Waste contractors Biffa trial internet-connected bins in Stratford district
IF a trial scheme proves successful, what householders put in their bins will be digitally recorded and reported back to authorities in charge of waste collection.
Biffa, waste contractors for Stratford District Council, is trialling internet-connected bins in the district which, it says, could revolutionise the understanding of household food waste collections.
The pioneering system uses advanced industrial sensors to collect real-time data on service participation and location.
The sensors are attached to the wheelie-bins into which food waste is emptied to record the neighbourhoods where caddies are put out for collection. The data is transmitted to the Contel Connected cloud platform before it is forwarded for analysis by Biffa experts.
With a 99.8 per cent accuracy rate, the system provides detailed insights into what food waste is being put out without apparently tracking individual addresses.
When asked by the Herald if Biffa would at some point use the technology to identify individual recycling offenders, a spokesperson said that enforcement was up to the district council, but that generally the approach was to encourage recycling using “a carrot rather than a stick”.
They went on to point out that participation rates were currently pleasing.
“Initial trial results have been promising,” they said. “Operatives reported no disruption to their routines, and participation rates are significantly higher than the 50 per cent benchmark advised by charity Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). These insights highlight the potential for targeted promotional campaigns in areas with lower engagement, helping councils boost household recycling rates where it matters most.”
The innovative technology comes ahead of the introduction of mandatory food waste recycling coming into law for both residents and businesses from April 2026, under the government’s ‘Simpler Recycling’ legislation.
Steve Cole, managing director of Biffa Municipal, commented: “Simpler Recycling will see the introduction of mandatory household food waste collections from April 2026, so it’s vital we understand service participation to help deliver better value and more sustainable solutions to our local authority clients and their residents.
“While currently focused on municipal food waste, the technology could be adapted for other waste streams in the future. The long-term vision is to deploy a rotating set of smart bins across waste rounds, enabling continuous data sampling.
“We’re empowering councils with precise data, paving the way for smarter, greener waste management.”
Julie Lewis, Stratford District Council’s head of environmental & neighbourhood services, said: “We welcome any innovation that provides deeper insight into how our residents engage with kerbside recycling services and the district council is pleased to support the trial of this innovative food waste bin technology. Access to accurate data is key to improving recycling behaviours, enabling us to identify whe