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Tackling the Challenge of Waste Management: How IoT Sensors Are Improving the Process of Trash Collection

Tackling the Challenge of Waste Management: How IoT Sensors Are Improving the Process of Trash Collection Image Credit: AAW/BigStockPhoto.com

This article is co-authored by Avi Ron, Chief Executive Officer at PSI Ecology.

Every year, humans produce a massive 2.12 billion tons of trash inclusive of electronics, plastics, chemicals, industrial liquids and gases, medical supplies and food and household waste, which alone accounts for an estimated 931 million tons. That’s according to the most recent report from the United Nations Environment Programme stating: “If food loss and waste were a country, it would be the third biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Food waste also burdens waste management systems, exacerbates food insecurity, making it a major contributor to the three planetary crises of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste.”

While waste management is an enormous challenge for every mega city across the globe, from Tokyo (37,274,000) to Mexico City (22,085,000) and Mumbai (20,961,000) to Chicago (8,901,000), it’s equally challenging for smaller cities, as high volumes of waste not only present problems in collecting it but also in handling the waste itself. If managed improperly, garbage can accelerate the spread of disease and pollute air and water through run-off.

Consider the city of Jerusalem, which has a population just under one million at approximately 944, 188. In addition to changing behaviors in consumption over the decades, the absence of policy or poor enforcement on trash collection, as well as a general lack of awareness of the phenomenon among the general public has resulted in a growing trash problem that has affected some of the country’s most iconic places—including the shores of the Sea of Galilee and Jerusalem’s Old City. This phenomenon, however, is nothing new. In 2016, archaeologists unearthed a 2000-year-old landfill on the eastern slopes of Jerusalem’s Southeastern Hill known as the City of David. The discovery brings both good and bad news: Waste is an age-old conundrum, but many believe the discovery of the landfill could have been the result of one of the most sophisticated trash collection systems in antiquity.  

Fast forward to 2020, when the slogan “Keeping Jerusalem Clean” began to appear on everything from municipal vehicles to billboards, buses and bus stops. The campaign, which continues today, was launched to not only inspire people to be mindful but also educate them about the problem and what they can do to contribute to a more beautiful Jerusalem in the present, as well as the future. In addition to ramping up the number of street cleaners from 180 in 2019 to more than 500 in 2020, the city is gradually phasing out traditional above-ground trash collection containers and replacing them with underground bins to improve aesthetics among other things.

Established in 2000, an innovative IoT waste monitoring and management company brought the first underground waste bin to Israel. Importing its flagship container from Finland, the organization eventually began to manufacture containers in Israel while introducing new innovation, the Databin. The Databin is a smart IoT monitoring solution that optimizes waste collection by analyzing disposal rate patterns and providing real-time notifications regarding bin levels and more.Smart wireless sensors are placed inside the container to collect valuable data such as bin capacity, temperature and humidity, as well as battery life of sensors. All data can be analyzed on the Databin dashboard system to help optimize daily operations. Most important, Databin sends real-time alerts to drivers regarding optimal waste collection times based on container levels. These alerts ensure that only the bins that need to be emptied are emptied, resulting in a clean city with no complaints from residents. In addition to the alerts, the system automatically produces optimal evacuation routes for drivers and the city. This saves 30-50% of the cost of municipal garbage removal. With intelligent routing and collecting, Databin is helping its customers reduce mileage, save money and prevent environmental hazards associated with trash buildup.

At the heart of Databin, it’s wireless connectivity that allows the company to monitor and manage its IoT deployment. This is achieved through a single intuitive, user-friendly web-based dashboard that interfaces with real-time views and drill-down features that provide a wide range of cost-saving benefits. Today, end-to-end communication is enabling Databin customers to manage every aspect of their waste collection life cycle. Through KPI’s, customers are able to view and control their daily activities with zero maintenance. At the same time, Databin contributes to Jerusalem’s goal to keep the city clean and serve as a pilot for other cities facing the challenging of waste management.

Other companies are finding similar success. A textile waste collection company and eco-charity in the Slovak Republic annually collects and redistributes approx. 3000 tons of textile waste including clothing, shoes, household linens and toys via approximately 800 containers within a 16000 km area. In a pilot project, the company installed sensors in January 2021 and has since realized a 20% reduction in waste collection costs, which for a charity is a tremendous saving that can be reinvested in programs.

Traditional waste pickup is still the mainstay in cities across the globe. Even in some of the most advanced countries, trash collection has not changed in 50 years. Drivers still collect trash on a fixed day of the week. This has numerous drawbacks, one of which is container overflow. Fortunately, this is likely to change sooner than later. According to Technavio, a leading global technology research and advisory company, the smart waste management market is expected to grow by $2.26 billion from 2020 to 2025, with growth momentum expected to accelerate at a CAGR of 9%. Increasing industrial waste is among the key drivers. Barriers and challenges to adoption include the ineffective deployment of sensors, which can lead to erroneous collection information that is sent to truck drivers. That’s why choosing the right technology partner is essential.

As more companies turn to IoT solutions to tackle some of the planet’s more pressing concerns, experience and proof of concept is essential. As more companies deploying smart sensors report on success in improving waste management, we can expect to see this trend widespread over time. Until then, government policies, community awareness and a desire to keep the planet beautiful may provide the momentum needed to make smart waste management part of every municipality’s health and safety strategy.

Author

Omer Raviv is an EMEA Senior IoT Specialist at Telit. Prior to joining Telit in 2014, Omer has assumed the role of project manager and engineer at a variety of companies, such as Motorola, Bynet Eletronics and Gilat Telecom.

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