With its smart network, E-Garbage points the way to waste management of the future. Its wireless sensor network creates an information system that permits optimizing routes and warns of malfunctions.

Researchers from the University of Seville and the Andalusian company Wellness Telecom have developed a smart system that detects the fullness of garbage containers, and chooses each day the optimal collection route in order to combine collection points. These routes change dynamically as a function of the quantity of waste in each zone, thus optimizing the use of trucks and resources.

In order to create this network, the company uses two types of sensors, depending on the type of waste. The first type is infrared, located at different heights in the container, which shows if the container is full or simply obstructed. This is very useful for large, inflexible waste such as cardboard. The second type is a volumetric sensor using ultrasound which, placed near the top of the container, sends an alert when it’s full.

In order to transmit information from the container a wireless network is used, in a free frequency band. A switchboard receives the data and a special software application calculates the most appropriate collection route, before the garbage trucks begin their rounds. Further, when a container used for recycling is full or damaged this will be detected immediately, allowing collection or repair services to respond more quickly.

Wellness Telecom was founded in 2008 by three telecommunications engineers. The company is specialized in remote monitoring using sensors, custom videoconferencing and collaborative software to improve bidirectional communications.