IoT Smart Trash Cans to Help Reduce City Garbage
Foreign Travelers Are Perplexed by the Lack of Trash Cans in Tokyo
According to a 2019 survey held by the Japan Tourism Agency, foreign visitors found the lack of trash cans to be the number one inconvenience when traveling in Japan.
"Compared to other cities that are popular tourist destinations, like New York and Paris, Tokyo has far fewer trash cans available on its streets. Foreign travelers seem to be very perplexed by this."
Quick to respond to this issue was the Harajuku-Omotesando Keyaki Organization, which represents the Harajuku-Omotesando shopping district. In October 2020, they installed 34 SmaGO bins along the sidewalks of Omotesando.
How are SmaGO bins different from regular trash cans?
"The biggest difference is capacity. When the bin fills up, a sensor is activated and compresses the garbage inside, so a SmaGO is able to hold about six times the volume of a regular trash can of the same size. A solar panel installed on the top of the bin generates the electricity needed for this, which makes it eco-friendly. Since it doesn't need to be plugged into an exterior power source, it can be installed anywhere. In addition, the bin is equipped with a communications function, which gives a real-time reading of how full it is to make garbage collection more efficient."
Many people have likely seen trash cans filled to the brim and left that way in crowded areas where garbage collection has not been able to keep up. SmaGO bins, with their high capacity and easy management of waste accumulation, present a solution to this problem.
Trash Cans Are More Useful When They Stand Out
Design is another major characteristic of SmaGO bins. All sides of the exterior can be decorated with colorful wraps.
"Until now, most trash cans were put in places where they don't stand out. But if we want to make it easier for people to throw away garbage, having bins that stand out is better," said Takemura as he explained the reasoning behind the wraps.
"We operate these SmaGO bins as an advertising medium and decorate them with designs whose main features are advertisements for companies and organizations supporting environmental initiatives. By making the bins stand out, these sponsoring companies are able to convey their messages to public users."
According to Takemura, the biggest issue with installing new trash cans is the cost. "Since the SmaGO can be operated as an advertising medium to produce profits in addition to having a system that reduces management labor, it can alleviate installation and management costs."
Fusion with Art to Create a Recycling-Oriented Society
An initiative called the Smart Action Project began in April 2023. In collaboration with HERALBONY Co., Ltd.*, SmaGO bins along Omotesando were decorated with works by artists with disabilities. The project aims to create a recycling-oriented society where people can dispose of waste properly while enjoying art.
*Art agency creating a new culture together with exceptional artists with disabilities
Furthermore, during the G7 Hiroshima Summit in 2023, SmaGO bins decorated with the works of artists from Hiroshima were installed in the International Media Center to promote the initiative to the participants.
As of July 2024, a total of 70 SmaGO bins have been installed in Tokyo. In addition to Omotesando, they can be found in places like Miyashita Park in Shibuya City and Oshinari Park in Sumida City. Around 400 SmaGO bins have been installed across Japan. Many local governments and large-scale facilities are moving ahead with preparations to install these smart trash cans.
Anticipation for Functions to Support Disaster Management
Takemura also shared some future plans for SmaGO.
"We're working with a certain company to verify the best way of installing trash cans based on data on the movement of people in the city. Using such data to determine where and how many bins to install will enable us to make trash disposal even more efficient. We also think that installing SmaGO bins in places where garbage collection is difficult, like on top of Mt. Fuji and in unmanned stations, would also have significance."
Takemura added that they are considering disaster management-related functions as well. For example, a function that uses the SmaGO's power storage to allow users to charge their smartphones, or changing the exterior of the bins to liquid crystal displays (LCD) that would show evacuation routes.
In terms of sorting trash, there are two types of SmaGO bins in Omotesando: one for glass bottles and cans and another for all other garbage including PET bottles.
"At a certain large-scale facility, we set up a SmaGO bin with a box exclusively for leftovers to begin a test on creating fertilizers. One of our challenges going forward is increasing the recycling rate of the garbage we collect," said Takemura.
Waste disposal is a major social issue. SmaGO bins are likely to become a crucial initiative in supporting a sustainable society by reducing labor, cost and litter and protecting the cityscape.
Takemura Yohei
