Member Article

Will Hull’s New ‘Smart Bins’ make Overflowing Litter a Thing of the Past?

A partnership between Hull City Council and home-grown technology firm Connexin will see smart bins introduced across the city in a groundbreaking pilot project to improve waste collection.

Sensors installed inside the bins will be responsible for gathering data in real time, turning every bin into an intelligent ‘smart bin’.

The new smart bins will monitor waste levels so the Council’s street cleansing teams can see when they need emptying. The sensors can also detect a sudden motion or shaking, which automatically triggers vandalism alerts, as well as sudden spikes in bin temperature, which trigger fire detection warnings.

Up to now waste collection teams have had to target each and every bin without knowing if they are full or empty. The new smart bins will communicate information on fill levels to help understand the optimal times for waste collections and can recommend time-effective collection routes.

If the pilot project is successful, it will help ensure Hull’s bins are emptied more efficiently, resulting in bins being emptied before they overflow and fewer unnecessary collection vehicle journeys. This will reduce congestion on the roads, cutting CO2 emissions, while having fewer instances of unsafe and unsightly overflowing bins. It will also help the Council advise on the local placement of litter bins.

Furqan Alamgir, Connexin CEO says,

*“As a local company we are really proud to be working with Hull City Council in deploying the next generation of smart infrastructure.

This technology will enable teams on the ground to make more informed choices by emptying bins based on fill level, traffic conditions and much more, reducing unnecessary travel time related to waste collection around the city, in turn saving time, fuel and CO2 emissions.

I believe that these smart and connected bins will become a great example of technology making a real improvement to the quality of living for residents through active management of services.“*

Councillor Anita Harrison, portfolio holder for Streetscene at Hull City Council, says,

*“Tackling waste issues is a top priority for Hull City Council, and we are always keen to explore ways in which we can make our services much more effective.

Smart City technologies are just one way in which we can provide an improved service for our city, and achieve our aim to create a litter-free environment that residents are proud to live in.

The council sees Smart City technologies as key components of its strategic corporate plan, as well as a major contributor to the City Plan, and we are delighted that Hull will be recognised as a leading smart city in the UK.“**

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Connexin .