Six self-emptying litterbins are installed along the park Mariatorget in central Stockholm, Sweden.
The new vacuum system at Mariatorget means that the litter bins can easily be emptied twenty times a day if necessary instead of the current two times. In the future, people living in the area are also able to connect to the system.
Ulla Hamilton, Environmental City Commissioner of Stockholm
The litterbins have a level sensor that senses when the bins are full. A valve opens underneath and the litter is transported in an underground pipe net and on to a storage container in a small waste collection station, buried under the grass in the park.
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 collection station has been configured to enable future connection to additional bins, as well as to the buildings around Mariatorget.
Owner: The City of Stockholm