'Smart bins' to be trialled in Harrogate from this month

Sensors will be installed in bins to help the council's collection planning. Photo: Harrogate Borough Council.

The joint project by Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council will see sensors fitted in up to 87 public bins on streets around the Valley Gardens area of the town.

The sensors will measure how full the bins are, as well as their temperature and whether they have become damaged.

Councillor Andy Paraskos, cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling at Harrogate Borough Council, said the sensors will help make the best use of resources and staff time.

He said: “Understanding when a bin needs emptying or whether it might need inspecting will enable us to make the most efficient use of our resources.

"These sensors will allow us to use the data and focus on those that need to be emptied more often.

"As a result, we’d expect to see a reduction in travel, meaning a saving on fuel costs and a reduction in carbon emissions.”

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The sensors are being funded using cash from £3.6million awarded to York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership from the government’s Getting Building Fund.

North Yorkshire County Council said the trial is a first for the county as well as an early example of studies into how new technologies can be used in public areas for other purposes.

This will include sensors being used to capture live air quality data and monitoring traffic flow.

Sensors will also be used for people counting in town centres to identify busy times and locations to help businesses plan.

Councillor Greg White, executive member for customer engagement at North Yorkshire County Council, said: “The smart bins pilot will enable us to assess the time and money saved and any other benefits.

"If it is successful, we will look to extend the scheme to other suitable locations.

"We are at an early stage of the ‘smart places’ project, working alongside borough and district colleagues, but the possibilities of the so-called Internet of Things – embedding sensors in everyday objects to enable them to send and receive data – are hugely exciting.

"These early studies with our partners will help to reveal the potential for systems that can improve the environment, support health and wellbeing and enable more effective delivery of public services."

By Jacob Webster, Local Democracy Reporter