Vodafone 5G revolutionises waste management in New Zealand

Vodafone New Zealand has partnered with Waste Management to look at revolutionising the recycling business and increase employee safety with innovative 5G powered smart bins and vehicle inspection solutions.

• Smart bins use Vodafone 5G and powerful AI to deliver real-time video showing when the bins are full and what’s being thrown away.

• Waste collectors can identify vehicle issues and fix them immediately by using an augmented reality app on Vodafone’s 5G network.

• Together with Vodafone New Zealand, Waste Management is helping to revolutionise safety, recycling efficiency and customer service thanks to 5G.

Vodafone and Waste Management are developing applications and concepts that with a high-speed, ultra-low latency 5G network can help transform the recycling business in New Zealand.

No waste with smart bins

Smart bins use real-time video and powerful AI to monitor their own capacity. Using 5G, a bin will only request a truck when it needs emptying, saving time and resources.

In future, Smart Bins will also detect what people are throwing away, analysing whether an item belongs in the bin or not. For example, if someone puts a pizza box into cardboard recycling, any food left on the box can prevent the whole bin from being recycled. In such cases, a smart bin would immediately notify Waste Management.

Simpler vehicle inspections with 5G

Safety is a priority for Waste Management because their staff is often working in remote areas or late at night. Regular vehicle inspections are crucial, but time consuming.

5G and augmented reality means drivers can simply point their smartphone camera at any part of their vehicle, letting an app do the troubleshooting for them. In case of an issue, the app would allow drivers to report any issue in real time, even while on the road.

The future of the recycling business in New Zealand with Vodafone 5G is all set to be revolutionised.