Cleaner Ecosystem with Smart Waste Management

Waste collection has always been a necessary service for mankind. However, as cities grow bigger and metropolitans grow skywards, traditional modes of waste management will, if they already aren’t, fail to keep up with population growth. The most logical way to overcome this problem is through the implementation of smarter and more efficient waste management systems to tackle the growing waste problem.

The current modus operandi of the waste management system employed by municipal waste collection operations prioritizesemptying containers based on schedules. It is an inefficient use of the resources that a city has and forces unnecessary expenditure of fuel, e.g., in cases where they are emptying only half-filled waste bins.

Smart waste management systems can provide better operational analytics, predict amount of waste, and optimal usage of routes to improve the overall efficiency of waste management. As a result, they will ensure a cleaner ecosystem at reduced costs. City leaders are becoming more aware of the advantages of integrating new technologies into the infrastructures that help maintain the city and the fact that IoT is going to be at the core of it all, bringing about all of these changes in a quicker manner.

Intelligent waste monitoring systems that involve a network of intelligent sensors allow real-time communication between targeted waste collection areas with a municipality’s operational branches responsible for waste collection will enable faster and more efficient disposal of waste. Furthermore, it will create a more efficient route for the fleet in order to improve the efficiency with which the fuel is expended based on the need in real time rather than on a schedule.

Real Life Examples of Smart Waste Management at Work

Numerous cities across the globe have taken the lead when it comes to setting an example for others in waste management. Real life examples of this change include:

Toronto

Just last year Toronto approved a comprehensive waste management strategy that is expected to span over a long period of 50 years maximum. The whole strategy includes zero waste components and circular economy.

The plan includes a comprehensive way to manage all forms of solid waste. The city planners in Toronto developed a strategy to leverage the services of nonprofit services that are already managing or are part of such services. The plan also accommodates for food waste collection in the coming 3 to 4 decades.

Seattle

The most recent waste management plan in the city of Seattle was approved in 2013. The plan will be improved over every 5 years to make it even more comprehensive and updated to recent technology. Commercial entities operating in the city can manage their waste the way they want to. However, all of the other sectors are required to comply with a control requirement, which puts forward the strategy that all waste generated across the city will be handled by the city’s system.

The usage of IoT integrated waste management solutions is not something, which is commonplace right now due to lack of awareness about its utility. Given that it is a technological advancement still in its nascent stages, it nonetheless has immense potential for helping to clean up the ecosystem in a cost-effective manner.