Date issued: 22 March 2022
Working in partnership with Dedham Parish Council, Colchester Borough Council will soon be installing four solar powered smart bins in Dedham. Two bins will be situated in Mill Lane car park, one in Mill Pond car park, with the final bin to be installed at a location on Dedham High Street. These four bins will replace nine current litter and dog bins across these locations.
The 120 litre ‘Mr Fill’ bins have a special compacting feature which means they can hold over five times more rubbish than a standard bin and a fill indicator to show when the bin is nearing capacity. Council operatives will be notified by the bin when it needs emptying and the bins talk, giving the ability to engage with residents further.
To prevent litter and overflow, the cover to the bin is automatically locked when the bin is detected as full. Equipped with 24/7 LED lighting, the bins are easily noticeable in the dark, and have a personalised display that encourages the public to throw their rubbish in the bin, this can also indicate the bin’s fill level.
A heavy-duty foot pedal allows the user to easily open the solar compacting bin to dispose of waste without having to touch the cover with their hands.
The bins are being provided and installed by Wybone, a company that design and manufactures street furniture, and the UK’s first and sole distributor of the Mr Fill solar powered litter bin.
The usage and performance data obtained from these new bins will be monitored over a period of time to enable the Council to measure the benefits of this technology, especially during peak periods. Ongoing costs for the bins are being supported by Dedham Parish Council, who are also funding and working alongside Colchester Borough Council to replace all street litter and dog bins within the parish over the coming months.
This is one of several new approaches to tackling litter the council is launching across the borough in a bid to make it a cleaner, greener, and more pleasant place for residents and visitors.
Cllr Simon Crow, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability said “These smart bins are fantastic, and we are delighted to work with Dedham Parish Council to invest in advanced technology that we really believe can make a difference for a cleaner Colchester. I hope it also makes individuals think twice about abandoning waste so that we can all enjoy the benefits of living in a clean and tidy area.”
Cllr Beverley Oxford, Portfolio Holder for Communities said “It’s great to be investing in technology to help us to do everything we can for an effective and efficient service. These bins can really make a difference, but without the support of our residents to help us clean the borough, littering will continue to be a problem. That’s why we want to encourage and enable the community to get behind initiatives like this wherever we can.”
Jonathan Smith, Chairman of Dedham Parish Council said “Dedham PC are pleased to support this new smart bin technology to help tackle waste and litter in a more efficient and effective way. With five times the capacity of normal bins and a facility to self-lock when they are full, we hope to see a cleaner village particularly in times of high visitor numbers.”
“And by automatically informing the collection services when they are full will also help with emptying, so the bins can remain operational for longer. The need for less bins for the same amount of waste is also a clear benefit for us as it potentially reduces the amount of street furniture in the village.”
Residents can report issues with littering, fly tipping, graffiti on the council’s website at colchester.gov.uk/street-cleaning.
Working in partnership with Dedham Parish Council, Colchester Borough Council will soon be installing four solar powered smart bins in Dedham. Two bins will be situated in Mill Lane car park, one in Mill Pond car park, with the final bin to be installed at a location on Dedham High Street. These four bins will replace nine current litter and dog bins across these locations.
The 120 litre ‘Mr Fill’ bins have a special compacting feature which means they can hold over five times more rubbish than a standard bin and a fill indicator to show when the bin is nearing capacity. Council operatives will be notified by the bin when it needs emptying and the bins talk, giving the ability to engage with residents further.
To prevent litter and overflow, the cover to the bin is automatically locked when the bin is detected as full. Equipped with 24/7 LED lighting, the bins are easily noticeable in the dark, and have a personalised display that encourages the public to throw their rubbish in the bin, this can also indicate the bin’s fill level.
A heavy-duty foot pedal allows the user to easily open the solar compacting bin to dispose of waste without having to touch the cover with their hands.
The bins are being provided and installed by Wybone, a company that design and manufactures street furniture, and the UK’s first and sole distributor of the Mr Fill solar powered litter bin.
The usage and performance data obtained from these new bins will be monitored over a period of time to enable the Council to measure the benefits of this technology, especially during peak periods. Ongoing costs for the bins are being supported by Dedham Parish Council, who are also funding and working alongside Colchester Borough Council to replace all street litter and dog bins within the parish over the coming months.
This is one of several new approaches to tackling litter the council is launching across the borough in a bid to make it a cleaner, greener, and more pleasant place for residents and visitors.
Cllr Simon Crow, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability said “These smart bins are fantastic, and we are delighted to work with Dedham Parish Council to invest in advanced technology that we really believe can make a difference for a cleaner Colchester. I hope it also makes individuals think twice about abandoning waste so that we can all enjoy the benefits of living in a clean and tidy area.”
Cllr Beverley Oxford, Portfolio Holder for Communities said “It’s great to be investing in technology to help us to do everything we can for an effective and efficient service. These bins can really make a difference, but without the support of our residents to help us clean the borough, littering will continue to be a problem. That’s why we want to encourage and enable the community to get behind initiatives like this wherever we can.”
Jonathan Smith, Chairman of Dedham Parish Council said “Dedham PC are pleased to support this new smart bin technology to help tackle waste and litter in a more efficient and effective way. With five times the capacity of normal bins and a facility to self-lock when they are full, we hope to see a cleaner village particularly in times of high visitor numbers.”
“And by automatically informing the collection services when they are full will also help with emptying, so the bins can remain operational for longer. The need for less bins for the same amount of waste is also a clear benefit for us as it potentially reduces the amount of street furniture in the village.”
Residents can report issues with littering, fly tipping, graffiti on the council’s website at colchester.gov.uk/street-cleaning.
Page last reviewed: 22 March 2022