Harrogate: Smart bins to streamline rubbish collections

It is hoped information sent from bins would help the council's collection planning

Rubbish bins that send an alert when they are full are to be trialled in a North Yorkshire town from this month.

Sensors will be fitted in up to 87 public bins around the Valley Gardens area in Harrogate, as part of a wider £3.6m digital infrastructure project.

The sensors will measure how full the bins are and also their temperature and if they are damaged.

Councillor Andy Paraskos said the new bins would help make the best use of council resources and staff time.

"These sensors will allow us to use the data and focus on those that need to be emptied more often," he said.

"As a result, we'd expect to see a reduction in travel, meaning a saving on fuel costs and a reduction in carbon emissions."

The joint project is to be run by by Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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The project could help reveal the potential for other systems to improve the environment and public services, organisers hope

North Yorkshire County Council said the trial was a first for the county as well as an early example of studies into how new technologies can be used in public areas for other purposes.

This will include sensors being used to capture live air quality data and monitoring traffic flow.

Sensors will also be used for people counting in town centres to identify busy times and locations to help businesses plan.