Garbage Trucks With Cameras Will Report On Residents Who Put Rubbish In The Wrong Bins

If you have been carelessly placing waste in the wrong coloured bin, or telling fibs to the council about putting your bins out, be warned.

New state-of-the-art garbage trucks fitted with cameras will this week begin rolling around Shepparton. The vehicles will help Greater Shepparton City Council deal with complaints and identify sources of contamination.

Council environments manager Greg McKenzie said the new vehicles could identify offenders and follow up by delivering information to deter such behaviour.

The trucks will also help the council with disputes, such as providing proof on whether or not complaining residents had put their bins out for collection. “It gives us a lot more surety (with) complaints we receive,” Mr McKenzie said.

When the introduction of the new eight-year contract was announced in June, Wheelie Waste director Gary Barton said the long-term benefit to ratepayers was extending the life of the municipal landfill and that the camera system could verify reports of contractors missing bins.

Mr McKenzie explained that those identified as contaminating their bins would be sent letters that would include education material of what should go where.

“This will be an ongoing process, not just something we’re doing while bins are rolled out,” he said.

He said the new trucks would travel along residential streets and take a photo of every bin on the street.

Mr McKenzie said if a resident complained their bin was missed, the council would then be able to confirm whether the fault was the resident’s or the contractor’s.

Furthermore, he said cameras inside the vehicles, operated from the cabin of the truck, would investigate each load of waste and tag properties where contamination was evident.

“The other thing to remember — this is technology being developed over the years with contamination of waste streams in mind,” Mr McKenzie said.

“If there is contamination, we can just take a screenshot.”

Article courtesy of the Shepparton News

 

Wheelie Waste Head Office
3 Chatham Court
Warrnambool
Victoria 3280

Phone: (03) 55643 700
Phone: 1800 999 690
Fax: (03) 5562 0847

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