Makes other bins has beens
June 1st 2007 A litter, cigarette and gum solution in one unit, the new epicentre bin can halve
cleaning operatives'workloads by sensing when it's full and sending a text message –
so operatives can optimise a collection route. It also facilitates a revenue stream for
local authorities via local A3 advertising.Brendan Coyne reports
Fifteen months ago Jim Sullivan realised that
the impending smoking ban was going to
worsen an already dire litter situation.The
problem, he says, is that street bins haven't
changed in decades: side opening, top closed
units that are neither designed for today's litter
types or the social order that prevails. So he spent
months in city centres analysing the problem and
working on a totally new solution.
The result is the epicentre, a tri-purpose bin
with separate compartments for dry waste, drinks
waste, cigarette butts and gum. But while
conducting his city centre reconnaissance, Sullivan noticed that
more often than not, cleaners were taking a standard circuit to empty
bins – of which some were virtually empty, and at best half full. So he
took the epicentre a step further and sourced a telemetry system and
sensors which tell the operator when the bin is full via a text message
to their mobile phone. He claims that the collection workload can be
halved, as operatives can optimise their route.However, Sullivan is
keen to point out that it's not about cutting jobs: he believes that the
collectors rendered unnecessary by the system would make excellent
litter enforcers:"They understand litter, where it
comes from and where it drops – it's about
optimising resources," he says."They would
make the best enforcers in the business."
The stainless steel unit has clear icons on its
top flaps to show the public which sections to
use for specific waste. It unloads from the top, so
waste doesn't spill onto the street, and the flaps
prevent insects, or seagulls for example, getting
into the litter. The cigarette compartment can
hold literally thousands of stubs.
What's more, Sullivan has created another
revenue stream for local councils while providing a community
advertising channel: the bin facilitates local high-footfall A3 adverts
charged at £3 per day. He says these will prove highly effective in
town centres.
Demonstrated at the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management
show in June, epicentre has caught the eye of numerous local
authorities, with 22 local councils expressing serious interest, and
several trials now underway.
www.nocigbuttsorgum.com |
