Solar smart bins installed at Lilydale Falls Reserve

Published on 18 May 2018

The City of Launceston has installed new solar-powered compacting waste and recycling bins at the Lilydale Falls Reserve.

Funded by the Council and the Northern Tasmanian Waste Management Group, the bins are the first of their kind in the State and can hold up to eight times more waste than other bins the same size.

This is because the bins utilise the sun's energy to drive automatic compactors that compress the collected waste, reducing the number of times Council crews need to empty the bins.

In addition, the bins have a host of 'smart' capabilities over the 3G network, including sending  notifications if someone is attempting to tamper with them, providing real-time updates on available capacity, sending alerts when they're full, and even halting compaction if an animal is scavenging in the bin.

The Lilydale Falls Reserve was chosen as the site to trial the smart bins as City of Launceston waste audits in the area showed most of the waste deposited in bins at the reserve was recyclable.

Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten said the smart bins were a great addition to the reserve.

"The Lilydale Falls Reserve is a fantastic natural asset, and hundreds of people visit the reserve each week," Mayor van Zetten said.

"Trialling the bins here allows us to introduce a recycling option to the reserve, and the smart sensors in the bins will alert us whenever the bins need to be emptied.

"These are the first bins of their kind in Tasmania and I'm delighted we're seeing them in action right here in Launceston.

"Northern Tasmanians are very recycling savvy and I think this is an option that will be welcomed by the majority of people, who are increasingly concerned about ensuring that as much of their waste as possible is diverted away from landfill."