City of Soldotna employees are going to be receiving texts from trash soon.

To cut the amount of time city employees spend collecting trash from parks and recreation facilities, the city has purchased solar-powered trash bins.

So far one BigBelly Solar trash compactor bin has been set up outside the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex.

The other nine solar bins, which are also bear proof, will be dispersed throughout the city’s parks next summer.

The trash cans have a solar panel on top of the bin that powers the internal compactor to squish down garbage. The trash cans text city employees when they are full and need to be emptied.

Parks and Recreation Director Andrew Carmichael said the BigBelly Solar bins will free up seasonal employees so they have more time to work on other tasks.

The Soldotna City Council unanimously adopted a resolution at its July 24 meeting to execute a contract for $45,000 with WAXIE Sanitary Supply Corporation to purchase the ten solar-powered trash bins. Carmichael said the ten bins will give the city an idea of how well they work, and from there the city can consider whether to purchase additional bins.