You have questions?
Where is the best location for a Bin Bypass to be installed?
Our research shows Bin Bypasses are most effective in areas with high foot traffic and close proximity to standard waste disposal areas (including residential wheelie bins or public bins).
Who benefits from the BB?
Our communities! The Bin Bypass was primarily designed to provide a more effective way for urban recyclers to collect containers and return them to a collection point in exchange for cash. It does this by providing a more dignified and efficient method of collection. Secondary benefits include lower volumes of waste collections required for councils and waste contractors, and local residents benefit from less rummaging in their bins and ingresses onto their private property.
How are they installed?
Bin Bypasses can be installed on a flat surface or fence using a m10 size screw of the apposite type for the surface. They can also be installed onto poles using signage banding (19mm banding recommended) or hose clamps where banding tools are not available. We don’t recommend installing Bin Bypasses on poles that are less than 70mm in diameter.
What if no one collects from the Bin Bypass?
The Bin Bypass is a new and unique product on the Australian market. It might take a few days or weeks for people collecting containers to become aware of their new local Bin Bypass. If you are finding items in the BB are not being collected within an expected amount of time, we recommend checking the containers are eligible to be returned (look out for a 10c label on the container). The BB has been designed to hold most returnable containers (e.g. you’ll notice its holes are too small for wine bottles). However, sometimes containers that aren’t eligible to be returned will be placed into the Bin Bypass. If this happens, we recommend you remove the bottles/cans and place them into the nearest recycling bin.
Can the Bin Bypass be removed?
Using banding, the Bin Bypass can be removed without any damage to the installation area or the unit.
Where is my local container exchange/reverse vending machine?
You can find your local return centre here.
Will the Bin Bypass lead to increased amount of recyclers to the area?
We’ve found some recyclers will check a Bin Bypass more frequently than they would check a rubbish bin, mainly because it’s more visible. However, our data shows it’s unlikely recyclers will visit an area just because there’s a higher concentration of Bin Bypasses in that area.
I work for a local council – how can we help spread the word?
Speak with your waste and/or street furniture team and reach out for a media kit!
Do I need to register the location of my Bin Bypass?
No, you do not need to register the location of your Bin Bypass. However, we recommend registering it to enable recyclers and people who might want to make a deposit to find your Bin Bypass.
As there have been a number of pilot studies conducted in Europe, is there any available data we can review?
While we do not have access to full research studies conducted overseas, some impressive stats have been reported in international media. For example, Danish media reports claim the pilot project implemented in Denmark in 2015 cut down the city’s lost deposits by 49 percent.
It’s also important to note that all pilot studies we have seen tested elsewhere have resulted in much wider adaptation nationally.
Media articles on example systems and the industry in Europe:
Denmark - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-27/how-copenhagen-s-new-trash-cans-help-the-homeless
https://www.thelocal.dk/20151026/copenhagens-dignified-rubbish-plan-expands/
Sweden - https://www.thelocal.se/20180328/thats-pant-the-story-behind-swedens-bottle-recycling-system/
Germany - https://www.springwise.com/innovation/sustainability/pfandring-recycling-bottle-system
How often are the docking stations typically serviced?
Bin Bypass can facilitate monitoring and maintenance services for governments, developers and communities who install them in their neighbourhoods. The stations themselves are a fixed piece of street furniture with no moving or serviceable parts. They have been constructed using high quality and extremely durable 3mm mild steel with a powder coated finish, which renders maintenance issues unlikely. However, each unit is fitted with a QR code which enables people to provide feedback. If we become aware of any issue that requires investigation, we can respond immediately.
What are the costs of servicing?
There are no ongoing service liabilities. We strategically chose materials such as stainless steel banding and powder coating to ensure the units will not degrade even in a coastal environment. Occasional cleaning of the assets by Council or Bin Bypass staff will ensure they look their best at all times.
How easy are they to replace i.e. are they Australian made or manufactured internationally?
Bin Bypasses are designed and manufactured in Australia by a wholly Australian owned organisation. The lead time on the units is typically less than a month; however, we also keep a number of units in stock for immediate roll-out as required. The Bin Bypass team is able to assist with installation, relocation or removal or units and we can easily train Council employees or provide documentation in these processes as requested.
Do the sharp-edged holes of cans, which are outward facing and exposed to public, pose a safety hazard? Are they located at a height where little ones can get their fingers into them?
