Everyone knows that solar electricity can power calculators, road signs and light bulbs, but how about common, everyday trash cans? Well believe it or not, a novel solar-powered trash receptacle called “Big Belly” has now been developed that uses power generated from the sun to compact trash extremely efficiently, so much so that it can hold five times as much garbage as a typical roadside waste basket. By storing so much garbage it reduces the number of trips needed for collection, and this in turn reduces both vehicle emissions and saves on fuel. Since the cost for each Big Belly is a whopping $4,000, don’t expect to see one anytime soon, unless of course you happen to be tossing something out in an upscale neighborhood or major league ball park!