Bigbelly supporting integration of smart technology to enhance beautification, community efficiency and sustainability
Chroma Craft Media Group / Alamy Stock Photo
As featured in Waste360: Smart Cities & Companies Leading the Sustainable Technology Movement
March 27, 2024 / By Gage Edwards
Sustainability
Everything around us is getting ‘smart.’ Smart devices have invaded our homes, we carry them with us wherever we go, they’re changing the ways we live and work, and are shaping our communities and the areas we live. Everything is becoming so simple for us because smart technology is starting to handle most of our dirty work. In recent years, the concept of ‘smart cities’ has gained traction worldwide as cities are turning to many different types of technology to address urban challenges and improve sustainability.
Across the United States, smart city initiatives drive innovations in waste management, transportation, composting, energy efficiency, and more. These cities are taking advantage of budding technology and new software in the waste industry to address waste reduction and enhance overall sustainability. Some locations utilize smart technology in haulers to move waste around a city effectively. In contrast, others have turned to a full rollout of smart bins to make recycling easier for residents. These smarter solutions also collect data so companies can work with local governments to improve waste management as populations increase and priorities change.
With every new device we own, it’s no secret that data collection is foundational for smart technology and a driving force for smart cities to enhance sustainability and overall optimization. Like how music app Spotify collects data to send fun, end-of-the-year music wrap-ups, smart waste technology is learning about the best routes to take for trash collection, recycling behaviors of its communities, monitoring equipment health, and more. This information is crucial for smart cities to monitor and optimize various aspects of urban life, and the waste industry is taking full advantage of this information to enhance its products and services.
Waste360 contacted several companies to see how each is integrating technology. Each utilizes specific software and learning tools to be more efficient and cost-effective and promote sustainability in large communities.
Companies that play an integral role in Smart Cities:
Transportation is crucial for smart cities to be ahead of the game. Still, another factor pushing sustainability for communities in smart cities is increasing recycling rates effectively. This is where Bigbelly comes in with its solar-powered smart bins, which allow customers to make smarter decisions and limit the chance of contamination.
The smart waste systems that Bigbelly delivers help to achieve waste containment, which can vastly improve a city’s cleanliness. They also provide real-time insights and waste capacity data via compaction. This compaction can reduce collections by 80%, which can lead to a 70% reduced carbon footprint. The company’s smart bins boast five times the collection capacity and feature smart technology that provides real-time alerts for overflowing and other issues.
Bigbelly’s CLEAN™ Management Software allows customers to make real-time and long-term decisions about waste collection. The software helps customers quickly enable Bigbelly’s technology throughout a community with the software’s console and mobile tools. The software helps with automated collection results (customized to the city), a real-time and historical data dashboard, fleet and bin management when the hardware needs to be serviced, and an easy-to-use installation setup. Through ease of installation and proof of efficiency, Bigbelly’s products have been integrated into public space waste bins, making for cleaner streets, parks, and transit systems. At the municipality level, the company’s smart waste system is helping transform communities into smart cities with real-time data reports.
In addition to Bigbelly’s current offerings, the company is gearing up to launch a new residential smart compost system for residents in urban areas. The new program will give residents access to compost bins 24/7 and provide users with a mobile app to find and unlock compost bins.
