RFID in the garbage and the sewer

A tough job gets a little easier, thanks to RFID

In cities across the United States and Europe, RFID is helping make the “dirty” jobs of garbage collection and sewer maintenance a little easier – as well as more efficient and less time-consuming.

Various municipal sanitation departments in cities both large and small are using RFID to keep track of garbage cans, recycling bins and other trash receptacles, usually as part of an automated collection system. The RFID in these systems helps keep workers safe and makes trash collection convenient and easy.

RFID is also playing a role in some cities’ management of their miles and miles of sewage canals and pipes. By tagging pipes, junctions and manhole covers with RFID and equipping maintenance workers and municipal inspectors with handheld scanners, it’s easier to stay up to date on which pipes have recently been verified and which still need to be checked. RFID also allows workers to avoid using paper and pen: no more dirty smudges or hard-to-decipher notations for the administrative teams at the main office.