Councils Save Millions with Smart Rubbish Bins

How smart rubbish bins are helping UK councils save millions per year.

21:22 04 February 2018

Available technology has transformed the humble rubbish bin into an integral component in increasing recycle rates and shaping urban environments. Before trash bins were fitted with sensors that can detect when they are full, manual collections are carried out on a regular basis even when not needed. This costs local governments millions of dollars every year.

 

Using sensors, councils are able to maximise their resources by taking actions and making decisions based on the data they gather from sensors. This results in improved waste collection strategies and cleaner streets.

 

As the Local Government Association has said: ‘Local authorities need to plan their future direction on the basis of the best strategic fit between resources available to meet needs, expectations and prevailing conditions.’

 

Available technologies are also now being used in transforming bins into multi-faceted communications devices, monitoring vehicles and instruments to boost the sustainability credential of an area.

 

Case in point; Rugby Borough Council has replaced 56 traditional bins, which were collected up to three times per day. In only 12 months, smart bins were able to reduce manual waste collections from 51,100 per year to only 1,509 per year, delivering a saving of 49,591 collections.