Varde Cuts Waste Collection 21% With Smart Bins

Varde had replaced 160 small, often overfilled bins with 30 large semi-underground containers across beaches and rest areas. As the number of large containers grew, it became difficult to know which ones needed emptying. The municipality emptied all containers on each round, but the route was about 200 km and could no longer reliably be completed in one working day. Varde therefore needed a way to target collection trips more precisely.

The plan was to combine large containers with IoT fill sensors and supplier-managed data analysis. Instead of relying on fixed rounds, Varde would use fill-level alerts and reports to decide when and where to empty containers. The supplier handles platform operation, sensor maintenance and data processing, while municipal staff use the information for route planning.

Varde estimates that sensors avoid about eight collection rounds per year. Because each round is about 200 km, this equals 1,600 km less driving, 615 liters less diesel and about 1.6 tons of CO2 avoided. The avoided staff and vehicle time was valued at 39,800 kr. in 2022, exceeding the 30,000 kr. annual sensor cost. The municipality also reports fewer overfilled containers, improved citizen experience and less manual lifting.