Swing handles help put the squeeze on litter

Swing handles and hinges from Telford-based access hardware manufacturer Industrilas have been specified as part of a new, automated smart wastebin that is delivering significant cost savings to municipal authorities – as well as helping to keep towns and cities tidier.

MR Fill is a unique waste bin which harnesses solar power to drive a compactor that compresses the litter which people feed into it. By reducing down the volume of the rubbish in this way, a typical MR Fill bin can hold up to five times as much as an ordinary standard bin of the same size – which results in far fewer visits being needed to empty it. Some of the numbers involved in the collection of this type of  waste are surprising – in Amsterdam the council empties normal bins up to seven times a day, a number that is now massively reduced thanks to the MR Fill solar powered compactor bins.

So the advantages seen from this clever design include reduced vehicle emissions by cutting down council truck journeys, less congestion on the roads, and a tidier environment. Cost savings to authorities of up to 75% are claimed by the manufacturers of MR Fill bins.

Launched with a 120 litre capacity, the product portfolio has since grown to include 240 litre versions: and the bins themselves are said to be 98% recyclable. All bins can be connected to MR Fill’s bespoke digital platform called Smart City Manager which communicates with the bins 24 times a day via an app, allowing precise condition monitoring and obviating unnecessary visits to check bins which don’t actually need looking at.

Industrilas provides swing handles and hinges for the MR Fill smart bins, with the products featuring on every version as the uptake spreads across Europe. The swing handles, available in various sizes and in a variety of materials and finishes, are used to lock and open each MR Fill smart bin. Industrilas also supplies the hinges featured on the lids of each model in the MR Fill range too. These are just part of a large hinge range that encompasses many different types including lift off, concealed, friction, internal and external in a number of metal and plastic finishes.

The contract is a significant one for Swedish manufacturer Industrilas, with smart waste bins now being used in 30 countries and growing. “High quality is still the main focus for us,” says MR Fill’s Theo Kik. “Our products should always be top quality and with a solid partner like Industrilas providing great solutions, we never have problems with the handles and hinges.”