While they can be installed at any height, we recommend the units are installed at least 900mm above ground. This provides for efficient depositing and collecting at an accessible height while keeping containers out of reach from inquisitive little ones.
Are glass containers targeted by vandals?
To date we have not had any incidents of the containers being targeted by vandals. Glass containers exist throughout the public domain and the Bin Bypass units have been designed to safely store these containers until they are collected by other community members. Our primary purpose is to facilitate the exchange of recyclable containers in a safer, more efficient and more dignified way for all involved. We have rigorously tested the impacts of vandalism on the Bin Bypass units whilst housing glass containers and the robust, concealing nature of the design nullifies even the most intense attempts to break or dislodge the containers inside them.
Any issues with aesthetics or public amenity – targeted by graffiti?
The glossy black colour and limited surface area of the units (due to the stencilled cut out sides) are not attractive for graffiti vandals who generally carry black glossy markers. The adjoining bins, poles or fences make for much more effective graffiti targets than our units. Also, by making the container collection more efficient they reduce anti-social behaviour such as bin-diving, rummaging or tipping out full rubbish bins just to collect the recyclable containers.
Is the Bin Bypass typically attached to council infrastructure? If so, what type of infrastructure is needed? Is there a need for other government agencies to be involved?
Bin Bypasses are designed to be banded or bolted to public space infrastructure. They can be easily installed onto street poles down to a diameter of 75mm using 19mm stainless steel banding that you would typically see on most pole-mounted signage and bins. They can also be bolted or screwed onto a flat surface such as existing Council waste bins (like the ashtrays that come as an option for most modern street furniture bins). Various other simple attachment methods can be used to fix the units to fences, concrete surfaces and more.
Do they only accept 6 containers? If so, does this generate a high collection frequency?
We find the current 6-hole unit effective in most scenarios. However, our models have been designed to enable them to stack vertically and horizontally where the demand for higher turnover of containers exists. The units can also be mounted to both sides of the same pole to add even greater quantities. The 6-container design also enables us to keep the cost, weight and install time of each unit down. In areas where more active consumption takes place (such as outside a licensed venue or at a park), we would recommend multiple units are installed.
Does the design attract litter or act as a public waste disposal point i.e. do people use the station as a general waste point?
Unlike most overseas designs, the Bin Bypass model has been designed to discourage littering because of its restrictive circular opening, the partially open bottom (which allows other items to pass through it) and the closed top surface (which stops people placing items down the internal chute). Bin Bypasses are also designed to be used in close proximity (or on) to a standard waste bin. Littering is generally a cognisant decision and we therefore find people typically place litter (like coffee cups) where no other public waste disposal facility is available. In other words - people won't use a Bin Bypass to dispose of unwanted items if a bin is available nearby.
Are collection contracts required, or is the program dependent on public recyclers to collect?
The Bin Bypass model is dependent on the public or urban recyclers collecting the containers as they are incentivised by the 10-cent refund for each container they collect. No contract for collection is required. Our recyclers also tend to self manage the removal of unwanted items from the units to ensure they collect the maximum number of containers from the unit on each visit.
If the program is reliant on the public to collect, what happens if there aren’t any active recyclers in the immediate area – or, conversely, if there are too many public recyclers?
We recommend Bin Bypasses are located in an urban environment where there is a level of activation, surveillance and container use – eg in a moderately busy street with a good level of foot traffic. The trials we have conducted involved units that were located in urban areas and there were no incidents of the containers not being collected within one or two days. An unexpected outcome of the Bin Bypass was that, by reducing the barriers to collect containers (i.e having to extract containers from general waste bins), we found a wider demographic of collectors started partaking in the system. The Bin Bypass team monitors the usage of newly installed units to ensure the locations in which they are installed add value to the recycling community. German research suggests that the ease of recycling containers and the increased uptake in the process due to their Pfandlaterne system was initially seen as an issue with more marginalised container collectors. Ultimately the program was rolled out to over 60 German cities and the scale of the program allowed ample opportunities for anybody who sought the refund incentive. At a large scale there are plenty of containers for all collectors to benefit from.
Can this create any negative social/competition issues
We have not found had any suggestions of Bin Bypass causing negative social issues. It removes the necessity for unsafe, unhygienic and anti social behaviours such as bin-diving, rummaging and tipping over full bins to collect recyclable containers.