Revolutionising waste management for enhanced quality of life
Intelligent and smart actions improving modern-day living are key to a better future and quality of life. This also applies to waste management, and the 'Bottom up selection, collection and management of urban waste' (BURBA) project provided the means to make this a reality. Project partners aimed to develop an intelligent waste container for improved waste management by taking advantage of information technology and high-tech applications such as radio frequency identification and location-based services. The approach and technical developments enable easy identification of the most suitable waste container's location and improve its utilisation. The system generates information for appropriate waste collection times and management. It also optimises truck traffic and queuing at waste disposal plants, as well as the allocation of resources. Project members identified end-user requirements and defined specifications for the main system hardware and software. All software components needed for the fully operating system were developed and implemented, and selection and design of electronic components were realised relevant to hardware integration. A design specifications document was also drafted. Team members designed electronic equipment satisfying the defined waste container specifications and then conducted a series of successful tests on the entire system. They then integrated a variety of interfaces into a decision support system, including sensor and positioning modules, user applications and communications. The intelligent waste container was successfully demonstrated in the municipalities of Camogli in Italy, Rzeszow in Poland and Santander in Spain. Thanks to BURBA's fully automatic data collection system, waste management systems will be more efficient and environment friendly. Urban authorities and citizens alike stand to benefit.
Keywords
Waste management, quality of life, waste collection, urban waste, waste container