Anatomy of a smart bio-waste collection system

A smart bio-waste collection system has three parts: the bin, the collection truck and a central cloud platform. The key difference from systems for recyclables is that bio-waste rots. The bin does not wait to fill up: it is emptied often, washed often, and the sensors must withstand moisture, acids and washing.

The bin: the essentials and the options

Component	Role	Needed for bio-waste?
RFID tag (UHF)	Identifies the bin and its owner when it is emptied	Yes, it is the basis for measurement and “pay as you throw”
Ultrasonic sensor	Measures fill level	Useful for shared street bins and large producers, not for household bins
Microcontroller and communication module (NB-IoT, LTE-M or LoRaWAN)	Sends data to the platform	Together with the fill-level sensor
Temperature or gas sensor	Warning of odours or fire	Optional, useful in summer
Accelerometer	Records emptying, tipping over or vandalism	Optional
GPS/GNSS	Bin location	Usually unnecessary, since bins don’t move
Weight sensor in the bin	Weighing at source	Usually unnecessary, weighing is done on the truck
Access-controlled lid with card	Opens only for registered users	For shared bins with “pay as you throw”

For bio-waste, collection frequency depends mainly on odours, not on fill level. That is why a fill-level sensor brings less benefit than for glass or paper, while identification and weighing add more value.

The truck: where measurement happens

• RFID reader and antenna on the lifter, reading every bin that is emptied.
• On-board weighing on the lifting arms per bin. This is the most important component for bio-waste.
• GPS and driver tablet with the day’s routing.
• AI camera (new since 2021). It detects plastics and other contaminants as the bin is emptied and links them to the bin’s RFID. One example is c-detect by c-trace in Germany.

The platform: from data to decisions

Bin and vehicle data end up in a cloud database. The platform has three roles:

1. Management: indicators by route, neighbourhood and producer, together with reports to waste authorities and the ministry.
2. Routing: routes are calculated automatically and sent to the vehicle (see article 5).
3. Citizens: a mobile app with schedules, guidance, requests and rewards (see article 6).

The platform can be a subscription service (SaaS) or proprietary. Either way, the municipality must own the data and be able to export it in an open format.

What has changed since 2021

• The end of 3G. Cosmote switched off 3G in 2022, Vodafone and Nova in 2023. So GSM/3G devices have no place in new tenders (see article 4).
• From measurement to quality control. With the 2027 rule on counting recycling, the purity of the stream becomes a measurable quantity.
• Funding. The “Smart Cities” programme for 315 municipalities (around €230 million) included “smart bins” among its eligible actions.

Checklist for technical specifications

• Ingress protection rating and resistance to bin washing for every electronic component in the bin
• Battery life under real transmission conditions
• On-board weighing with certified accuracy, essential if you will charge by weight
• Open APIs and data ownership by the municipality
• A communication network that will still exist in 10 years
• GDPR compliance, since RFID is linked to households

Sources

• Rentzou P., Master’s thesis, Hellenic Open University, 2021 (ch. 5, 6, 9)
• IDS Imaging / c-trace, AI impurity detection in organic waste
• Wireless Logic, Global 2G & 3G network closures
• Powergame, Smart Cities programme (16/6/2022)

The series is based on P. Rentzou’s master’s thesis “Separate collection of bio-waste: innovations and IoT collection systems” (Hellenic Open University, 2021), updated with 2026 data. This article is for information only; for current obligations, refer to the legislation in force.