Intelligent Bins
posted in Articles |A global world leader in waste containment - Plastic Omnium - believes technology is the key to raising recycling rates. head of marketing of Northern Europe, Simon Dutta explains why.
The future of world residential municipal solid waste (MSW) is changing.
Globally, environmental pressures are mounting and especially on those 166 countries who signed-up to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The international treaty assigns mandatory targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to signatory nations.
Householders are directly responsible for significant climate change as municipal waste in landfill contributes to greenhouse gas emissions as well as being the least sustainable method of waste disposal.
America produces 236 million tons of MSW per annum of which only 55 million tonnes (23.4% .) is recycled. Since 2001, the Bush administration has withdrawn the US allegiance to Kyoto. In its place, George Bush outlined a controversial alternative plan for the reduction of US emissions.
Waste reduction and recycling is very much on the agenda at the moment as this November (2006) saw MEPs meeting in Brussels to halt the growth in waste production in Europe which produces over a billion tonnes of waste each year. Among the decisions made, the committee supported a five-stage waste hierarchy and called for the European Commission to put forward waste reduction measures to halt the growth of waste by 2012.
Technology will help reduce landfilling in Britain to 75% of the 1995 levels by 2010 (as set out by the Landfill Directive which was adopted by the European Union in 1999). The Netherlands has the highest record with 65% of residential waste being recycled or composted and just 3% going to landfill with the rest being incinerated.
Most countries understand the need to boost recycling figures. The UK’s fast running out of landfill space. The average household recycles 27% and is on target to lift to 30% by 2010 according to Defra which also wants to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste going to landfill.
Even in America - where there seems to be limitless space for landfill - there’s recognition of the need to recycle as there’s a finite pool of global raw materials.
Something needs to be done
Technology is the key to increasing recycling rates, effectively.
‘Intelligent bins’ are leading the way forward. What seems like an idea worthy of a sci-fi novel, intelligent bins are an important technological advance which is already increasing global residential waste recycling rates.
Technological measures to boost recycling
But how will technology really boost household recycling rates?
The central concepts of RFID tags, identification and weighing and ‘intelligent’ bins are the main advancements in residential waste management. These concepts are already well-accepted in Europe and working well.
Intelligent bins work on several levels.
They can be wheeled bins with embedded microchips so that when they are scanned by the waste collection vehicle, they ‘marry’ the bin to its household. The vehicle is also fitted with technology which weighs the contents of the bin and again tallies that to the household. The data is recorded on an onboard computer to see how much each household is generating.
A Radio Frequency Identification or RFID tag or microchip is an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving information using radio waves. These smart tags specifically use wireless technology, such as wi-fi, RFID, Global Positioning System and GPRS (General Packet Radio Service).
The beauty of these tags is that they allow not only identification of the bin itself but also specific confirmation of the recycling figures particular to each household. Using wireless technology also gives operators the ability to track the movement of that bin.
Europe leads on the ID and weighing front
In many European countries, for example Switzerland, variable charging is very much in place, green issues are high on the agenda and consequently recycling rates are high.
The average Swiss refuses to throw away glass and paper. Why would they when bottle banks are located in every supermarket and every town has a free paper collection once a month? Aluminum and tin can be taken to local depots, batteries handed over at the supermarket and old oil or other chemicals deposited at special sites.
The incentive to recycle lies in the cost for throwing away rubbish. It soon adds up especially when faced with a charge per bag of at least €1 (67 pence). €1 buys a special sticker to be fixed to a bag.
No sticker, no rubbish collection and the bag is left outside your house to rot.
Similarly, in Rome householders who do not separate their rubbish, can be fined up to €619 if they have a recycling bin within 500 metres of their front door. Whilst in Denmark, often seen as the ‘greenest’ country, Government figures for 2003 suggest that 31% of all household waste was recycled, while 62% was incinerated and only the remaining 6% becoming landfill waste.
It seems that by introducing variable charging, operators automatically increase recycling rates but would that work in any country?
Plastic Omnium’s Ecosourcing identification and weighing system gives the operator the power it needs to change behaviours as well as the basis for a charging structure. The system’s proved itself across Europe (see Sictom case study).
Part of this system is doorstepping which uses a PDA or handheld computer to collect household data from face-to-face interviews so that local authorities are accurately aware of their residents’ recycling habits.
