Bin bug

Last updated

The bin bugs can only be attached to wheelie bins, which not all British households currently possess. Bin.JPG
The bin bugs can only be attached to wheelie bins, which not all British households currently possess.

The term "bin bug" was coined in August 2006 by the British media to refer to the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips by some local councils to monitor the amount of domestic waste created by each household. The system works by having a unique RFID chip for each household's non-recycling wheelie bin (such households have two bins: one for general waste and one recycling bin). The chip is scanned by the dustbin lorry and, as it lifts the bin, records the weight of the contents. This is then stored in a central database that monitors the non-recycled waste output of each household. [1] [2]

Contents

History

In August 2006, it was reported that five Ulster councils had installed chips in household wheelie bins [3] , and that three more local councils were about to trial the technology. [4] Paul Bettison, the chairman of the Local Government Association's environment board, said that if pilot schemes received approval from the government and were successful, weighing schemes could be commonplace across the country within two years. [4] While some councils informed the householders of their intentions to monitor their waste output many others did not. [1] Worcester City Council, for example, detailed their plans through local newspaper Worcester News in August 2005. [5] Aberdeen City Council kept the scheme quiet until a local newspaper ran the story; the council declared no intention to operate or bring the system online but did not rule out future use. [6] Some councillors said that the purpose of the "bin bugs" was to settle disputes about the ownership of the bins, but others mentioned that the system is a trial and means that they are more prepared should the government introduce a household waste tax. The tax would be in the form of a charge for households that exceed set limits of non-recycled waste. [1] [7] With recycling in the UK amongst the lowest percentage in Europe at 18%, a new tax scheme would have the intention of encouraging domestic recycling and meeting European landfill reduction targets. [4]

Each RFID chip costs around £2, with each scanning system costing around £15,000. The Local Government Association (LGA) provided £5 million to councils to fund 40 pilot schemes. [4] They are supplied by two rival German companies: Sulo and Deister Electronic. Mr Bettison said that although removing a device from a bin "would not break any law", in the future a local authority might have grounds to refuse to empty the bin. [1]

European Directives

The motivation behind the RFID chips are to monitor the production of landfill waste so that councils can comply with the European Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC. "" The standard regulating RFID tags for the waste industry is EN 14803 Identification and/or determination of the quantity of waste.

Removing the bug

The RFID tag is located in a recess under the front lip of the bin, either as a self-contained unit or behind a plastic cap. [8] [9] [10]

There is some debate as to the legality of removing the RFID chip. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waste management</span> Activities and actions required to manage waste from its source to its final disposal

Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment, and disposal of waste, together with monitoring and regulation of the waste management process and waste-related laws, technologies, and economic mechanisms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Landfill</span> Site for the disposal of waste materials

A landfill site, also known as a tip, dump, rubbish dump, garbage dump, or dumping ground, is a site for the disposal of waste materials. Landfill is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal, although the systematic burial of the waste with daily, intermediate and final covers only began in the 1940s. In the past, refuse was simply left in piles or thrown into pits; in archeology this is known as a midden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive</span> European Union recycling directive

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive is a European Community Directive, numbered 2012/19/EU, concerned with waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Together with the RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU, it became European Law in February 2003. The WEEE Directive set collection, recycling and recovery targets for all types of electrical goods, with a minimum rate of 4 kilograms (9 lb) per head of population per annum recovered for recycling by 2009. The RoHS Directive set restrictions upon European manufacturers as to the material content of new electronic equipment placed on the market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illegal dumping</span> Act of dumping waste illegally

Illegal dumping, also called fly dumping or fly tipping (UK), is the dumping of waste illegally instead of using an authorized method such as curbside collection or using an authorized rubbish dump. It is the illegal deposit of any waste onto land, including waste dumped or tipped on a site with no license to accept waste. The United States Environmental Protection Agency developed a “profile” of the typical illegal dumper. Characteristics of offenders include local residents, construction and landscaping contractors, waste removers, scrap yard operators, and automobile and tire repair shops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Municipal solid waste</span> Type of waste consisting of everyday items discarded by the public

Municipal solid waste (MSW), commonly known as trash or garbage in the United States and rubbish in Britain, is a waste type consisting of everyday items that are discarded by the public. "Garbage" can also refer specifically to food waste, as in a garbage disposal; the two are sometimes collected separately. In the European Union, the semantic definition is 'mixed municipal waste,' given waste code 20 03 01 in the European Waste Catalog. Although the waste may originate from a number of sources that has nothing to do with a municipality, the traditional role of municipalities in collecting and managing these kinds of waste have produced the particular etymology 'municipal.'

Pay as you throw (PAYT) is a usage-pricing model for disposing of municipal solid waste. Users are charged a rate based on how much waste they present for collection to the municipality or local authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waste collection</span> Transfer of refuse from origin to treatment or landfill facility

Waste collection is a part of the process of waste management. It is the transfer of solid waste from the point of use and disposal to the point of treatment or landfill. Waste collection also includes the curbside collection of recyclable materials that technically are not waste, as part of a municipal landfill diversion program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waste container</span> Container to temporarily store waste

A waste container, also known as a dustbin, garbage can, and trash can, is a type of container that is usually made out of metal or plastic. The words "rubbish", "basket" and "bin" are more common in British English usage; "trash" and "can" are more common in American English usage. "Garbage" may refer to food waste specifically or to municipal solid waste in general.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kerbside collection</span>

Kerbside collection or curbside collection is a service provided to households, typically in urban and suburban areas, of collecting and disposing of household waste and recyclables. It is usually accomplished by personnel using specially built vehicles to pick up household waste in containers that are acceptable to, or prescribed by, the municipality and are placed on the kerb.

