Chutes set to replace wheelie bins

The wheelie bin may become a distant memory after a city installed underground chutes instead. The project, thought to be the first of its kind, features steel bin chutes set into the pavement that feed into large underground chambers. One underground bin replaces around 20 wheelie bins. A sensor notifies the council when it is full, triggering the dispatch of a collection lorry. The system has been introduced in Cambridge, doing away with the need for 9,000 wheelie bins.

The Shared Waste Service for Cambridge city and South Cambridgeshire district councils has begun in Eddington, Cambridge University’s new district. The project means residents will no longer have to lug heavy bins on to the street, worry about when to put which bins out or store them.