Can Smart Metering For Waste Management Lower Carbon Footprints?

 An  ID card fitted with RFID is needed to access bins while it
identifies and relays information collected by sensors wirelessly.

The use of technology in upgrading the functionality of waste management programs is used to help deal with waste accumulation associated with population growth and encourage recycling. In the Netherlands 25 local councils have connected 6,000 communal residential bins with Vodafone M2M (machine-to-machine). An ID card is needed to access the bin and the quantity of waste is calculated and added to the customer's bill, but the recycling bin is free. The M2M SIM remotely signals when bins need emptying by alerting refuse collectors only when they are full. Fewer journeys, less fuel, and in some cases less need for trucks, by refuse collectors have helped councils lower their carbon footprints. The sustainability consultancy ERM has found that the City of Groningen had reduced its CO2 emissions of its refuse fleet by 18% and reduced collection costs by €92,000. This is a good example of using technology to reduce carbon emissions and save money by only delivering services when required.

Implementation of RFID bins are becoming more widespread and garnering considerable attention. South Korea plans on using smart bins to calculate the amount of fines from transmitted data about (still edible) waste given as a penalty. In the U.S.A, officials in Cleveland plan to use smart bins as a recyclable material counter to check if citizens are throwing away at least 10% of recyclable materials. Regularly-timed checks indicate if less than the 10% target will result in a $100 fine. Philadelphia are using smart metering as a recyclable material counter but credits citizens for the amount of recyclable materials as a reward scheme.

There are possible down-sides with the smart bin trend in waste management. Groningen council has had to overcome problems dealing with locals stealing bins from each other and in removing the unofficial bins that have multiplied across the city. However, the chipped bins have meant the removal of 3,500 containers from circulation, and have billed 640 houses for additional containers that were used illegally. This has proven to be a good reason to tag and lock bins, but what would stop people from dumping rubbish next to the bin or elsewhere? Non-recyclable rubbished tipped into the recycling containers will lead to higher processing costs. Furthermore, there appears to be inadequate information on the up front capital costs for such investment schemes. What happens when technology changes, will this mean more costs to the citizen? It is clear there are savings for councils, but are these savings passed on to residents? It is also unclear whether the concept will work for some cities and acceptance for new technology will be a challenge for some councils, especially when its resulting data collection may be perceived to be an invasion of personal privacy and freedom by some individuals.

The main driver for smart metering initiatives in waste management is to prioritise recycling by promoting separation and to only charge for the true waste. Smart bins will also hold people accountable for individual waste management, and it engages everyone. It will also make people more aware of the processes involved in product manufacturing that contribute to the waste stream. People will then become mindful of their purchases and its packaging which will further encourage manufacturers to reduce materials for packaging. The most appealing component of smart initiatives for councils is that it makes waste management easier to monitor and control waste accumulation. It also appears to be a solution to society's apparent apathy to manually manage waste. Depending on what and how the technology is used and implemented will influence public acceptance. For the idea to work it involves transparent and open communication between residents and local councils. As the population grows smart metering seems almost inevitable as the problem of waste becomes to large to manage and only time will tell how well effective smart metering schemes work in waste reduction and lowering carbon footprints.