Smart bins to be trialled on Coast

Solar powered rubbish bins that send a daily summary of how full they are will be trialled in four local board areas, including Hibiscus & Bays.

The trial will mean that Ventia, which owns and funds the Smart Bins, will have 40 of the bins deployed across Auckland, with plans to install more.

The bins send an alert when full so contractors know to empty them. They should take a while to reach capacity – the bins hold up to 600 litres, which is 10 times more than a standard street bin. They are fully enclosed.

Auckland Council’s operational management and maintenance head, Agnes McCormack, says the bins will be positioned at “problem sites” to assess whether they would be a viable, cost effective option in the management of loose litter.

It is intended that half of the bins will be installed next month, with the remaining trial bins installed in December.

Local boards are currently looking at priority areas where they would like to work more closely with suppliers – Hibiscus and Bays Local Board recently identified rubbish along the beachfront and in high use public areas as a priority.