Smart bin revolution led to people doubling the amount of plastic they trash

In just five months, the equivalent of 3.1 million plastic bottles was collected in 40 villages

Smart iBiNs were launched in Pembroke last November
Smart iBiNs were launched in Pembroke last November

One of Malta’s recycling waste collection firms has recorded a “dramatic increase” in plastics recovery following the introduction of its smart iBiNs at the beginning of this year.

The latest figures show that between January and May, over 253,000 kilograms of plastics were recovered, equivalent to 3,162,500 plastic bottles – double the same period last yer.

“As these figures amply show, iBiNs are positively impacting on recycling in both Malta and Gozo as they are making it easier and more efficient for people to recycle, anytime, anywhere,” GreenPak’s CEO Mario Schembri said.

Earlier in the year, iBiNs replaced all the previous recycling skips in all 40 localities served by Greenpak. The new technology enabled people to recycle 24/7, thanks to sensors in the bin that alert the company when they are close to overflowing. The bins are able to measure their fill-level and transmit the information to a central system using Narrowband Internet of Things technology, brought to Malta for the first time by Vodafone Malta.

“Following last month’s official launch of the iBiNs link, in collaboration with Vodafone, more significant results are expected in the coming months as this link via mobile phone will be directing the person to the nearest empty iBiN, meaning more efficient use of time and less driving trying to locate an empty bin.”

GreenPak said that during the first five months of 2019, it also registered a 39% increase in recovered paper and glass materials when compared to the same period in 2018. “From over 651,000kg last year, the total figure for both paper and glass over the past five months has increased to more than 882,000kg.”

“Using our latest technological system, today we know that in 2019 there has not been a single day when citizens did not use GreenPak’s iBiNs to recycle.”