Waste Management Fleet Tracking: Is It the Game-Changer We Think It Is?

Introduction

The waste management world is a whirlwind—trash keeps stacking up faster than we can haul it away. Economic booms, runaway consumption, and industrial sprawl have buried us in municipal solid waste, especially in urban cities. What a Waste 2.0 from The World Bank clocks global waste at over 2 billion metric tons yearly, with a third mismanaged, and predicts a spike to 3.40 billion metric tons by 2050—a 70% leap that dwarfs population growth.

In India alone, a densely populated city like Chennai goes from dumping 3000 metric tons of waste in 2001 to 6130 metric tons in 2023 daily, and it’s only gotten worse. The question here is: how many metric tons of waste are being mismanaged here? MyRFID has been on top of introducing the latest trends, such as using radio waves and sensors to standardize the entire process of smart city sanitation.

With our support, the Chennai Smart City Waste Management System has tracked over 80% of the total metric tons of waste daily with real-time data and improved waste segregation by reducing collection delays. This is nothing new when it comes to using the right technology at the right time, but solutions are endless, and MyRFID has been using this potential with the latest tech from the front.

What’s So Hard About Tracking Garbage?

As mentioned earlier, the World Bank says 33% of waste isn’t handled safely in countries with vast populations because of poor sanitation systems. The surge in population makes everything very difficult to manage and organize without leaving anyone to complain.

Picture a garbage truck going through streets; it picks up the garbage from a myriad of different places, from residential societies to commercial food courts and others. An average municipality needs to know if it hit every bin, emptied them, and dodged wasteful detours. 

Waste management fleet tracking steps in here. MyRFID offers GPS trackers to map routes and nag drivers who miss nodes. Both aim to deliver real-time eyes on the fleet, slashing costs and complaints.

However, waste management doesn’t stop here. It’s treating the waste collected in the first place efficiently that makes the difference. Technically speaking, MyRFID reader, controller, antenna, tag, and other products oversee everything related to tracking garbage. 

How It’s Supposed to Work

1. Smart Garbage Bin Monitoring

MyRFID smart bin tags allow users to identify and record all bin assets to track, communicate, and restrain unauthorized use of bins. A clear and accurate overview of all bin assets is key to smart city sanitation and the very first step leading to smart waste management. The RFID tag and sensors provides instant access to the quantity, location, and bin structure and offers easy and quick identification. Clarity in your smart waste bin infrastructure within a simple solution.

rfid metal tag for smart bins

2. GPS Fleet Tracking & Route Optimization

Users can make use of GPS technology to geo-fence’ around specific areas that fall under different places. This ensures that vehicles stay within designated service areas at the right time or to alert management if a vehicle enters or leaves a certain location. This level of operational control reduces fuel consumption, lowers overall costs, and improves efficiency.

3. RFID-Based Waste Disposal Supervision

Waste bins and garbage trucks are fitted with RFID tags, each one containing unique IDs. As soon as a bin is taken to be dumped into the vehicle, an RFID reader scans the tags, records when, where, and how much waste was accumulated, and sends this data to the central system, which either flags or stores the information. This waste disposal system can later be used for report-making and comparing the efficiency checks and waste segregation compliance.

4. Smart Waste Disposal & Incineration

To answer the question of how many metric tons of waste are being burned every day, it is imported to place a UHF RFID vehicle tag near the weighbridge of the garbage truck. UHF or ultra-high frequency, can read at ranges as far as 12 meters and can achieve ranges of 100 meters or more, making it efficient to know the weight of the waste without going close before burning it. After burning, the RFID equipment writes the code again before the vehicle leaves, indicating that the vehicle has completed the operation.

5. Real-Time Data & Analytics Dashboard

Every single piece of data from each RFID tag, sensor, antenna, or reader monitoring gargabe levels, time schedule, and vehicle movement is collected on a platform that organizes these data into different categories for better clarity. The dashboard of this platform covers everything related to waste bins and geofenced areas to give the provider a better understanding of what is going on exactly.

What Counts as “Tracking” Anyway?

MyRFID calls waste management fleet tracking a step-by-step flow of Bluetooth signals and GPS pings, breaking down bin locations and truck moves for better results, with an AC signal from the RFID reader inducing voltage in a tag’s coil, powering it to send data back via load modulation.

But that’s narrow. Real-world tracking might mean predicting overflows or rerouting mid-storm—stuff beyond these systems’ scripts.

Mounted UHF RFID equipment is fixed to the garbage truck, combining a reader with a flat antenna. The rfid reader sends out radio waves, powering up battery-free tags on each bin. These tags send back unique IDs, helping track pickups and waste movement. With a range of 0–12 meters, the system sends data to MyRFID’s platform, turning signals into useful information.

Why is MyRFID’s Vehicle Access Control System the Next Big Thing?

Just like every other RFID system, MyRFID consists of three main components, namely a reader that sends and receives radio waves, followed by an rfid antenna that transmits radio signals to tags and receives responses, and lastly, a tag attached to the vehicle that responds to the reader’s signals by transmitting data.

When the garbage truck picks up or empties a bin, the UHF RFID reader scans the tag on the bin.

The system records the bin’s ID and the time of collection and then sends this data to the server through the vehicle’s DTU. This confirms the bin has been empty for the day.

The system updates the bin’s status:

• If the bin is emptied, it shows green on the interface for 24 hours.
• If no new scan happens within 24 hours, the system marks the bin as not emptied and changes the status to red.

Another instance is when the sweeper shifts into cleaning mode; it actively scans surfaces for dirt, debris, or contamination, fine-tuning its coverage. This status is transmitted via DTU to the central server to keep the system updated. At the same time, the supervision centre tracks every vehicle in real-time, plotting them on an electronic map with dynamic data: vehicle ID, license plate, GPS coordinates, speed, direction, operation mode, alerts, and system status.

This process ensures every bin’s status is tracked, allowing for efficient digital waste management. Moreover, daily tracking logs of garbage can cleaning and dumping record statuses within 24 hours. Unattended bins trigger system alerts, flagging missed cleanups. The truck’s onboard GPS locks in real-time locations, mapping waste movement as the vehicle rolls through the city.

Case Study: Chennai Smart City Waste Management System

As mentioned earlier, MyRFID has partnered with the Solid Waste Management Department of Chennai in Tamil Nadu to support them with their ongoing challenges in waste management towards a step toward a cleaner, more sustainable Chennai.

Implementation of IoT-based Waste Management

Our agreement allowed us to provide our state-of-the-art IoT, GPS fleet tracking, and RFID-based solutions in full force for a smarter, technology-driven approach. During the discussion, we came to a mutual agreement by understanding the current challenges and were ready to provide the sensors, UHF RFID tags, readers and other applications to see what impact they will create in the real-world.

Key Components:

• RFID tags on garbage bins for real-time tracking
• GPS-enabled fleet tracking for waste collection vehicles
• Fill-level sensors in public waste bins

Results:

With RFID tracking, public transport vehicles use RFID technology to manage assets like waste bins and streetlights, ensuring they are well-maintained and work efficiently. Additionally, RFID-enabled smart grids and AI-powered tools help cities use energy more efficiently, reducing waste and supporting sustainability.

Likewise, RFID-tagged waste bins with IoT sensors notify authorities when they need to be emptied, helping to improve waste collection routes and lower costs. Overall, the city of Chennai quickly overcame some of the technical aspects of waste management with smart MyRFID technologies. Our innovations along the way helped them to start a groundbreaking revolution to treat waste as efficiently as one can with millions of metric tons produced daily.