GB2487989A

GB2487989A - Calculating, recording and publishing waste disposal data

Info

Publication number: GB2487989A
Application number: GB1102567.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nicholas Joseph Curran
Original assignee: AVONDALE CONSTRUCTION Ltd
Current assignee: AVONDALE CONSTRUCTION Ltd
Priority date: 2011-02-14
Filing date: 2011-02-14
Publication date: 2012-08-15
Also published as: GB201102567D0

Abstract

Waste is delivered in containers 18, 30 bearing identifying labels 20 by carriers, the delivered container 18 is weighed at station 22 and has its weight and information contained on the label captured by a handheld device 24 and sent to a waste site processor 26. Processor 26 records and calculates the identity of the carrier, the type of waste delivered by the carrier, the weight of waste delivered by the carrier by subtracting the weight of an empty container from the weight of the delivered container, the remaining allocation for delivery by the carrier in each class, statistics for the waste disposal site 10 and statistics for the carrier. This information can be automatically published on an internet website 12. A camera, at the waste disposal site 10, can take and send images of the label 20 and the delivered container 18 to website 12 via processor 26 where violations are suspected. The system can be used in isolation at a single waste disposal site 10, or collectively covering many waste disposal sites 10 (fig 1).

Description

System and Method for Waste Disposal Management

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a system and method for keeping track of waste disposal. The invention more closely relates to automatically tracking allocated and non allocated waste disposal assignments distributed among a potential plurality of operators. Most particularly, the invention relates to automatically managing and keeping track of individual carriers and contractors.

Background of the Related Art

Waste, whether domestic, commercial or industrial, requires disposal. Disposal involves removal from the site of creation of the waste to another location where it can be re-cycled, burned, burred or otherwise treated.

Carriers, otherwise also known as trade contractors, move the waste and deliver it to waste disposal sites for disposal and as a first stage of a recycling process.

Record keeping, analysis and updating of fiscal details, such as what monies a carrier may be owed, is intermittently carried out, often monthly. Interested parties, such as municipal authorities, carriers, waste recyclers and tipping site operators, have to wait for longer periods before they can receive even a time delayed update. The present invention seeks to improve over this situation by provide instantly available updated records for all interested parties.

Delay in record keeping and updating, as described immediately above, also makes for difficulty and uncertainty in waste disposal management. Excesses of waste delivery to a waste disposal site or by a particular carrier, deliveries below waste disposal capacity, overloading and under loading of a carrier are all possibilities when record updating is delayed. The present invention seeks to provided for improved certainty of planning of waste disposal over what has gone before.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect, the present invention consists in a system, operable to measure and record waste delivery, the system comprising: a waste site capable of receiving, for disposal, waste in a container delivered by a carrier; label means on the container bearing information concerning the delivered container of waste; reading means; operable to read the label means and to provide output representative thereof; site processor means, operable to receive the output from the reading means; and weighing means, operable to weigh and record and supply indicating representative of the weight of a waste container, placed thereon; where the site processor means is operable to receive the output of reading means, and the output of the weighing means, to calculate and record the weight of waste delivered by the carrier.

According to a second aspect, the present invention consists in a method for measuring and recording waste delivery to a waste disposal site, the method comprising the steps of: a step of receiving for disposal, waste in a container delivered by a carrier; a step of reading label means on the container bearing information concerning the delivered container of waste and providing output representative of the label information; a step of weighing, recording and supplying indication representative of the weight of a waste container, placed thereon; and a step of receiving the output representative of the label information, receiving the output representative of the weight of the waste container, and of calculating and recording the weight of waste delivered by the carrier.

The invention also provides that the label means can include waste type indication means and that the site processor means can be operable to calculate and record the weight of waste delivered by the carrier of that waste type.

The invention also provides that the site processor means can subtract the weight of the delivered waste container from the weight of an empty waste container.

The invention also provides that the site processor means can record a total waste weight delivery allocation for the carrier, that the site processor can calculate what remaining allocation exists for the carrier after sum of the weights of all previous deliveries by the carrier together with the weight of the present delivery has been subtracted from the allocation; and that the allocation can separately be made for each of a plurality of waste types.

