Those sleek green boxes perched along Baltimore's Inner Harbor promenade are just as state-of-the-art as they look -- the latest in garbage technology.

They're called BigBelly Cordless Compactors. They use solar energy to compact the trash and their manufacturer claims they can store three to four times as much garbage as ordinary trash cans.

The Department of Public Works began installing 18 of the units around the harbor in February. They're replacing the molded concrete trash cans that have stood along the harbor for years.

The total price tag is more than 68-thousand dollars. But the city says the new compacters will save man-hours. The old cans had to be emptied 3 or 4 times a day, while the new ones only need to be emptied once.

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