Commenting on the PM Group’s move to join the Alternative Investment Market,
Geoff Mountain, Chief Executive said: “The use of on-board weighing is
growing. We have been operating in this market for over 15 years and have consistently
seen year on year growth driven by legislation and an increasing need for accuracy.
In particular, the current directives aimed at waste management, reducing landfill
and increasing recycling, are driving rapid growth in this area which is set
to continue well into the future.”
The group has also identified a continuing move towards increasing use in the
UK of charge-by-weight systems. According to Mark Bottomley, Marketing Manager,
of PM On Board Ltd, who have developed the Binweigh™ system, the structure
of the trade side of the waste industry in the UK is already changing from charging-by
-collection to charging-by-weight as a result of legislative pressure and the
ever-increasing cost of waste disposal.
Household collections could go the same way, although a change in legislation
might be needed and the public attitude towards charge-by-weight is likely to
be different to that of trade customers, who are generally more cost-conscious.
Long-term development
PM started developing its electronic Binweigh™ system more than five years
ago as it was clear that charge-by-weight for household collections would be
the way forward. The system is a complete charge-by-weight management system
specifically designed to meet the demands of the waste industry.
It uses load cells fitted to the bin hoist equipment and, according to PM,
is compatible with most makes and can be installed in existing as well as new
equipment. Bins used with the BinWeigh™ system, both the two and four-wheeled
variety, are fitted with virtually indestructible electronic data tags carrying
relevant customer information. The system weighs the bin’s content to within
an accuracy of + or – 75Ogrms for domestic two-wheelers and 1,5OOgrms for the
four-wheeled trade units, storing the information on the vehicle’s on-board
computer. The system can also identify and monitor recycled materials, aiding
customers in meeting their recycling targets.
PM’s Electronics Manager, Mike Wing, says the way forward will be for an ever
greater demand for more and more data and meeting individual customer’s specific
requirements.
One authority almost ready to introduce a charge-by-weight scheme for household
collections using PM’s BinWeigh™ system is Dublin based Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
County Council.
According to Biffa’s Technical Fleet Manager, Steve Monkton, more and more
of its trade waste customers are requesting charge-by-weight in order to reduce
waste disposal costs. “They want to have more control over waste and recycling.
But they can’t control it without knowing what they’re doing.” The company
has two vehicles currently on trial fitted with Binweigh systems with provision
to charge-by-weight. It is also evaluating PM’s Wasteweigh™ system.
Aberdeenshire Council is currently taking delivery of four Dennis Phoenix refuse
collection vehicles fitted with the Binweigh™ system for trade waste, the
aim being to eventually charge-by-weight. According to the authority’s Trade
Waste Officer David Wilson this will enable the Council, which at present charges
by the bag, to fulfil its statutory obligation to accurately recover costs and
also encourage customers to recycle more.