SMART street garbage bins like these will soon all have electronic sensors to help with the litter discarding experience.
New hi-tech smart garbage cans are now being rolled out on our streets.
The City is working on a plan to install electronic sensors on street garbage containers so workers can detect their fullness, where the bins are located or if near capacity.
This way collection of the garbage and staff can be scheduled and studies show the system saves on the cost of manpower and fuel.
A pilot project is now underway to test the smart sensor device on 250 litter bins across the City.
One of the models of the electronic signal transmitting garbage bins out there now.
“The objectives of this pilot are to provide data, provide timely service, and optimize routes,” according to a City report.
The City said more staff will be hired to inspect litter bins, gather data and report overflowing and maintenance issues for a period of six months.
The new hires will be used to ‘define trends and recommendations for optimal collection frequency for each litter bin in Toronto.’
The City’s litter operations operate 20 hours a day, seven days a week. There are more than 50,000 collections of bins weekly and more than 99.9 per cent of them are done proactively. Most street litter bins are collected at night for safety and efficiency.
These are one type of the SMART electronic garbage bins in use in Japanese cities.
U.S. studies show the smart bin can relay to staff when and where to pick up cans, optimizing their routes based on demand. This is critical as government cuts funding and ask staff to do more with less, and with labor in short supply.
The smart bins alert sanitation teams to overflowing cans, but it also lets them keep tabs on trash receptacles. Location-tracking shows whether a can has been moved or stolen, allowing for reclamation or replacement of the missing bin.
Earlier this year new better-functioning easier-to-use bins were rolled out in Toronto to help improve the litter-ridding experience.