Add as a preferred source on Google

Smart Trash, Smart Campus

What better place to implement smart waste management than an institution of higher learning? Cities and campuses across the U.S. are enjoying the many benefits of intelligent litter and recycling receptacles.

Individuals charged with waste control are now able to employ a network of connected receptacles and software that enables collection, planning and routing that is substantially more efficient. Smart enough, in fact, to save an estimated 20 to 40 percent on litter and recycling collection expenses. Knowing that a large university can easily generate 9,000,000 pounds of waste in a year, the savings potential is hard to ignore.

Traditional static systems allow for litter receptacles to overfill before they are collected — an aesthetic and olfactory nuisance, for sure — while others that sit empty are collected anyway. Smart litter receptacles provide a new approach, allowing you to allocate resources only where and when they are needed, not only saving time, but also decreasing fuel costs, carbon footprints and unsightly waste overflows.

Using GPS and other sensors, smart receptacles can monitor and transmit fill level, temperature, weight, location and more to cloud-based portals. Monitoring containers provides a holistic view of an area’s trash and recycling status while improving landfill diversion rates.

To maintain aesthetics, some sensors can be hidden within a litter receptacle or recycling station, which provides the added benefit of preventing tampering. Sensors should also be built to remain reliable and accurate even in harsh environmental conditions to meet the challenges receptacles face in high-use environments such as a campus. Along with smart design, factors such as durability are important to consider in choosing a smart waste management system.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Emma Skalka is vice president of Sales and Marketing at Victor Stanley in Dunkirk, MD.

Featured

  • FAU Starts Construction on Holocaust and Jewish Studies Building

    Florida Atlantic University recently began construction on a new academic building for its campus in Boca Raton, Fla., according to university news. The Kurt and Marilyn Wallach Holocaust and Jewish Studies Building will stand two stories, measure in at 22,000 square feet, and play home to the university’s Holocaust education and Jewish studies programs.

  • Florida SouthWestern State College, Skanska Partner for Humanities Hall Renovation

    Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) in Fort Myers, Fla., recently announced that it is partnering with construction firm Skanska to renovate the school’s Humanities Hall, according to a news release.

  • Recent University of Pennsylvania Projects Receive LEED Certifications

    The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Penn., recently announced that three of its recent construction projects have earned LEED certifications, according to university news. The Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology (VLEST) received a LEED Platinum certification, Amy Gutmann Hall a LEED Gold, and the OTT Center for Track and Field a LEED silver.

  • sapling sprouting from a cracked stone

    Lessons in Resilience: Disaster Recovery in Our Schools

    Facility managers play a pivotal role in how well a school weathers and recovers from a crisis. Whether it's a hurricane, a flood, a tornado, or a man-made event, preparation determines resilience.

Digital Edition