Irrational behaviour in Malmö attracts worldwide interest
News of the talking bins has spread virally through everything from social media to Sweden's news agencies. Articles have also appeared in the US, UK, Germany, South Africa, Spain, Australia and elsewhere.
The technical solution is EWF Eco's unique and proprietary sound module called ECO Sound, which is integrated into the smart waste bin Bigbelly. This allows sound files to be updated via wireless data link directly from the office. The definition of smart is noted in part by the fact that Bigbelly is:
- 100% solar powered
- holds 5 times more trash than a traditional trash can with the help of a built-in compactor
- an enclosed structure with a debris trap that prevents unauthorised persons and pests from accessing the debris
- analytical and compiles collected data to improve the efficiency of the emptying process
- connected and notifies the city when garbage collection needs to take place
- environmentally friendly through reduced transport and number of emptying sessions
- It's been great to see the litter issue, which is an important social problem, given so much space. When we activated the sounds in the bins, we could not in our wildest imagination predict that it would become international news, says Clara Kirandonis Persson to Sydsvenskan, who is a waste management coordinator at the Property and Street Office in Malmö.
Listen to the report from Swedish Radio, SVT Nyheter or read more about ECO Sound here.
