This report provides Transforma Insights’ view on the use of the Internet of Things for Waste Management. This segment comprises connected waste bins (such as those provided by Bigbelly), aftermarket monitoring devices for wheelie bins, and other refuse collection systems.
Connected Waste Management systems are being introduced to efficiently manage waste collection, reduce associated costs, and promote more sustainable ways to ensure the collection and disposal of garbage. Measuring the fill level in each bin is generally a core element of these solutions, and this is often achieved through the use of onboard ultrasound sensors. Typically, this data is then transmitted to a cloud-based waste management platform via wide area networks, in particular using Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) technologies. Some municipal waste collection schemes make use of RFID reader-equipped waste collection trucks that log data from active RFID tags deployed on waste bins processed along their route. These schemes aren’t focused on monitoring the fill level of
each bin, instead centering on correctly logging each collection to ensure correct billing and provision of service.
The report provides a detailed definition of the sector, analysis of market development and profiles of the key vendors in the space. It also provides a summary of the current status of adoption and Transforma Insights’ ten-year forecasts for the market. The forecasts include analysis of the number of IoT connections by geography, the technologies used and revenue.
A full set of forecast data, including country-level forecasts, sector break-downs and public/private network splits, is available through the IoT Forecast tool.
The report examines key factors that are influencing the development of the market, including:
This section of the report first discusses the functions of smart waste bins, such as capturing datapoints which help operators to determine when it is appropriate for waste to be collected before the bins reach their full capacity.
Next, it talks about the introduction of waste compactor-equipped bins in numerous cities, outlining their functionality and the efficiency improvements they bring, such as increased garbage capacity in a compact space, reducing the frequency of collection vehicle visits. For instance, CleanCUBE solar-powered trash compactor (which is produced by eCube Labs) activates the compaction cycle as soon as sensors detect that the bin is full, and through this process, can hold up to 8 times more waste than non-compression bins.
It also charts the connectivity technologies that are generally used to transmit the data between the bins and a central waste management system (including NB-IoT) and explains how RFID reader-equipped waste collection trucks are deployed by some municipal waste collection schemes. This section talks about some barriers (like the cost of smart waste bins and the budget constraints of the local authorities) that may hinder their deployment.
Some relevant IoT deployments in this application have also been included in this section, such as Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) network in the US partnering with Sensoneo for waste management.
This section of the report talks about the introduction of automated vacuum waste collection systems in many cities around the globe and the three components they rely on, including a centralised waste management facility for sorting and processing the waste that is collected from the vacuum stations. It then discusses in detail the benefits of such systems (like reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills). Case in point, a 2.5-mile-long underground tube system installed in Wembley Park, London, handles nearly 6,000 metric tonnes of waste per year, despite using only 15% of the space required by a traditional waste collection system.
It also discusses the barriers that may affect the adoption of these automated vacuum waste collection systems (like the complexity of the systems and their requirement to be carefully planned, designed, installed, and maintained for effective operations) but lists a few cases where the authorities have successfully incorporated these vacuum systems with existing infrastructure and some authorities who have been compelled to deploy these solutions as a standard in most new developments. To elucidate this further, the section then talks about what Envac (a Sweden-based underground waste management company) is doing, and in a tabular format, it lists Envac’s global deployments in Brazil, China, Denmark, India, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the UAE, the UK, and the US. For instance, at Barking Riverside, in London (UK), 460 waste inlets replaced 19,000 traditional bins with a total pipe length of 8.7 km, enabling Envac to process 16 tonnes of waste per day.
It also mentions the communication technologies that are deployed in these systems and the major advantages and disadvantages of these technologies. For instance, while LPWA technologies offer cost-effective options, they remain inconsistent in terms of coverage.
The key vendors section lists some of the main providers of products and services related to the waste management market such as, Enevo, Sensoneo, Evreka, NordSense, Ecube Labs, Bigbelly, and Envac. The report provides profiles of the various vendors, including aspects most relevant to this Application Group, such as product offerings, pricing, financial results, and technology.
In the market forecasts section, we provide a summary of the forecasts from the Transforma Insights IoT Forecast Database:
The report charts the growth in the number of connected waste management devices, which will grow from 878,000 in 2024 to 3.21 million in 2034.
Transforma Insights forecasts are compiled on a country-by-country basis. This report includes a regional summary, showing splits between Australasia, Greater China, North America, Europe, Japan, Latin America, MENA, Russia & Central Asia, South East Asia, South Korea, India & South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Transforma Insights’ IoT forecasts include splits between the various connectivity technologies as follows: 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G mMTC, 5G non-mMTC, LPWA (non-mMTC), Satellite, Short Range, and Other.
This section discusses which technologies will be used in the waste management application group.
This part of the report discusses the market growth in terms of revenue (module revenue, service wrap revenue, and VAC revenue). Transforma Insights estimates that the revenue in the Waste Management Application Group will grow at a CAGR of 15%.
