Hundreds of trash bins in Sharjah will act as hotspots, allowing people to connect to WiFi from early next year, it was announced recently. The announcement is in line with UAE Innovation Week, which ends on Saturday. Designed and built by US bin solutions company BigBelly, the units will be placed across Sharjah and the UAE in “prominent locations”, Bee’ah, a Sharjah environmental and waste management company, stated.
“This will make Sharjah the first location in the Middle East to have smart bin technology with WiFi hotspot in parallel with leading cities such as London and New York.”
But that’s not all, they also come equipped with sensors to detects when the bin is full, and communicates with the Bee’ah control room allowing the company’s waste management division, Tandeef, to make the necessary collection in an efficient and eco-friendly way.
Solar panels provide the energy required to operate the compactor, which allows the bins to collect five times more trash before needing to be emptied.
“The smart wi-fi bins being introduced by Bee’ah are a step forward in environmental innovation, optimally merging efficiency and utility. The fact that Sharjah will be the region’s first location to offer them is a testament to our Emirate’s growing status as an environmental capital of the Middle East. This technology is part of a innovative suite of ground-breaking products and services we are in the process of rolling out, in line with innovative vision of His Highness Shaikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to protect the environment and ensure a sustainable future.”
– Salim Al Owais, Chairman of Bee’ah
The new solar bins complement Bee’ah’s recently launched Tandeef Smart Eco-fleet, comprising low-noise electric vehicles and vehicles that use compressed natural gas to reduce the negative impact of CO2 emissions.
A similar initiative is being set in line by the Dubai government with regards to Smart Bus Stops.