The invention also provides that the site processor means can calculate monies owed to the carrier and can calculate the condition of the waste disposal site.

The invention also provides that the site processor means can make available at least some of its results at the waste disposal site.

The invention also provides that carrier can be one of a plurality of carriers.

The invention provides camera means, operable to provide to the site processor means an image of at least one of: a delivered container; and the label means.

The invention also provides waste server website means, where he waste server website means can receive results from the site processor means and the waste server website means ican make results available to one or more viewing processor means.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention is further explained, by way of example, by the following description, to be read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows an example of a system and an environment wherein the present invention can be practised.

Figure 2 is a simplified diagram showing a possible exemplary waste site 10 suitable for the invention.

Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating one exemplary manner in which the waste site processor can process scanned waste data according to the invention. and

Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary allocation of delivery allocations to new or existing carriers

Detailed description of the lnvention

Figure 1 shows an example of a system and an environment wherein the present invention can be practised.

Physically separated waste sites 10 are provided for disposal of waste by a number of means, including, but not limited to, landfill, recycling, incineration, composting, digestion and reprocessing. Although many waste sites 10 are shown, the invention can be used with only one site 10.

At each waste disposal site 10 waste material is transported to the site 10 in containers, the containers are emptied, and the containers released for return to the outside for refilling.

Transportation of waste at each site 10 is undertaken by one or more carriers each using one or more vehicles.

Each waste site 10 has means for acquiring data relating to the amount and type of waste received at the site, the amount and type provided by each carrier and, optionally, by each vehicle. The waste related data is transmitted to one or more waste server websites 12 in a network 14 such as the Internet. The network 14 need not be the Internet, and can also be any of, and not limited to, a wirelessly or wire or cable (or both) connected Wide Area Network (WAN), Local Area Network (LAN) and, indeed, any other form of simple or complex network.

Connection to the waste server website 12 from the waste site 10 can be by many means, either in whole or in combined sectional parts, including, but not limited to: digital optic cable; twisted wire; radio; optical link; and in remote areas, satellite.

The waste server website 12 receives and stores waste related data, and uses that data to assemble long term and real time waste figures and statistics, including the amount of money which may be owed to each carrier both for the actual waste and for the transport service. Each of one or more viewing processors 16 is operable to access the website server 12 to learn the logistic and financial state of play for waste disposal.

In the simplest example of the invention, the network 12 14 can be simplified to omit the waste server website and to have the viewing processor directly at the waste site 10.

Attention is next drawn to Figure 2, a simplified diagram showing a possible exemplary waste site 10.

An incoming waste container 18 is delivered by a carrier to a waste site 10. The incoming waste container is here show as a cylindrical bin which can be manhandled or moved using fork lift trucks or other light lifting gear. It is to be understood that this is only representative of the type that the waste container can be, the type including, but not being limited to one, all of some of; railway wagons; sections of railway wagons; entire vehicles; sections of vehicles; building skips; different types of container.

The incoming waste container bears a scannable identification label 20 is placed on a weighing station 22 and scanned by a handheld device 24 to extract information which can included one, some or all of, but is not limited to: type of waste container; empty weight of container; type of waste intended to be in the container; and identity of carrier using the container 18.

The identification label 20 can be composed of one or more independent labels separately attached to the container 18 and can be any type of label which is attachable onto or embeddable into a container 18 and which can convey information about the label 20, and hence about its associated container 18, to a receptive scanner. The handheld device 24 can be any one of a corresponding co-operative device capable of reading the label 20 and can be, but is not limited to: a personal digital assistant, a tablet computer; a palmtop computer, a laptop computer; a handheld barcode scanner; or a mobile telephone device. The handheld device 24 can employ any suitable one of: RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) or optical OCR (Optical Scanning Recognition) scanning or barcode scanning and recognition.

