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Sharjah’s smart bins to save garbage collection costs

The remarkable waste container monitoring initiative is created to optimise the collection of waste and recyclables.

New smart bins equipped with “intelligent” sensors are being introduced in Sharjah, which will save up to “20 per cent or more” in garbage collection costs, setting a new precedent in cutting-edge waste management solutions — the first of its kind in the region.

The revolutionary new smart bins demonstrate the innovative efforts of Bee’ah, the Middle East’s leading and award winning integrated environmental and waste management company, that launched the pioneering new smart bins designed with small battery-powered wireless sensors.

Khaled Al Huraimel, Bee’ah’s group CEO, said the new smart bins sensors offer a major leap forward for Sharjah’s environmental sector. “Their implementation is crucial and ... on par with our goals to deliver practical and sustainable solutions to future energy challenges here in Sharjah.”

He said the remarkable waste container monitoring initiative is created to optimise the collection of waste and recyclables. “These devices can adequately measure how full waste containers are in real time and immediately communicate this data to the server.”

This technological advancement, he said, will help to ensure that containers are collected only once full and therefore curb unnecessary clean-up. “Overfilled or half-empty containers are a major cause of poor equipment utilisation, which are common waste management issues because they generate hefty fees and cause environmental hazards at collection sites,” Al Huraimel said.

This new monitoring system can help encourage a smaller ecological footprint by guaranteeing fewer collection routes, decreasing carbon emissions and less traffic congestions.

He said these “intelligent sensors” are firmly attached and hidden out of sight under the container lids. “The inside of the container is measured and details are sent across the cellular network to Bee’ah’s cloud server for analysis and display. From there, a list of the containers that are full and ready to be collected is sent to Bee’ah drivers throughout the fleet management system. “The bins will be tagged so their locations can be easily identified ... the installed sensors ... (also) ... track the bins’ movements so that if they flip over or change positions, Bee’ah’s control room is immediately alerted. Information surrounding heat levels from inside the containers is also conveyed in case a fire breaks out,” Al Huraimel added.

Bee’ah has long been committed to investing in innovative environmental systems, tools and equipment in order to help solve critical issues related to waste management. It has focused heavily on treating waste and converting it into useful material, a strategy that further strengthens its commitment to achieving its zero waste to landfill vision.

Bee’ah’s objective for zero waste to landfill is in accordance with the vision of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.

Bee’ah’s dream is to make Sharjah the environmental capital of the Middle East and the first Arab city to divert 100 per cent of its waste from landfill.

lily@khaleejtimes.com