Smart Waste Management
Introduction
With the exponential increase in the global human population over the course of the last fifty years, the creation of municipal waste has multi-folded, resulting in unaccounted and scattered trash. As Internet-of-Things (IoT) has revolutionized every aspect of human life, the whole process of how waste used to be collected has also been transformed via Smart Waste Management. Laying the foundations on the sensors and network connectivity, Smart Waste Management has the capability to optimize the waste collection while ensuring enhanced visibility for all the relevant stakeholders.
How Does Smart Waste Management Work ?
In comparison to the traditional waste collection mechanisms, smart waste management is characterized by the use of technology to bring efficiency into the whole process. The technical framework of Smart Waste Management consists of two components: micro-sensor chips and a central server. Micro-sensor chips are placed in the bins to record crucial information like trash levels, displacement, busy hours in which maximum trash is filled up. The central server stores all the relevant information from the garbage bins and automates subsequent actions; for example, when a bin is filled up, the system will automatically place it on the pick-up route. Coupled with intelligent monitoring systems, the central server can be complemented via a graphical user interface to ensure visibility for all the users to make any changes, if necessary. Certainly, IoT solutions tailored for solid waste management can offer real-time information to the municipal authorities for data intelligence and deducing critical insights for operational efficiency and effectiveness.
Benefits of Smart Waste Management
Smart Waste Management offers a host of benefits, as far as refuse collection and disposal is concerned. Owing to the use of micro-sensors that can gauge the level of trash inside the garbage, the collection route can be optimized to collect the bins which are filled and leave alone the ones with the unused capacity. It’ll not only reduce the fuel costs for the authorities but also will have minimal impact on the environment with reference to CO2 emissions. Additionally, it will reduce the need for HR which can surely be utilized in some other domain. It guarantees no missed pickups as the route is optimized, resulting in no scattered litter around the waste bins and on the streets. GPS tracking enabled sensors can offer insights if the position of any bin has been altered or not. Similarly, temperature sensors can also be installed in the refuse bins to provide an instant alarm in case of some fire break out due to any factor; it enables a quicker response from the authorities. Moreover, with the rapid advancements in the field of technology, the cost of deploying the smart waste management architecture is decreasing, thus making it more feasible for the metropolitan authorities to implement it. Smart Waste Management is one of the key components for futuristic smart cities; it records the historical patterns of refuse collection and dumping, thus offering policy guidelines to the relevant stakeholders for achieving operational excellence.
Use Case – AcoRecycling Smart Waste Management Solutions
Aco Recycling, a Turkey-based enterprise specializing in high-tech solutions for the environment, offers innovative and game-changing products in the domains of waste management and recycling. Its product line includes OnSense Smart Waste Management and OnTag Active Reader RFID. The former solution is based upon the ultrasonic level sensor, internal battery, and wireless communication technology to transfer the data about when and where a specific waste bin got empties. The latter solution consists of RFID-based motion sensors, where records the exact time and place of emptying a particular garbage bin, and thus subsequent tracking can be ensured for the waste-collector truck.
Conclusion
Sustainable development is considered to be the pivotal element for the survival of the human race, given the situation of consumption patterns, global warming, and climate change; smart waste management can enable sustainable living for the masses by use of technology and can transform many aspects of human life. All in all, smart waste management is a very useful value addition in the urban and suburban living premises, which complements the whole waste management supply chain to deliver optimal results.