Smart bins could send 'empty me' alerts when full

Under a pilot scheme, bins would come equipped with sensors that measured the level of waste inside

So-called "smart bins" that send alerts when they need emptying could be rolled out across a borough.

Brentwood High Street and an A12 layby near the Essex town have been chosen as two spots for a potential pilot scheme.

The bins would come equipped with sensors that measured the level of waste inside - and send a notification when they needed to be emptied.

Brentwood Borough Council is due to vote on the plan at a committee meeting on Wednesday, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The authority has been considering purchasing smart bins for up to £4,495 each, but has also been offered them on a trial basis at a cost of £95 per bin, a month.

It already provides more than 500 bins across the borough, including 30 on laybys on the A12 and A127.

Keith Barber said overflowing bins, including this one in Rayleigh Road, had become a "public health risk"

Meeting papers suggested the cost to mobilise a driver and vehicle who could respond to smart bin alerts would cost about £60,000 a year.

They also showed feedback from other councils using smart bins, who reported them offering an improved service - but at a higher cost.

However, Conservative councillor Keith Barber said the proposed scheme was a "huge gimmick".

"It's a pilot that will, without any realistic likelihood of receiving funding, be implemented," he added.

Barber suggested allocating bins with QR codes so residents could instead report overflowing bins themselves.