Planned smart bins will tell West Lothian Council when they are full

West Lothian  will soon have litter bins which are smarter than your average bin.

And while you won’t get a response if you ask one: “Who’s a clever bin then?”, they will tell  West Lothian Council when they are full.

The council believes it will mean cleaner streets and better use of  its staff.

There will be a review of the 2,000 bins  in the county and plans  will target  bins in heavily littered areas   to  improve the service.

A report to the council’s Environment PDSP said the new smart bins will have sensors. The report claims sensors “wirelessly communicate with the service’s asset management software to accurately monitor the usage of litter bins and will also provide trend analysis including evidence of low usage, identifying when bins need to be removed or relocated. The sensors will also inform the service when bins need to be emptied, improving service efficiency”.

The review is looking for input from local communities on the best places  to site litter bins.

he work is part of the Cleaner Communities operations which has an annual budget of £2.4 million.