Making Trash Invisible
How existing automated waste collection technology helps put waste out of sight and out of mind.
Introduction:
Imagine how trash will be managed in major global cities 50 years from now. It’s hard to part from the image of black, blue, and green bins scattered through cities, picked up by waste trucks, and transferred to waste facilities. Yet, for the success of our future cities in which real estate will become even more scarce and more expensive, we must question and rethink how we store waste. There is pneumatic waste technology that is tackling this very thing. It’s called an automatic waste collection system, and here’s how it works.
An automatic waste collection system is a network of underground pipes that holds and periodically pushes waste through these pipes to an off-site waste storage room. Pneumatic means operated by air under pressure, and it is with a vacuum effect that air pushes loose waste through these pipes. Initially, a piece of trash meets the system at an inlet, or through the opening at which the pipe starts above ground before disappearing underground. Each inlet represents a waste stream. For example, in San Francisco, there would be three inlets placed next to each other - one for compost, one for recycle, and one for landfill.
If automatic waste collection systems work well, then you might be wondering why you have never heard of it before. This is because it is unlikely that a fully automated waste collection system will exist in today’s cities because of the high cost of digging underground and retrofitting each development with inlets. The cities that you and I live in, will have to keep searching for alternative ways to better store and manage waste.
Yet, for emerging and planned cities of the future, this could be a worthwhile investment. Here are the key advantages and disadvantages of an automated waste collection system.
Key Advantages:
Space savings. Square footage reserved for waste rooms can be replaced by other uses.
Reduced vehicle miles travelled and emissions. Waste trucks would replace all of their urban routes with one route to the off-site waste storage room.
Reduced noise pollution. The sound of the engine, bins thrusted against the pavement, and back-up alarms from waste trucks add to noise pollution. By taking a majority of waste trucks off of city streets, noise pollution is reduced.
Increased road safety. Less waste trucks on the road means reduced likelihood of crashes with pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.
Inlets are infinite. Inlets cannot overflow with waste in the same way that traditional waste bins overflow.
No vermin or pests. The underground tubes and off-site waste storage rooms are inhospitable to vermin and pests.
No stench. The frequent movement of waste through the pipes and automatic pipe cleaning technology eliminates odors.
Reduced plastic bag waste. Traditional waste bins are lined with plastic bags. Inlets and pipes can handle loose waste.
Reduced operating costs. The number of waste haulers, waste trucks, staff, and space needed to run waste operations is reduced.
Key Disadvantages:
High capital expense costs. This system is expensive to design and install. For example, capital costs for a development in London amounted to over $14 million.
Cities will not be completely free of waste trucks. Waste that does not fit into inlets or miscellaneous waste streams such as hazardous waste will require special pick-ups.
Inflexible infrastructure. If cities redefine their waste streams, then adding or subtracting inlets would be costly.
Space take of the waste storage room. The waste storage room is where all of the pipes end and feed into large waste containers. Significant open space is required for an off-site waste storage room.
Case Studies:
Example of inlets and underground pipe network.
Example of off-site waste waste storage room.
