Northern Trains said it is committed “to improving recycling rates across their service and the sensors, manufactured in the UK by IoT Solutions Group, will deliver real-time recycling volumes from individual bins
In a statement, Northern Trains said that with recycling key to any sustainability plan, it has an ambitious target to recycle 70% of the waste produced across their sites this year. Measuring these rates accurately and making quantifiable improvements quickly is therefore essential. This solution also allows the team to adjust recycling schemes in response to seasonal trends, preventing bin overflow and the resulting environmental pollution.
Benchmark
Nick Coleman, energy & environment support manager, at Northern Trains, commented: “The data that these sensors provide is so valuable for our sustainability targets. By knowing where we are now, we can accurately set a benchmark and identify how we can improve. With the sensors continually monitoring the fill levels, we can quickly and easily measure the impact of various initiatives to encourage more recycling, helping us reach that important 70% goal.”
Biffa is the waste contractor for Northern Trains, which is the UK’s largest geographical train operator, carrying out an average of 1,200 lifts per month of waste and recycling bins. The installation of the sensors this summer is seen by the rail firm and Biffa as part of an extensive sustainability project on a collaborative basis.
(above: a YouTube video from Biffa and Northern Trains explaining the sensor system)
Sustainability goals
Chris Griffin, Biffa’s head of commercial developments, remarked. “The Biffa team are proud to be supporting Northern Trains with their sustainability goals with this hugely beneficial technology. IoT Solutions Group have been a great partner to work with and have demonstrated that exploring new technology doesn’t have to be complicated. The ease and speed of the installation means that there has also been minimal service disruption.”
As well as continually monitoring the fill level of the bin, these smart bin sensors also monitor and record the lid position and bin temperature, a valuable additional when managing the security at remote locations, Biffa explained.
Algorithms
Algorithms are applied to the fill level data, converting it to an estimated weight to deliver real-time, accurate recycling data.
Emma Mahy, CEO and Co-founder of IoT Solutions Group, said: “We started the company four years ago to deliver solutions for key data collection and insight challenges, and we are thrilled to be working with Biffa and Northern Trains. Our team thrives on making valuable data easily accessible in a useable way to make a real difference, which is especially important for measured sustainability improvements.”
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