Smart bins on the seashore: Picton to trial new tech
Hi-tech litter bins that send an alert when they need emptied are to be put to the test in Picton.
The town has been selected as one of five sites throughout the country to test out the futuristic bins.
A jump in population during the summer months when tourists flock to the region makes Picton a prime site for assessment.
The move is in conjunction with the Marlborough District Council’s Marlborough Litter Project, which will run until 2018.
The dual bins, one for rubbish and one for recycling, will be set up in about 10 different locations on the foreshore and along High St.
Marlborough District Council solid waste manager Alec McNeil said the units would ‘‘more or less mirror’’ where the existing red and yellow bins were.
Costs for the initiative would be covered by existing budgets.
If successful, the intelligent bins could become a common sight on the streets of Marlborough, where wi-fi is available. The bin sends alerts via text when it needs emptied, preventing it from overflowing.
The Litter Less Recycle More programme launched in New Zealand earlier this year as part of a three-year campaign to target littering through behavioural change programmes.
A national survey into litter discovered there was, on average, 19 pieces of visible litter every 1000 square metres, the size of four tennis courts. Five per cent of litter was classed as ‘‘small’’, meaning broken glass, cigarette butts and chewing gum.
Packaging Forum project manager Lyn Mayes, who is heading- up the national initiative, said it was trying to change people’s behaviour when it came to disposing of litter.
‘‘Clean, well-maintained infrastructure is crucial to helping the community dispose of their waste correctly, enabling them to recycle where possible,’’ she said.
The $2.4 million project had received $1.72m from the Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund.