Underground trash cans. The future belongs to underground waste disposal systems. What components can be added to containers?
Installation of buried containers for waste collection. Ural56.Ru found out the pros and cons of new devices for the city.
A buried container is a tank with a bag inside. Two thirds of it is dug into the ground, and a small part with a lid remains on the surface. Such a container can have a capacity of up to 5 cubic meters (about 7 standard above-ground tanks). A special machine uses a loading device to remove a sealed bag made of thick “fabric” from it and pour its contents into the body.
Pros of in-ground containers
Containers in Orenburg, 19.10.2015
Manufacturers note such positive aspects of recessed containers as:
- saving space in yards (most of it is hidden underground, and the above-ground part takes up less space than several conventional tanks);
- large volume of containers;
- maintaining a constant temperature regime due to being underground (according to their data, garbage does not freeze in winter and does not deteriorate in summer).
However, our interlocutor, a resident of the regional center, denied that the temperature in them is always positive. As an example, he cited a situation where, after such a tank burned and, accordingly, extinguished in winter, a block of ice ended up in the bag.
Minuses
Recessed containers in Orenburg, 2018
Installation of such containers requires certain conditions, so they cannot appear anywhere. At a minimum, in order to dig a sufficiently large tank into the ground, the site must be free of all communications, including pipelines and cables.
Buying such containers is quite expensive. They cost several times more than conventional tanks.
In addition, special vehicles are needed to remove waste from them. There are no such people in Orsk yet. And the situation with garbage collection that is developing in the city today raises concerns - now the operator cannot even cope with the removal of waste from ordinary containers if he has cars. Will more problems arise with the advent of new tanks, and will the responsible organization have the necessary equipment?
Bulky waste
Container site near house No. 1a on Lenin Avenue in Orsk, 03/25/2019
And of course, we must not forget about bulky waste. Large waste cannot be placed in a buried container, and the hatch for dumping waste is not very large. Orchan residents are accustomed to storing everything that can fit into overhead bins. Here the townspeople will have to relearn their skills.
IN Orenburg Collection of bulky waste is organized at special sites near buried containers. Where there are no designated areas, garbage is piled right next to their above-ground parts. No one is saying yet how this will be organized in Orsk.
ECOLIFT™ is an innovative system for the collection and underground storage of municipal solid waste (MSW), designed for mass use in public places.
System ECOLIFT™ works on the principle of a hydraulic lift. Waste is collected and accumulated in standard garbage containers installed on a lifting platform lowered into a sealed underground space. The trash cans located on the surface serve as garbage receptacles and send waste directly to an underground container. By operating a lifting mechanism, the management company lifts the containers to the surface for cleaning and emptying, and then lowers them back underground.
System ECOLIFT™ - developed by engineers of the PANDA LIFT company with the expectation of operation in the Russian climate (low temperatures, heavy snowfall, icing, heavy rainfall).
RELEVANCE OF APPLICATION
The idea of developing and implementing a new system for the collection and underground storage of solid waste in Russia came to the engineers of the PANDA LIFT company in 2012 and was caused by the urgency of the garbage problem in public places and residential areas of large cities in Russia.
There are a number of problems associated with garbage, but it is especially important to highlight the problem of cleanliness, environmental safety and aesthetics of primary waste collection points, such as city trash cans and garbage containers installed in public places with high traffic or in residential courtyards.
The overflowing garbage containers given as an example are located in a residential area (photo on the left) and along the alley, behind the Dynamo stadium, Moscow (photo on the right). Such examples are common, starting from cultural parks and alleys in the historical part of the city, ending with prestigious residential complexes.
ADVANTAGES OF USE
New system ECOLIFT™ designed to relieve city residents, passers-by and public utilities from the “garbage” problem. Below are just some of the visible benefits of using ECOLIFT™.
- Visual and sanitary cleanliness around waste collection points;
- There is no unpleasant odor from decomposing food waste;
- Garbage collection points no longer serve as habitats for dangerous stray animals;
- Food and household waste are not taken away by birds;
- Garbage collection points no longer breed insects, rats and other pests;
- Garbage collection points no longer attract homeless people.
There are also important components that are difficult to measure, for example: aesthetics, satisfaction of residents of residential areas, raising the image of the local district, administration, management company, etc.
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION AND OPERATING PRINCIPLE
The basis of the system ECOLIFT™ consists of a hydraulic scissor-type lifting platform. The dimensions of the platform, lifting height and load-bearing capacity are determined based on the number of garbage containers installed on it, their type, geometric dimensions, and the total mass of waste accumulated in them.
The lifting platform is installed in a pre-prepared concrete shaft (pit), part of which is reserved for the equipment room, in which a hydraulic station and electrical panel are installed.
The monolithic shaft is completely sealed. It is protected both from external influences of groundwater and melt water, and from the effects of precipitation. The roof, installed on a platform on two (or four) supports, serves as a shaft cover. When the platform is in the lowered position, the roof hermetically closes the shaft due to a specially designed abutment structure, the “lock” type. The design of the lock was developed by PANDA LIFT engineers in such a way that its tightness cannot be compromised, it cannot become frozen, clogged with debris, or fail for other reasons.
A control console for the lifting system is installed on the surface, in close proximity to the waste bins. To remove garbage containers from the ground, the console has control buttons (raise, lower, stop). The management console can only be activated using a special access key, which is held by employees of the operating organizations.
All system elements ECOLIFT™ manufactured in anti-vandal design. There are no wires or working mechanisms of the system on the surface; only trash cans are visible.
If necessary, the system can be equipped with electronic access or personalization devices. In this case, to access the ballot boxes, the system user must attach a magnetic key or enter a code.
This option can be useful when the system is installed in places where it is used by a certain group of people (for example, residents of a specific residential complex, or employees of a certain organization, etc.).
An integral part and important option of the system ECOLIFT™ is the presence of a function to monitor the filling status of garbage containers. Special infrared sensors are triggered when the container is close to filling or is already full. When the sensors are triggered, the programmable controller can issue a command to perform the following actions:
- Transmits messages to the management company via the GSM module (SMS or E-mail messages);
- Controls the light indication indicating which of the underground containers is full;
- Blocks the electromagnetic lock of the trash can lid so that waste no longer enters the filled container.
THE LINEUP
System ECOLIFT™ designed for use with both mobile roll-out garbage containers and cargo garbage containers with a capacity of up to 20 cubic meters. The lifting platform can accommodate from 1 to 8 mobile compact containers at the same time, or one cargo container weighing up to 20 tons (when filled).
System ECOLIFT™ provides for the installation of garbage containers on the platform for separate collection of solid waste. In this case, specially marked bins (paper, glass, plastic, batteries, etc.) are installed on the surface.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
In accordance with the general requirements for hydraulic lifting devices, as well as taking into account the operating features of the system, it is necessary to periodically check the condition and maintain the system (once every 3 months).
Maintenance includes:
- Checking the condition of metal structures, bolted and welded joints;
- Checking the condition of the hydraulic station (technical condition of the engine, components, checking the oil level, etc.);
- Checking the condition of hydraulic cylinders;
- Checking the condition of hydraulic hoses and connections;
- Testing of electrical units and components;
- Checking the system control unit;
- Checking sensors (safety, stop, etc.)
- Cleaning and processing
Such a check takes PANDA LIFT specialists from 2 to 4 hours and directly affects the safety, quality and service life of the system.
It’s nice that every day life with us is getting better and more fun. The telephone is already capable of replacing huge computers, the robot rover takes pictures of itself on Mars, and tickets to space will soon be sold to everyone. And nothing happened to the garbage for a long time. Remember what outdoor bins look like in your yard? If in Moscow the situation with this is even more or less decent, then in the regions you cannot approach a garbage container without a gas mask. Containers in every possible way darken the life of neighborhoods - they smell bad, sometimes catch fire, homeless people rummage around there, rats breed, and the wind blows garbage all over the area. What to do? There should be no garbage containers! Today we will talk about underground waste storage facilities. Maxim Evgenievich and I decided to make such a system in Shchukino, to the delight of the local residents. Let's see what it is.
01. Garbage cans in my beloved Omsk look like this. I think this picture will not surprise anyone. Everyone is accustomed to the fact that in every yard there is a disgusting place that exudes a stench throughout the entire area. 
02. What to do about it? All trash cans must be placed underground. There should be no disgusting dirty containers! There are several types of underground waste collection systems. This one is the simplest. Conventional bins are lowered down on a lift, and only a garbage receptacle remains on top, similar to a conventional garbage chute. 
When the car arrives, the containers are lifted and emptied. It looks something like this:
03. Everything is clean and tidy from above. 
04. Nothing smells, nothing flows along the roads and nothing rots in the sun. 
05. There are different types of receptacles, such as for glass, paper or household waste. 
06. This is what the containers look like together. 
07. So they rise. 
08. The next system is more complicated, but better. Here the receiver and tank are a single unit. The advantages are obvious - the system is completely sealed. It is faster to service - no need to push the tanks in, nothing falls out. And most importantly, it is many times more spacious than one tank. Depending on the size, such an underground tank can be up to 5 times more spacious than a regular container. This means that you can take out garbage less often. 
The container can be large - the garbage is automatically compacted there.
09.
10. Access to tanks can be made using cards so that only residents of the house can use them. This is necessary in cases where garbage removal is paid and residents do not want to pay extra. 
11. But the coolest thing is the district vacuum garbage chute! I dream of building one like this in Shchukino! 
12. The horizontal system works on the principle of pneumatic mail. Garbage can be compacted in bins and flown into storage. All garbage cans in the area can be connected to such a system. Beauty. The garbage automatically goes to a distribution point, from where it is taken to landfills. You can also connect existing garbage disposals in homes to this system. The vacuum system requires serious investment - about 500 million rubles for 10,000 apartments, but it pays for itself in 30 years, since there is no need to maintain hundreds of garbage cans every day. 
13. The latest garbage fashion is solar-powered trash cans! They compact waste and consume no electricity at all. 
14. How do we pay for garbage removal now? Divided into all apartments. Access to the tank can be by cards. You can connect a billing system to the tank and then each resident of the house will pay only for what he threw away! The system can even weigh the trash and rate it! This is the garbage future! 
The advantages of underground storage facilities are obvious: they take up little space, they do not spoil the appearance of the street, they are easier to maintain, they do not smell, and do not attract homeless people and animals. The cost of such a system is from 400,000 rubles per tank. Moscow authorities spend approximately this much per year on asphalt maintenance in one yard. Garbage cans should decorate the yard! 
Want more of a trashy future? Here it is! System for distributing waste according to the color of the bags.
In the Kaluga region, garbage containers are being installed, from which nothing can be removed manually. The new tanks are almost entirely buried in the ground - only the lid with the hatch rises above the surface. The authorities refer to European experience and claim that no one has come up with anything better yet.
The first modern waste containers were installed in the vicinity of Kaluga. They rise above the ground by only a meter, and two-thirds are buried. A special crane removes the accumulated waste from them - it removes the liners from the containers and cleans them, dumping the contents into a garbage truck. Due to their large capacity, they need to be emptied less often than regular trash cans.
This is the first experience in Russia borrowed from Germany. It will significantly reduce the cost of garbage removal and transportation to the city landfill.
Multifunctional crane vehicles, which the authorities want to use also for collecting large waste, are purchased at the expense of the regional budget. At the expense of the local treasury, new waste sites will also be equipped and 240 new containers will be purchased. They plan to install “deep” tanks in the suburbs - in the private sector and dacha cooperatives.
Already inspected new containers Head of Kaluga Nikolay Polezhaev. He was especially pleased with the technology for removing debris from the tank. “The use of such containers is modern and civilized,” the official said.
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Similar containers have been used in Europe for 15 years. There they are divided by type of waste: plastic is thrown into some, glass into others, etc. In Russia, such waste separation is only in the future. The key advantage of buried containers is that the waste in them is compacted under its own weight. And due to the fact that part of the tank is underground, the garbage does not heat up in hot weather, which avoids unpleasant odors.
In turn, skeptics point out that, for example, if the lid of the tank is not closed, stray animals or homeless people who are looking for glass containers, clothes and food in the garbage may fall in. However, experts say that this is impossible due to the design features of special containers.
E-my, it feels like we have no other problems in Kaluga other than putting garbage into nanobins. People have nowhere to live, the roads are broken, there is no gas in the villages, but money was found in the budget for super trash cans! This may be a cool initiative, but it’s not a priority. Why didn't they like the old tanks? Take them out regularly and everything will be fine. And if there are interruptions in the removal of new bins, then you will have to look for these containers under mountains of garbage.
The container is undoubtedly beautiful. Now let’s imagine this real-life situation: someone has renovated a house, and he quietly stuffs construction waste (pieces of tiles, pieces of pipes, boards and old toilets) into this super mega-nano container. And in the morning an expensive crane will arrive to pull out a huge bag from this giga-urn, and what will happen? either a ruptured bag, or a faucet that had fallen on its side, or both. Well, it’s not practical at all! Yes, if ordinary garbage simply migrates into it (walk past the containers and evaluate what lies in them and next to them), this plastic bucket with a fire extinguisher will not last long.
Three new garbage containers have already been installed near the village Kosarevo, next to a spring popular among Kaluga residents. In the near future, new containers will appear in the village Nekrasovo. At the same time, in the settlement there is not only a waste site, but also no running water, street lighting, a store, a pharmacy, and commuter buses do not go there.
Actually, it’s a cool thing - they look beautiful, aesthetically pleasing. In addition, they are environmentally friendly - the wind and dogs will not take away the garbage. I know the village garbage cans - the wind blew and the garbage was blown all over the area, besides, there are rarely garbage trucks in the villages and the waste accumulates in the mountains. And this is the solution to the problem.
A garbage container must be foolproof to the point of insanity, but how long did the old Soviet-era containers last? And the cool new ones on wheels? But of course, the new ones are more beautiful. But beauty should not come at the expense of functionality, and this is exactly what we see here.
In the “Ideas for the City” section, The Village talks about useful, convenient and simply unusual projects that are invented and implemented in different cities of the world with one goal - to make people’s lives better. In this issue we will talk about the underground waste collection system, which Finnish engineer Veikko Sally began to implement back in the 90s.
Launch
The first underground waste container system was implemented by the Finnish company Molok Oy. An unusual solution for collecting solid waste was proposed by the company's founder, Veikko Sally.
Experimental recessed containers began to be installed in various Finnish cities in the 90s. Citizens liked the possibility of underground waste collection and storage, because it had a number of advantages over conventional garbage containers and, importantly, made the city landscape more beautiful.
Promotion
Initially, two-thirds of the elongated garbage containers were underground. This unusual design made it possible to store large volumes of garbage, made it possible to empty garbage cans less frequently, improved hygienic conditions and made it possible to use the territory more efficiently.
Modern systems for underground waste collection and storage look somewhat different: garbage containers are lowered into the shaft on a special elevator, and only garbage receptacles remain on the surface, which operate on the principle of a regular garbage chute.
The more expensive underground waste storage system is an improved version of the original technology. Here, the garbage receptacle and the container are a single whole, thanks to which it is possible to achieve complete tightness, and servicing the system takes less time (there is no need to push in and adjust the tanks). Plus, depending on their size, these containers can hold up to five times more trash than the traditional trash cans we see in our yards every day.
The most advanced is the regional vacuum garbage chute system, which operates on the principle of pneumatic mail. The waste is compacted in regular trash cans, then flown to a distribution point, after which it is taken directly to landfills. Garbage chutes of all houses in the area can be connected to such systems.
Result
The system created by Veikko Sally has a number of benefits:
Garbage removal is paid separately, so access to the underground waste collection system is sometimes only available by card, this relevant for the private sector, which often has its own garbage bins. In this case, only “authorized occupants” may use the garbage disposal.
To avoid mutual responsibility, they are introducing a billing system: each tenant pays only for what they throw away. In addition, the garbage receptacle can be equipped with scales and scanners for accurate weighing and identification of garbage.
