The solar-powered SmartXcans keep public spaces clean and can reduce trash collections by up to 80%

Powered solely by solar energy, our eco-friendly SmartXcan waste receptacles perform intelligent compaction of waste. it also monitors its fill level in real-time and sends this information back to the clean city networks for analysis and eventually waste collection.

A solar panel is mounted on top of every SmartXcan. The sunlight collected by this solar panel is converted into energy and stored in a battery so that the SmartXcan can function even when there is no sunlight. Once fully charged it can operate up to four weeks regardless of the weather. By compressing its contents, the unit gains capacity, so it doesn’t have to be emptied as often. Fewer collections mean cost-savings for labor, fuel, and maintenance and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

The panel is protected by a polycarbonate shield that is highly resistant to external influences. Each SmartXcan is equipped with a smart compaction module. As trash is accumulated in the SmartXcan, its sensors monitor the fill level. once it is full it automatically activates the compaction cycle. The patented X-frame compaction module can compact waste with up to 720 kilograms of force. The Light emitting diode’s indicator lights show the SmartXcan’s approximate fill level and operating status. With its powerful compaction, the SmartXcan effectively increases its internal capacity. Once full, the SmartXcan notifies the collection agency via the clean city network that it’s ready to be emptied.

The SmartXcan Advantage

One SmartXcan can hold up to eight times more than normal waste bins. SmartXcans can be customized depending on the user’s needs. They can be furnished with or without the compaction functionality and they also have a plug-in option for indoor use. To ensure the safety of its users, the SmartXcan is equipped with intelligent safety sensors. If the safety sensor detects a person’s hand it immediately stops the compaction cycle. If a fire occurs inside of the SmartXcan, its fire detection sensor immediately notifies the user of the emergency. The SmartXcan also attempts to put out the fire through compaction and shows the emergency alert status via its Light-emitting diode’s indicators.

With its bidirectional telecommunication capability. The SmartXcan transmits smart data so the users gain access to information such as its location, fill level, battery capacity, breakdown history, detailed profile, and collection efficiency statistics all in real-time.

The Benefits of Our SmartXcan

The benefits of this smart waste solution from an operational perspective are many: The intuitive linked software means SmartXcan bins are easy to manage and maintain. Because SmartXcans can hold up to eight times more rubbish or recyclables than their empty volume, fewer collections are necessary. Additionally, the alert that’s sent when capacity is reached reduces the need for manual checking and handling and does away with costly and unnecessary collection trips. A helpful route planning tool makes route optimization a reality, reducing fuel consumption and emissions. Overall, waste collection costs are reduced by up to 85%.

To meet the demands of different requirements the SmartXcan is available in three different sizes. The 100, 120, and 240 liters. The 120- and 240-liter models are compatible with wheelie bins widely used around the world. This feature makes it extremely convenient to collect waste.

Users can also customize the exterior of the SmartXcan with optional sticker designs, silkscreen prints, and full graphic wraps with customized designs. The SmartXcan is also available in a stainless-steel model which offers superior durability, and weather ability. Several aperture options are available for a variety of waste streams with black, green, and brown being offered as standard colors. SmartXcans can also be physically connected together to form double or triple stations. By adding advertisement panels on the sides, SmartXcans can be used to generate additional advertising revenues. The LED-backlit option enables the advertisement panels to be visible even at night. In high-traffic areas, the SmartXcan can also act as a Wi-Fi hotspot. The network landing page which can also be accessed from mobile devices is also configurable so the clients can customize their marketing content.

And as if substantial cost savings weren’t enough, because SmartXcans come with three advertising panel options – plain, backlit LED and now, LCD – there’s the possibility of a lucrative income stream for owners.

Additionally, there is a separate Clean Cap sensor. It is a smart ultrasonic fill-level sensor that can be easily installed on any type of container. It uses a robust ultrasonic technology allowing it to monitor any type of substance.

Scenarios

Imagine a busy shopping center on a Saturday afternoon. People are buying things, eating snacks and generating trash at a speed that makes it difficult for any waste collection staff to keep up with. A hundred-liter wheelie bin in a high traffic area becomes full within a few hours and requires frequent collections during store operations, which also interferes with customers’ shopping experiences. So what could be the solution? Installing larger bins or perhaps asking the cleaning staff to bounce inside the containers to push down the garbage?

Again, imagine a busy town center on a Friday night. Thousands of people are dining, drinking, and having fun, while the waste collection staff have finished their day already at 5 pm and are now relaxing at home with their families. By midnight, the containers in high traffic areas are overflowing with waste, creating an ideal environment for insects, vermin, and seagulls. At 6 am, the waste collection staff return to their duties and start cleaning the streets again.

The above examples describe a very common problem in any high foot traffic areas, such as parks, transit stations, sports stadiums, department stores, and town centers. The amount of garbage is increasing every year, and so is the money spent on waste collection services. Although installing more bins might stop the problem of waste overflow, there is also a smarter and more ecological way to keep the streets clean: solar-powered waste compacting bins.

The innovation that increases bin capacity by up to 8 times

Solar-powered waste compactors decrease the frequency of waste collections dramatically by measuring the bin fill-level in real-time and automatically compacting the waste, effectively increasing the bin capacity by up to 8 times. The container which used to fit only 100 liters of garbage can suddenly fit up to 800 liters, enabling even the busiest high foot traffic areas to decrease the number of collections and eliminate overflowing waste bins. The innovative bins are powered by solar panels that store energy in rechargeable batteries and can therefore operate as standalone systems without any exterior wiring. The compactor can be also installed indoors as a hybrid plug-in version, and fully charged it can function for several weeks even in the cloudiest weather conditions.

Besides compacting trash, it also connects with the world

What is cool about solar-powered waste compactor bins is that they are connected to the internet and communicate the information they collect in real-time through wireless 2G/3G transmission to a smart waste management platform. By sending the compaction and fill-level information to the data analytics platform, the smart bin enables waste collection managers to understand the location and times of waste collections, and improves the way the trash is collected by recommending optimal collection routes. This means that there can be fewer collection trucks on the road for less time, spending less fuel and creating less pollution.

Solar-powered waste compactor bins also commonly include a number of other features, such as LED/LCD panels for generating additional revenue stream through advertisements, a router that allows the bins to act as Wi-Fi hotspots, and various safety features such as fire and motion detectors. Most importantly, the bins reduce operational costs of waste collection by up to 80%.

How a retail chain improved their waste collection efficiency

In South Korea, a retail company with 48 department stores around the country had serious problems with its waste collections. Most notably, their bins in high traffic areas became full too quickly, requiring cleaning staff to collect the bins up to four times on weekdays and seven times on weekends. The frequent waste collections not only meant high operational costs but also interfered with their customers’ shopping experiences.

To improve the situation, the retail chain installed 24 SmartXcan smart bins in central spots of their department stores, as well as near the restrooms. 8 of the 24 SmartXcans were equipped with LED advertisement panels to promote various storewide events at the department store. As a result, the company saw their collection efforts decrease from 4-7 times a day to once a day, and they also received a high advertising effect from the LED advertisement panels.

TekConnX’ Solar-Powered SmartXcans (As Part of Our Patented SMART Cities Initiative)