As well as reading the label 20, the handheld device 24 also notes the weight of the incoming container 18 when it is placed on the weighing station 22. This can be achieved by the simple expedient of the operator noting the dial reading on a keyboard, by voice or by or similar input device. The reading of the weighing station 22 can also be provided wirelessly to the handheld device 24.

The portable device 22 wirelessly sends waste data for a scanned incoming container 18 to a site processor 26 which is provided with software allowing tracking of waste disposal as hereinafter described. The site processor 26 can be, but is not limited to: a desktop, laptop, palmtop or personal digital assistant computer; or a portable telephone having computational ability; The data from the handheld device 24 is conveyed wirelessly to the site processor by any possible wireless means, which can include, but is not limited to: optical signals; infrared signals; WiFi; RFID; and Bluetooth®.

The handheld device 24 includes, or is used in conjunction with, a camera, capable of taking a photograph of any incoming container 18, including the incoming container's label 20, which is considered to be in violation of waste type or waste type segregation (or any other reason for rejection of an in coming container). The photograph or photographs can be used in evidence of alleged violation. The photographic evidence is also sent to the site processor 26. The camera facility can also be used to take up loadable photographs of orphan waste, that is, waste which does not fall into a recognizable or acceptable category or does not appear to be connectible with a particular carrier.

The handheld device 24 also allows for a carrier signature facility, where a contractor or his agent or employee acknowledges veracity of type and weight recorded by the waste site processor 26 as having been delivered by means of their signature, using a touch screen and stylus for tracing and thereby deposing a likeness of the signature. Such a signature verifying facility requires that data, derived and stored in the web site processor 26 be made available for display to a screen on the or associated with the handheld device 24 and that a digital representation of the signature likeness be transferred for receipt and storage from the handheld device 24 to the web site processor 26.

Having been weighted and recorded, the incoming container 18 is processed in a process facility 28. The process facility can include further transport of the incoming container 18 for the incoming container 18 to be emptied and returned as an outgoing container 30 to the same or another carrier for removal and possible refilling. The actual site of empting can be as simple as a landfill site, or can involve more complex procedure such as, but not limited to: building material sorting and reprocessing; composting; glass sorting and reprocessing; plastics material sorting and reprocessing; pharmaceutical safe disposal; biologically hazardous waste safe disposal; and chemical waste safe disposal and reprocessing. The label 20 on the outgoing container 30 can also be scanned by a handheld device 24 to give indication of which carrier it is given up to for refilling. The outgoing container 30 can also be re-weighed by a further or the same weighing station 22 to determine what its actual empty weight may be at that time, this latter precaution allowing compensation to be made for residual adhesive waste un-discharged at a previous emptying and also for the possibility of parts of the container falling off to change its empty weight.

The site processor 26 can mark the end of the system, the entire system being represented by one or more handheld devices 24, a site processor operable to process and display analyzed waste data, and a weighing station 22. This simple configuration allows the invention to be set up and established in the most remote or unconnected locations.

It is preferred that the site processor 26 comprises a web connection 32 which enables the site processor 26 to communicate with the waste server website 12 to provide waste disposal information to all those for whom there may be an interest. As an alternative, by provision of the web connection 32 the site processor 26 can be made very simple, and the actual processing, storage and analysis can be carried on at the waste server website 12, the results being returned to the site processor 26 for display and consideration.

The site 10 is shown in Figure 2 as having just one weighing station 22, site processor 26 and handheld device. It is to be appreciated that the invention also encompasses more complex sites 10, capable of handling plural streams of waste simultaneously, and comprising one or more weighing stations 22, one or more handheld devices 24, one or more processing facility 28, and one or more site processors 26.

Attention is next drawn to Figure 3, a flow chart illustrating one exemplary manner in which the waste site processor can automatically process scanned waste data according to the invention.

From a start 34 a first test 36 checks to see if a label 20 is being scanned by a handheld device 24. When scanning is accomplished, a first operation 38 accepts the label indications including the Carrier's identification, the type of waste, and the weight of the container 18 and any photographic evidence of violation.

A second operation 40 then makes carrier related calculations associated with the latest scan.