A landfill tax or levy is a form of tax that is applied in some countries to increase the cost of landfill. The tax is typically levied in units of currency per unit of weight or volume. The tax is in addition to the overall cost of landfill and forms a proportion of the gate fee.

The Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme, LATS, is an initiative by the UK government, through DEFRA to help reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) sent to landfill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorset County Council</span> Former local authority in England

Dorset County Council (DCC) was the county council for the county of Dorset in England. It provided the upper tier of local government, below which were district councils, and town and parish councils. The county council had 46 elected councillors and was based at County Hall in Dorchester. The council was abolished on 31 March 2019 as part of structural changes to local government in Dorset.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green bin</span>

A green bin is a large, movable, rigid plastic or metal container that contains biodegradable waste or compostable materials as a means to divert waste from landfills. In some local authorities, green bins are also used to contain unsorted municipal solid waste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recycling in the Republic of Ireland</span>

Rates of household recycling in Ireland have increased dramatically since the late 1990s. The Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the agency with overall responsibility for environmental protection in Ireland and monitors rates of recycling in Ireland along with other measures of environmental conditions in Ireland. The EPA, along with Repak, the principal organisation for packaging recycling in Ireland, report on recycling rates each year. In 2012 Ireland’s municipal solid waste (MSW) recycling rate was 34%, while the rate of packaging recycling reached 79%. The amount of municipal waste generated per person per year in Ireland has fallen significantly in recent years. This figure remains above the European Union annual municipal waste average of 503 kg per person, however. Each local council in Ireland has considerable control over recycling, so recycling practices vary to some extent across the country. Most waste that is not recycled is disposed of in landfill sites.

Recycling in the Netherlands is under the responsibility of local authorities. Different localities implement different systems. Municipalities all over the country publish a calendar, on a yearly basis, of the pickup dates and the addresses of the waste separation and recycling stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recycling in the United Kingdom</span>

In 2015, 43.5% of the United Kingdom's municipal waste was recycled, composted or broken down by anaerobic digestion. The majority of recycling undertaken in the United Kingdom is done by statutory authorities, although commercial and industrial waste is chiefly processed by private companies. Local Authorities are responsible for the collection of municipal waste and operate contracts which are usually kerbside collection schemes. The Household Waste Recycling Act 2003 required local authorities in England to provide every household with a separate collection of at least two types of recyclable materials by 2010. Recycling policy is devolved to the administrations of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales who set their own targets, but all statistics are reported to Eurostat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waste management in Switzerland</span>

The waste management in Switzerland is based on the polluter pays principle. Bin bags are taxed with pay-per-bag fees in three quarters of the communes. The recycling rate doubled in 20 years due to this strategy. The recycling rate for municipal solid waste exceeds 50 percent.

Food waste in New Zealand is one of the many environmental issues that is being addressed by industry, individuals and government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waste in New Zealand</span>

The management of waste in New Zealand has become more regulated to reduce associated environmental issues. According to OECD data, New Zealand is the third most wasteful country in the OECD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recycling in Australia</span> Method of waste management in Australia

Recycling in Australia is a widespread, and comprehensive part of waste management in Australia, with 60% of all waste collected being recycled. Recycling is collected from households, commercial businesses, industries and construction. Despite its prominence, household recycling makes up only a small part (13%) of Australia's total recycling. It generally occurs through kerbside recycling collections such as the commingled recycling bin and food/garden organics recycling bin, drop-off and take-back programs, and various other schemes. Collection and management of household recycling typically falls to local councils, with private contractors collecting commercial, industrial and construction recycling. In addition to local council regulations, legislation and overarching policies are implemented and managed by the state and federal governments.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 thisislondon.co.uk. 26 August 2006. "Germans plant bugs in our wheelie bins Archived November 16, 2006, at the Wayback Machine ". Accessed 1 September 2006.
  2. ↑ "HOW THE BIN BUG WORKS - Mirror Online". The Mirror. 28 August 2006. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  3. ↑ McBride, Sam (28 August 2006). "Secret chip that checks what you put in your bin | BelfastTelegraph.co.uk". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 BBC News. 27 August 2006. "Bugged bins to promote recycling". Accessed 5 September 2006.
  5. ↑ 31 August 2006. Berrow's Worcester Journal
  6. ↑ 31 August 2006 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Outrage over secret bugs in rubbish bins Accessed 31 August 2006.
  7. ↑ Leyden, John. The Register . 29 August 2006. "Wheelie bin bugging foreshadows 'rubbish tax'". Accessed 1 September 2006.
  8. ↑ Is your bin bugged?
  9. ↑ Removing the Bin Bug Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  10. ↑ Another day... Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  11. ↑ The Great Bin Bug Revolt Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.