For several years, the City of Borås has been using Bigbelly part of its efforts to implement smarter waste management in public spaces. In collaboration with EWF, the solution has evolved from individual smart trash cans to a well-established system in the urban environment—with approximately 100 stations in operation today.
This case study is not about a new venture. It’s about long-term trust, smooth operations, and how smart waste management can become a natural part of the municipality’s efforts to create cleaner, better-maintained public spaces.
A Long-Term EWF Case Study in an Urban Environment
The City of Borås has long been actively working to create a cleaner and more pleasant urban environment. As part of this effort, it uses Bigbelly connected waste stations with compaction, solar power, and digital status information.
EWF’s role has been to support the municipality with solutions, implementation, consulting, and a long-term operational strategy. This makes Borås a strong example of how smart waste management works in practice—not just as a technology, but as part of a broader approach.
From Individual Stations to Full-Scale Operations
What’s important about the Borås case is how it has evolved over time. Bigbelly just Bigbelly tested at a single location; it has become a regular part of the city’s waste management system.
Today, Borås has about 100 Bigbelly throughout the city. This shows that the solution has become an integral part of day-to-day operations and that the municipality has recognized the value of continuing to develop smarter waste stations.
For other municipalities, Borås demonstrates how smart waste management can evolve from individual sites into a more established system.
A Smarter Overview of Public Spaces
In urban environments, waste generation fluctuates rapidly. Some areas fill up quickly, while others do so more slowly. Events, weather, the season, and movement patterns all affect the amount of waste generated.
With Bigbelly , the operations team Bigbelly a better overview of fill levels and status. This makes it easier to prioritize the right locations, plan work, and reduce the need for unnecessary manual checks.
So it's not just about smart trash cans. It's about better management of day-to-day operations.
A Case Study on Trust, Service, and a Long-Term Perspective
For EWF, Borås is an important case study because it demonstrates more than just an installation. It illustrates a long-term approach that brings together technology, service, and the municipality’s practical needs.
When a municipality continues to use and build upon the solution over time, the case study becomes more compelling than a single news story. This demonstrates that Bigbelly be an integral part of the municipality’s actual operational environment—where the solution needs to function every day, year-round.
The results are clear - Borås has become significantly less littered over time.
To put this into perspective, let's look at some impressive figures from this year's litter survey, conducted in collaboration with Keep Sweden Tidy. Last year there were 4.7 units of litter per ten square meters, while this year it has decreased to 4.61 units on the same area. To understand how far we have come, we can compare with 2012 when there were 7.23 units of litter per ten square meters.
By simply throwing the trash in the right place, every Borås resident has played a role in transforming the city into a cleaner, tidier, safer and more environmentally friendly place.
We look forward to continuing this positive trend and creating cities that are even cleaner and more beautiful. Every small effort has a significant impact on our shared environment and well-being. Let's work together to keep our cities clean and beautiful!
Litter measurement carried out in cooperation with Keep Sweden Tidy.
The organization Borås rent och snyggt is a collaboration between Borås Stad, Borås Energi och Miljö, the Police in Borås, Borås City, Navet Science Center, Bostäder i Borås and Södra Älvsborgs Räddningstjänstförbund. Read more about the cleaning work at boras.se/rentochsnyggt.