The second operation 40 subtracts the received weight of the incoming container 18 from the empty weight of the outgoing container 30 to find the weight of waste delivered by the carrier.

The weight of the outgoing container 30 may be the standard weigh of the container, or may be derived from weighing while empty at the end of the process as described above. The second operation 40 then adds the weight of delivered waste of the delivered type to the total delivered by the identified carrier. If the identified carrier has been given a delivery weight allocation or target, the second operation 40 calculates how much extra delivery weight is required of waste of the identified type to be delivered by the identified carrier to exceed the target or meet the allocation.

If violation is alleged, the carrier's immediate delivery weight may not be included, pending scrutiny of the photographs.

A third operation 42 then calculates fiscal and statistical data for the identified carrier including the amount to be paid to the identified carrier for each type of delivered waste and the total amounts delivered for each type of waste. The statistics can include more details as required by carriers and organizers. Once again, if violation is alleged, the carrier's immediate delivery weight may not be included, pending scrutiny of the photographs.

A fourth operation 44 next calculates the statistics for the site 10, including such possible details as the total amount of waste taken in, the total amount of product put out, remaining capacity of landfill, and remaining recycling capacity. The statistics can include more or fewer figures as required.

A fifth operation 46 then makes the results accessible at the site 10 by any possible means, including, but not limited to; display; printing; and voice synthesis notification.

A sixth operation 48 finally sends the results, including photographs of any alleged violation, to the waste server website 12 for all interested parties 16 to have access thereto. The sixth operation 48 then sends control back to the first test 36 to await receipt of a further scan result.

Attention is next drawn to Figure 4, a flow chart illustrating exemplary allocation of delivery allocations to new or existing carriers.

From a beginning 50, once a second test 52 finds that addition of a new carrier is to be made or that amounts and type of waste for an existing carrier are to be increased, reduced or varied, a seventh operation 54 gets the carrier details. The carrier details may already be known, and be stored elsewhere. To get the carrier details then merely requires obtaining the details or profile from where they are stored. The carrier may be new, of incompletely profiled, in which case getting the carrier details can involve posing questions to and obtaining answers from the carrier.

An eighth operation 56 then allocates the types of waste and the total weight of each type of waste to be delivered by the selected carrier.

A ninth operation 58 then allocates weights and types of waste to be delivered to which sites 10.

For a particular carrier, having geographic dissemination, different types and weights of waste can be allocated for delivers at plural sites 10. For a single location carrier, one site 10 can be specified.

A tenth operation 60 then provides feedback for the selected carrier. If the selected carrier disagrees, the entire process can be repeated starting at the seventh 54 or eighth 56 operations.

Assuming the selected carrier does not disagree, an eleventh operation 62 informs all interested parties and updates any records that require amendment.

The allocation operation shown in Figure 4 may be conducted at a viewing processor 16 or similar site located on the network 14, in which case the waste server website 12 and the waste site processor 26 require to be informed and updated as interested parties. The allocation operation shown in Figure 4 may be conducted at a single site 10, but involve other sites 10, in which case the waste server website 12 and any other waste sites 10 involved require to be informed and updated as interested parties. The allocation operation shown in Figure 4 may be conducted at a single waste site 10, and involve no other waste sites 10, in which case the updated information remains within the waste site processor 26 with the option of being released during operation to the waste server website 12 to become available.

The allocation operation shown in Figure 4 is achieved automatically.

The invention, as described, allows live access to any authorized personnel, at any time, anywhere in the world. The invention also allows for almost instant setup, almost anywhere in the world, with minimal hardware infrastructure. The signature verification facility allows acknowledgement by a carrier of the veracity of each waste delivery. The camera facility allows violations in waste delivery and orphaned waste to be recognized and identified. Use of the invention is user friendly and requires minimal training, thereby allowing semi skilled or unskilled personnel to participate in its operation.

It ia also to be appreciated that updating and informing interested parties can be accomplished, within the invention, by means of email contact, used either separately or in conjunction with the means already described.

