Bins will know when they are full

‘INTELLIGENT’ litter bins, which let the authorities know when they are full, could soon be appearing at sites around Solihull.

The council hopes the wireless technology will save it money by ensuring staff only visit bins when they need to be emptied.

If a pilot scheme is successful it could pave the way for some of the borough’s 970 bins to be replaced on a permanent basis.

Cllr Ken Hawkins (Con, Blythe) said a trial would be important in assessing the viability of the technology.

“It’s one of those things which on paper sounds brilliant, but what works on a desktop doesn’t always work in practice,” he said.

“If it’s going to reduce the number of hours that we spend sending people out then that’s great, but we need to be able to prove the costs benefit.”

Officers told councillors they were continuing to look into the options for making use of the “smart technology” alongside waste contractor Amey.

The devices have already been introduced in other parts of the UK, with an initiative being unveiled in Glasgow 12 months ago.

The council is also looking at stepping up action taken against those who drop litter with a new system for issuing penalties.