downtown," said Solid Waste Services Director Stan Joseph in a statement.

Each of the new semi-underground Molok containers will hold the equivalent of approximately 20 carts, providing potential cost savings and reducing environmental impacts.

In the current system, city crews pick up the blue rolling carts twice a day, six days a week and once on Sundays. Businesses are required to pull the carts to the curb and back again, requiring significant staff time to manage the process twice each day, which impedes pedestrians for several hours.

"This should greatly reduce the overall amount of time our trucks spend on the street, a benefit for cars, pedestrians and our downtown crew’s safety," added Joseph.

Solid Waste Services will monitor fullness levels and handle collections, using a retrofitted knuckleboom truck with a hook serving as a cost-effective crane to manage the large containers. Check out the Molok collection system in action:

The City’s Sustainability Fund, created by the City Council to fund innovation and sustainability projects, provided funding to purchase the containers and modify the truck. The pilot project falls under the city’s “Strategic Plan Growth & Natural Resources” Objective 3 to optimize public infrastructure projects to address community resiliency, sustainability and efficiency.

"This is an exciting collaboration between several city departments as well as the community," said Sustainability Manager Megan Anderson in a statement. "The Sustainability Fund Committee is enthusiastic in its support of this innovative project."

A partnership between Raleigh Arts, Transportation and Molok North America created an opportunity to wrap the three recycling containers in artwork commissioned by three local artists: Autumn Cobeland, Lincoln Hancock and Jermaine Powell.

Any downtown business served by the city of Raleigh is encouraged to become a premier partner and join #DumptheCart by giving up their 95-gallon trash and recycling rolling carts for the June 2019–May 2020 pilot. Waste collection fees are not affected by pilot participation.