'Smart' Waste Containers To Roll Out Nationally

Launch of High-Tech Garbage Bins Follows Successful Philadelphia Test Program

Austin, TX — Cascade Engineering recently announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind waste container equipped with electronic tags that will help municipalities and waste collection companies operate their waste management processes more efficiently and cost-effectively. The announcement follows the conclusion of a large-scale pilot program in the City of Philadelphia that demonstrated the effectiveness of Cascade's new container technology. The company made its announcement at the Solid Waste Association of North America's Sept. 27-29 WASTECON trade show in Austin, Texas.

Cascade's "smart" waste containers emit radio signals that allow sanitation personnel using an electronic reader to collect key data on the container's use. The new bins combine the company's expertise in engineered plastics systems with a technology known as radio frequency identification, or RFID, that has gained popularity in a number of other applications, including EZ Pass for toll collection, a variety of door entry systems, pallet tagging, and livestock tracking. The benefits from this new container technology include:

• More effective maintenance. Automated data collection creates a "container history" that prompts for maintenance or replacement.
• Ease of use. The tags are easy to program, can be read from a distance of up to 15 feet, and don't need to be within the line of sight.
• Security. Because the tag is embedded in the container material, it is virtually tamper proof. In addition, each container has its own unique code, which makes it easy to track and reduces the possibility of loss or theft.

"Our new, state-of-the-art containers are equipped with a proven technology that will help municipalities and private waste haulers make great strides in tracking and managing their container expense, from initial purchase through replacement," said Cascade Engineering CEO Fred Keller. "As we saw in our recent pilot program, the result is a much more cost-effective, controlled and reliable waste management system."

The automated data tracking and recording capability of the new containers was illustrated during Cascade's recent pilot program in Philadelphia. The company partnered with the City of Philadelphia to launch a six-month, incentive-based program that was designed to help increase participation rates in Philadelphia's residential recycling program. As part of this program, known as RecycleBank, Cascade supplied nearly 2,000 of its new RFID-enabled waste containers to Philadelphia residents. Data on the amount of recyclable material per household was gathered and then used to reward customers with discount coupons from participating area businesses. Preliminary results from the pilot program indicate overall participation rates at more than 50 percent, with rates as high as 80 percent in some neighborhoods.

SOURCE: Cascade Engineering