Waste matters in the City of Casey

The City of Casey in Victoria has adopted a technological solution to improve waste collection efficiencies, lower costs and reduce litter across its key public spaces.

The city signed a commercial contract with sustainability technology company Matter to equip bins in public spaces with smart waste sensors. Data collected — including bin volumes, collection times and days, fill levels, estimated CO₂ and bin visits — will initially be used to improve waste collection rosters and routes, and reduce costs.

City of Casey Sustainability and Waste Manager Michael Jansen said the council had used remote sensing technology to achieve efficiencies in environmental monitoring on closed landfills for some time now.

“Casey is excited about partnering with the team at Matter. Their technology will further support our innovative practices and enhance our litter bin service within the community,” Jansen said.

“Good-quality data will provide … greater insights into what is happening in the community. This will allow us to plan more efficient collection schedules, respond more effectively and be proactive to ensure delivery of a high-quality and cost-effective service.”

Along with councils and businesses across Australia, Matter is on a bold mission to supply all residential homes with their technology and user apps by 2025, enabling councils to offer the incentive schemes required to drive consumer waste reduction within the home.

Matter Managing Director Martin McGinty said the company was thrilled to be selected to roll out the technology across the municipality, signifying a crucial first step in using waste sensing to address the waste crisis.

“The City of Casey is already leading the way in community waste management and we are thrilled to be able to support them to further innovate in this space,” McGinty said.

“Our existing projects have shown that not only are there significant efficiencies available with our technology when used in public spaces, but it has clear benefits in terms of reduced traffic, public safety and litter reduction.

“In one case, our data found that up to 80% of bin attendances were unnecessary. This data is only the start of what waste sensing is capable of when you have access to the right technology and user apps,” he said.