Sweden’s first self-emptying litter bins will be inaugurated today at Mariatorget in Stockholm, delivered by environmental engineering company Envac. An automated underground suction system empties the bins automatically when they become full. This will avoid litter building up around bins that are filled to capacity.

The city of Stockholm has purchased the waste suction system consisting of six self-emptying waste receptacles at Mariatorget.

“This is an important order for us, since it is our first installation in a public park environment. There is great demand for a solution to the problem of litter in public parks, especially in the summer when people gather to socialize, eat and drink in the parks and leave the inevitable littler that follows,” says Joakim Karlsson, Marketing Manager and Vice CEO, Envac Scandinavia AB.

The technology behind the self-emptying waste receptacles is based on Envac’s vacuum technology. The receptacles contain a “level sensor” that senses when the bins are full. A valve opens and the debris is suctioned into conduits buried under ground and on to a terminal with a container that will also be placed underground at Mariatorget.

The storage container is emptied every 14 days and lifted to the ground level by a hydraulic lift table. A truck transports the container to the incinerator located in Högdalen in southern Stockholm, where the waste is converted to energy and electricity.
The terminal has been configured to enable connection with additional bins, as well as buildings surrounding Mariatorget.

Envac has received another order from the city of Stockholm for the same waste suction system for the residential area at Hammarby Sjöstad. The order includes seven receptacles along the pier and installations will begin after the summer. The system will be connected to Envac’s existing vacuum waste disposal system located in the area.

Envac has previously delivered systems for self-emptying bins in residential areas at Nissastrand in Halmstad, Sweden and Almere city centre in The Netherlands.

For more information contact
Joakim Karlsson, Marketing Manager and Vice CEO, Envac Scandinavia AB
Tel: + 46 (0)8-775 33 79 (direct), +46 (0)8-775 32 00 (switchboard)
Mobile: +46 (0)70-546 13 55
E-mail