Takaaki Iwabu - tiwabu@newsobserver.com
A solar trash compactor is one stop on the "Sustainability Walking Tour" of downtown Raleigh. Donna-maria Harris, left, communication coordinator with the Office of Sustainability, led a group including Catherine Clark, right, on Wednesday.
RALEIGH -- Over the past few years, the city's Office of Sustainability has worked to improve energy efficiency and environmental awareness in Raleigh.
Now the city wants to show off what it has done through a walking tour that showcases 24 environmental initiatives downtown.
The 2.2-mile self-guided tour is intended to be done during a lunch break, meaning it can be completed within an hour. The Office of Sustainability hopes to make the tour available through downtown Segway and rickshaw operators in the near future.
The city kicked off the tour Wednesday with a guided version for a mix of city employees and interested Raleigh residents.
Among the first stops is a "Big Belly Solar Trash Compactor," on the corner of Salisbury and West Lenoir streets, a block from the Raleigh Convention Center. The bins use solar panels to power a motor that automatically compacts the contents when needed, so crews don't have to pick up the trash as frequently. An electronic chip installed in the bin emails a trash collector when it becomes full, saving both vehicle emissions and staff time.
These solar trash compactors are among only 1,300 in the world; the city plans to roll out double units that also allow for recycling on Glenwood South.
Interspersed with the sustainable sites are historic ones, such as Shaw University, the first historically black college in the South. The Office of Sustainability wants to encourage the public to see downtown Raleigh as a cultural hub.
"This is about a livable, sustainable community, as well as a financially sound and vibrant community," said Paula Thomas, the city's sustainable initiatives manager.
Other highlights of the tour include: the hybrid bus route that circles downtown Raleigh; solar-powered electric vehicle charging stations; the water-efficient Wake County Justice Center, which uses recycled storm water for irrigation, and the wind-powered Cree Shimmer Wall, among others.
