IoT and Smart City trends boost smart waste collection market

Waste collection is an essential city service. Ample opportunity exists worldwide for smart technology to increase efficiency and improve the quality of waste collection services.

Currently, most municipal waste collection operations focus on emptying containers according to predefined schedules. This is inevitably inefficient, with half-full bins being emptied, poor use of city assets and unnecessary fleet fuel consumption.

However, smart waste collection solutions on the market track waste levels and provide route optimization and operational analytics. Municipalities and waste service managers are realizing that these solutions can help them meet sustainability goals (such as zero waste), improve services for residents and reduce operational costs.

A common set of elements found in most smart waste collection systems includes: sensors that monitor fill level and other indicators such as temperature and tilt within waste containers, a communication node to transport data and a software suite for accessing, managing and analyzing that data.

Although the smart waste collection technology sector is still in an early phase, these Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled smart bins and sensors are gaining traction globally. According to the Navigant ResearchSmart Waste Collectionreport, that market is expected to grow from $57.6 million in 2016 to over $223.6 million in 2025 at a 16.3 percent compound annual growth rate.

The wide availability of commercially viable technologies and associated benefits — including operational cost reductions and improved environment and health safety — will drive market growth. A push for integrated smart city applications and IoT technologies is expected to accelerate this trend.

There is a growing awareness among city leaders of the potential benefits of multi-application approaches to the deployment of smart city infrastructure. At the heart of this transformation is IoT technology that connects a range of intelligent sensors and devices to monitor and automate city operations. Areas where technology is having the greatest impact include street lighting, public safety, traffic systems and waste collection.