Once again technology aids the recycling process. A recycling team can reach a multitude of householders and easily record their recycling habits using a practical, time-efficient and succinct system.
The results provide insight into the gap between how much householders believe they’re recycling and their actual outputs. Where a gap is identified, integrated communications campaigns serve to more deeply engage householders and change their habits. Those communications can be sent just as easily on paper or SMS text message.
Ecosourcing also provides for blacklisting non-payers and improving collection efficiencies.
The Ecosourcing cradle-to-grave solution tracks and manages waste containment, billing, reporting and customer communication. The real beauty of the system is that it provides local authorities and waste management companies with detailed reports on their customers.
That information can be used to reduce costs, improve overall efficiency and increase the service experience for the customer. For example, collections are stamped for date, time and location as well as determining missed lifts to prevent customer disputes.
Management reports validate ‘white’ lists, optimise pricing, improve times between lifts for the round and allow highly sophisticated, communication campaigns to improve recycling targets.
Intelligent bins can communicate in other ways.
The talking bin
Plastic Omnium has developed a so-called ‘talking bin’, called Opti’System that informs the local authority of its waste levels.
This 007 technology sees each bring-bank fitted with ultrasound sensors and remote messaging systems which send an SMS text to a local authority database when nearing full.
Each message updates a local authority database and allows for constant monitoring as well as savings on manpower and fuel. A [GPS] traffic light system - red, amber and green – grades and informs the office of collection urgency.
This awareness system will see the end of overflowing bring-banks in car parks and contribute to the smooth running of the recycling initiative.
Opti’System is currently being trialled by Perth & Kinross Council in a bid to reduce costs, time and lift recycling figures. They estimate that a waste collection vehicle costs £10.00 per mile - including fuel, labour and depreciation. Intelligent bins will undoubtedly help reduce these outgoings, as well as lessening environmental damage by running a targeted collection only when needed.
The key implications of this technology
We all need and want to see an international push to raise recycling rates.
RFID technology is going some way to achieve this by gathering useful recycling information that can reduce landfill, stopping so-called ‘fly-tipping’, streamlining the management of refuse, providing data to support grants for recycling initiatives and thereby encouraging recycling.
Although the positive implications outweigh the negative ones, operators should bear in mind that, like all technology, RFID can breakdown and fail. For example an SMS text message could get lost in transmission or a full bring-bank could remain uncollected or broken for weeks.
It’s the intelligent application of technology that makes the biggest difference.
Looking towards a greener future
With some parts of mainland Europe, particularly Germany and Switzerland recycling 50-60% of their waste and the UK currently at 27%, we are left to question their superior performance.
In countries like Switzerland, Denmark and the Netherlands, it appears that ID and weighing systems happily sit well with government recycling initiatives and seem to work effectively at lifting recycling figures. But are other countries - such as Britain - ready for this change?
If we are to protect the future of our planet, we all need to measure up to the benchmark set by Denmark and the Netherlands - some of the world’s ‘greenest’ countries. We must also adhere to our Kyoto promises.
I believe it doesn’t matter how we go about achieving a greener future. Whether it’s by political pledges or local authority means, our focus must remain on ensuring rates rise.
For example America may have failed to sign-up to the Kyoto agreement under the Bush administration but in Philadelphia they are using a new incentive scheme that works well for them and could work well for countries considering the pay-per-throw system eg Britain.
Cascade Engineering in America has successfully piloted an RFID system using free vouchers as a reward and fines for poor recycling. Could this be the future of successful recycling rates? (Please refer to the Cascade case study.)
To pave the way forward we will eventually need to change our recycling habits and come into line with the majority of high European recycling statistics.
Whether we use ‘intelligent bins’ in tandem with carrot-and-stick schemes or just pay-per-throw penalties, only time will tell.
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Editors’ notes:
NowRecycle.co.uk is a trading style of Plastic Omnium Systems Ltd - a European market leader in waste containment solutions that provides a wide range of waste containers and services including wheeled bins, litter bins, banks, composters and sacks. It is part of the International Plastic Omnium Group, a world leader in contract waste container solutions with worldwide sales of more than £1.8 billion. It employs over 9,000 people in 25 countries, across four continents, in manufacturing and service solutions for the automotive, environment and performance plastic products.
Press Contact: Simon Dutta, N European Marketing Director, Plastic Omnium Urban Systems Ltd
Telephone: 01952 582 583