Chelan to replace downtown waste bins with high-capacity Bigbelly cans

CHELAN — A downtown cleanup upgrade is on the way. The City of Chelan will soon replace 16 aging waste bins on and around Woodin Avenue with new Bigbelly trash cans, a high-capacity, solar-powered system widely used in busy commercial districts across the country.

The move follows a proposed donation from the Historic Downtown Chelan Association (HDCA), which plans to purchase the units and give them to the city for permanent use. The combined value of the donation is estimated at nearly $100,000, requiring formal acceptance through a council resolution in December.

Public Works Director Jake Youngren called the donation a “significant upgrade” that directly responds to peak-season challenges in the downtown core. During the summer months, existing bins often overflow before staff can empty them. The Bigbelly units include compacting mechanisms that increase waste capacity, along with remote monitoring that alerts staff when a can is nearly full.

“You can walk downtown at noon on a busy Saturday and see the problem,” Youngren said. “These bins dramatically increase capacity and let us be more efficient with pickup.”

The units are expected to be installed along Woodin Avenue and nearby corners, replacing the black cast-iron cans currently maintained by the city. According to Youngren, the cans should also reduce littering from wind and seagulls, which often pull waste from open-top bins.

Chelan’s version of the Bigbelly cans will include branding elements tied to the HDCA’s “Store Downtown” campaign, likely featuring local graphics rather than standard manufacturer artwork. Youngren noted that the city supports the creative approach, given the cans’ location among storefronts.

Council members praised the partnership as an example of local business support meeting an operational need. “It’s a win all around,” Mayor Erin McCardle said after the presentation, noting that the bins will be purchased privately but remain city-owned and city-maintained.

Once the council votes to accept the donation next month, HDCA will move ahead with procurement. Delivery typically takes 60 days, meaning residents may see the new cans installed sometime in early 2026 — just in time for spring’s first wave of visitors.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media