Improve Your Waste Sustainability with Image-Based Container Monitoring

Getting the right things in the right container is key to effective recycling and maintaining a good waste diversion rate.

We’ve discussed some practical ways you can help people in your facility place their waste in the appropriate bin.

But inevitably, things will slip through the cracks. It could be corner-cutting, it could be a lack of knowledge, but sooner or later a plastic bag will end up in a bin where it could jeopardize a recycling plant. Or a bag of paper ends up going to a landfill rather than getting recycled and reused.

Beyond the hit to recycling effectiveness, the waste companies you work with to take care of your waste once it’s left your facility won’t take this hit themselves. They’ll pass the cost on to facilities that constantly give them problems in the form of extra fees you’ll be on the hook for.

So it’s not just about the green goal of being awesome at recycling — it’s also about your bottom line.

If you’re serious about keeping your recycling operation as efficient as possible, there is a technological solution that can help you fight back against these fees: image-based container monitoring.

Here’s How Image-Based Waste Management Works

It’s not just putting a camera in a dumpster and having someone take a look every couple of hours — though that would be an improvement on the only tactic many companies have right now of physically checking the bins in-person.

With access to the vast database of imagery available from deployment in bins across industries and countries, software can now automatically identify when the wrong thing’s in the wrong bin in a growing number of cases.

From propane tanks to cardboard boxes, the software can help keep the right stuff in the right place by notifying waste managers when it detects a contaminant.

This means you get a chance to correct the situation by proactively training your tenants, staff and program users — and the numbers are strong. Companies that have adopted this technology have seen their contamination rates plummet drastically — by up to 80% in one case.

What Else Can These Cameras Do?

It’s not just about detecting the wrong thing in the wrong bin. Placing cameras in bins can also give you real-time data on how full each bin is getting. Why’s this important? You get a better idea of your actual waste management needs and have fewer instances of overfilled bins. You can better negotiate a pickup contract and schedule with your hauler, and you can run your entire waste management department more effectively.

We’ve written more about that right here.

Want to get set up with a cost-saving waste management camera and sensor system yourself? Get in contact with RecycleSmart.