New technology will help Milton stay on top of garbage, save money
Published August 8, 2024 at 11:40 am
A pilot project that will bring high-tech to Milton’s garbage could be a peek at the future of municipal services.
A series of SMART sensors are being placed in half-a-dozen of the Town’s underground garbage receptacles.
“Emptying these large bins is very labour intensive,” said Ward 3 Town councillor Adil Khalqi. “These sensors will mean we only have to send out people and heavy equipment when they’re really needed and not waste resources emptying half-full bins.”
The project is part of the Town’s commitment to innovate in technology and some private companies are interested in the initiative as well.
The sensors are being installed on bins in parks at:
- Bronte Meadows
- Rotary Park
- Community Park
- Holly & Yates at Coates Linear Trail head
- Sherwood
“Two additional sensors will be installed on receptacles servicing the trail around the stormwater management pond at DSV,” said Khalqi.
“The Town, Wilfrid Laurier University, Conservation Halton and DSV have all identified this location as an ideal site for future research projects with this being the first such initiative. It is also an opportunity to test the network range and stability of our gateway installation.”
The sensors measure how full the receptacle is and report back regularly to the Town’s operations team, who will remotely monitor them via a customized dashboard. The system runs on a LoRaWAN network, using radio waves, and is extremely low power, meaning the units’ batteries can last up to 15 years.
“It is anticipated installation of these sensors will reduce the frequency of staff visits to the locations, making emptying the receptacles more efficient as well as having a range of other positive environmental impacts.”
Khalqi envisions other possible applications of this technology if the program proves successful.
“Imagine installing them in Town parking lots. We could get real time parking limit enforcement. Or it could connect to an app that allows visitors to see if there are empty spots at local lots before driving downtown. Maybe even a sign at each lot indicating how many empty spots are available.”
Khalqi said it’s a Milton-based company that is providing the technology and he’s excited to see how it can be used in the future to make the Town more efficient.
