British bins are bugged

The little gizmos are scanned as a bin is emptied when the garbage truck comes around, enabling local authorities back at their offices to track the garbage habits of each household.

"A crucial element is the ability to identify specific bins and record when they are emptied," said a spokesman for Deister, a German company that is marketing the technology. "That information can be applied in many different ways."

Local authorities in England using the devices, which can be found under a bin’s front lip, included Crewe, Nantwich, Peterborough, South Norfolk, Woking, and Devizes in Wiltshire.

Sapa-AFP

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