Good practice:

Solar Compact Waste Bins in Ta’ Xbiex

Parks & beaches are the best assets in many communities, but the resource required to maintain them is not easy at all. Our Council introduced for the first time in Malta, innovative bins that run on solar energy & compact trash when full. These bins can fill up to five times as much as a normal trash bin, thus creating space and reducing the chances of bins overflowing with waste.
As a Council we have always promoted environmental friendly measures in order to have a cleaner and safer environment. Each unit is smart and sensor-equipped. Such systems are viable since there will be less collections and hence less trucks, which also means no overflows or visible waste. Collection crews spend time on more meaningful work with up to 80% fewer collections.
The cloud-connected and web-based platform delivers actionable insights into waste operation. Offered as a turnkey system, each fleet is customizable and modular based on capacity, waste stream, & accessory needs. Our solar bins offer much more than smart waste. In addition to modernizing our locality, we are receptive to change and consider experimenting and adapting in additional technologies. We took advantage of required public waste infrastructure as a holding place for other technology, applications, and equipment. Multi-purposing the smart waste system eases logistics, declutters the streetscapes, and further enhances the community experience with improved services, streamlined operations and collection efficiencies.

No specific amount yet, since the project is still ongoing.

• Reduce collections by 70-80%, liner usage, labour hours, vehicle wear, fuel consumption, carbon footprint & air pollution;
• Informed decision making & operational planning with real-time data in CLEAN Management Console software;
• Increased productivity & route efficiency: optimized collections, reduced truck traffic, noise & reallocated resources to other projects;
• Cleaner public spaces & improved quality of life: eliminate visible waste, windblown litter, overflows & critter access.

The biggest challenge encountered is initial cost. The bins are expensive to buy, but will be cost-effective in the long-term. Another challenge is the general public educational factor: since this is something new, vandalism or misuse of such bins will be detrimental to such a positive initiative.

Can be easily applied to regions with a high level of tourism since these bins can hold 5 times more waste than a normal bin ensuring that there are no overflowing bins and the city remains clean.