Some cities across the country, including Manchester, Connecticut, and Plainfield, Illinois, are turning to solar power to cut down on littering. Solar powered trash compactors are popping up in effort to keep communities clean and sustainable.

In Plainfield, fully enclosed bins are the same size as a traditional 35-gallon receptacles, but because of the solar powered compactor, they can hold five times more garbage. The effects of this technology's high-level of sustainability can be felt through many areas. Collectors will not need to pick up trash as often as before, and the technology will immediately alert an agency when the bin is full.

While cities need to understand the investment of purchasing the resource, they should also understand that the fewer trips needed from trash collectors are expected to cut down on costs from the city over time.

"There's significant upfront capital costs, but over the long run you do expect to reach a point where you do break even," Environmental Services Manager in Manchester, Brooks Parker said. "There is pros and cons to both traditional barrels and these new ones."