The invention has been described in terms of particular examples and variants. It is to be appreciated that, within the invention as hereafter claimed, many variants are possible. It is to be appreciated that the skilled man will know many further variations that lie within the scope of the invention as claimed.

The invention is more clearly defined by the following Claims

Claims

Claims.1. A system, operable to measure and record waste delivery, the system comprising: a waste site capable of receiving for disposal waste in a container delivered by a carrier; label means on the container bearing information concerning the delivered container of waste; reading means; operable to read the label means and to provide output representative thereof; site processor means, operable to receive the output from the reading means; and weighing means, operable to weigh and record and supply indicating representative of the weight of a waste container, placed thereon; where the site processor means is operable to receive the output of reading means, and the output of the weighing means, to calculate and record the weight of waste delivered by the carrier.
2. The system, according to Claim 1, wherein: the label means includes waste type indication means; and the site processor means is operable to calculate and record the weight of waste delivered by the carrier of that waste type.
3. The system, according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the site processor means is operable to subtract the weight of the delivered waste container from the weight of an empty waste container.
4. The system, according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the site processor means is operable to record a total waste weight delivery allocation for the carrier, and wherein the site processor is operable to calculate what remaining allocation exists for the carrier after sum of the weights of all previous deliveries by the carrier together with the weight of the present delivery has been subtracted from the allocation.
5. The system, according to Claim 4, wherein the allocation is separately made for each of a plurality of waste types.
6. The system, according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the site processor means is operable to calculate monies owed to the carrier.
7. The system, according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the site processor means is operable to calculate the condition of the waste disposal site.
8. The system, according to any of the preceding Claims, wherein the site processor means is operable to make available at least some of its results at the waste disposal site.
9. The system, according to any of the preceding Claims, wherein the carrier is one of a plurality of carriers.
10. The system, according to any of the preceding Claims, wherein comprising camera means, operable to provide to the site processor means an image of at least one of: a delivered container; and the label means.
11. The system, according to any of the preceding claims, also comprising: waste server website means; where the waste server website means is operable to receive results from the site processor means; and the waste server website means is operable to make results available to one or more viewing processor means.
12. A method for measuring and recording waste delivery at a waste disposal site, the method comprising the steps of: a step of receiving for disposal, waste in a container delivered by a carrier; a step of reading label means on the container bearing information concerning the delivered container of waste and providing output representative of the label information; a step of weighing, recording and supplying indication representative of the weight of a waste container, placed thereon; and a step of receiving the output representative of the label information, receiving the output representative of the weight of the waste container, and of calculating and recording the weight of waste delivered by the carrier.
13. The method, according to Claim 12, wherein: the label means includes waste type indication means; and the method includes a step of calculating and recording the weight of waste delivered by the carrier of that waste type.
14. The method, according to any of Claims 12, including: a step of subtracting the weight of the delivered waste container from the weight of an empty waste container.
15. The method, according to any one of Claims 12 to 14, including: a step of recording a total waste weight delivery allocation for the carrier; a step of summing all weights previously delivered by the carrier with the weight of the present delivery to provide a total delivery weight; and a step of subtracting the total delivery weight from the allocation to provide a remaining allocation
16. The method, according to Claim 15, wherein the allocation is separately made for each of a plurality of waste types.
17. The method, according to any of Claims 12 to 16, including a step of calculating monies owed to the carrier.
18. The method, according to any of Claims 12 to 17, including a step of calculating the condition of the waste disposal site.
19. The method, according to any of Claims 12 to 18, including a step of making available at least some of the calculated and measured results to the waste disposal site.
20. The method, according to any of Claims 12 to 19, for use where the carrier is one of a plurality of carriers.
21. The method, according to any of Claims 12 to 20, including a step of wherein providing an image of at least one of: a delivered container; and the label means.
22. The method, according to any of Claims 12 to 21, comprising the steps of: a step of providing waste server website means; a step of providing received, calculated and measure results to the waste server website; and a step of the waste server website means making results available to one or more viewing processors.
23. A system, substantially as described, with reference to the appended drawings.
24. A method, substantially as described, with reference to the appended drawings