Almeria City Council is set to revolutionise the city’s waste removal by introducing a modern, data-driven system for public waste containers. As part of a major overhaul, the council has changed the waste collection company and is rolling out a new identification card system to track domestic waste disposal throughout the municipality.
Smart bins with identification cards
The new waste removal systems will see brown containers installed on public roads, with built-in sensors. Users will be required to scan an identification card in order to throw away rubbish. Every piece of waste dumped in the containers will be accounted for, as officials will be able to check the data to see who left what and when.
This breaks the traditional anonymity associated with public bins, a practice many feel people take advantage of to dispose of waste without trace or accountability.
The smart containers are part of a broader trend towards intelligent waste management systems seen in other Spanish cities, which have successfully reduced contamination in organic waste streams and improved overall recycling performance.
Aims: better recycling and fairer charges
While this initiative may seem like extreme monitoring of public resources, the aim is crack down on disposal outside of designated hours, reduce contamination of recycling streams and encourage users to recycle properly.
What’s more, the data gathered will support smart collection routes. This means sanitation services can dispatched to where they’re needed most, based on real usage patterns.
There could also be economic gains for residents with pay-as-you-throw collection rates and discounts on bills. Such a system offers significant incentives to properly divide waste into the correct recycling containers in a bid to make waste removal more economically friendly.
Funding, cards and community engagement
Almeria have expressed interest in implementing this system since 2017 but have only now received the necessary funding to install 150 locks and distribute 15,000 cards to residents.
To ease the transition, the council has budgeted for an extensive public engagement and information campaign, including postal mailings to nearly 100,000 homes, local stands in neighbourhoods, and at least 50 community meetings. Educators will be stationed at key container sites to demonstrate correct usage and answer questions.
Encouraging proper waste practices
In addition to technology and education, the scheme aims to complement other municipal recycling efforts, such as improving separation of organic waste and reducing contaminants in recycling streams. Smart bins for organic waste are already being introduced across Almería as part of a citywide strategy to improve sustainability and composting efforts.
By tying individual behaviour to data-driven systems and incentives, Almería hopes to foster cleaner streets, higher recycling rates and a more equitable approach to municipal waste services.
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