Sevenoaks Council will soon be rolling out the first of their ‘smart bins’ throughout rural areas of the Kent district.
In March this year, the council secured £25,000 in grant money to pilot fifty smart bins, which is part of a wider emerging strategy from the authority to reduce litter across the district.
Other proposals include more education and enforcement, as well as other smarter ways of working.
The new, larger wood cladded bins will include sensors that alert the council when they need clearing.
This means a quicker reactive service when the bins are full and fewer wasted journeys when bins are not at full capacity.
As well as this, the new bins can also hold more waste than the current ones.
Commenting, Sevenoaks District Council’s Cabinet Member for Cleaner and Greener, Councillor Margot McArthur said:
“As a council, we are always looking for innovative ways to improve the lives of residents and contribute to our net zero 2030 commitment.
“The smart bins include a recycling compartment and are much friendlier to the environment, as it means our street cleaning team will only travel to rural areas when necessary.
“We currently spend roughly £1.4m a year, 10% of our annual budget on street cleaning.
"This new technology will allow us to work smarter and faster for our residents, businesses and visitors.
“This project is part of our overall litter strategy to help reduce rubbish across the district.”
The bins are due to be installed from late July.
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