A NEW HIGH-TECH waste solution has taken to the streets of Dundee.
The pair of top of the range electric vacuum cleaners are part of the Smart Cities (Smart Waste) Project, which has seen a range of technologies trialled across the city.
A variety of waste types on a range of street surfaces pose no problems for the Glutton Electric Vacuums which promise an efficient and effective easy to use alternative to the traditional barrow, shovel and brush.
The project is a one year trial and is funded by Dundee City Council and the European Union.
Kevin Cordell convener of the council’s neighbourhood services committee said: “We are eagerly awaiting the results of this trial to see exactly what the gluttons give us.
“They will certainly contribute to our goal of becoming a low carbon city and demonstrate our commitment to boosting Dundee’s green credentials while using new and innovative waste technologies.”
Anne Rendall depute convener added: “The introduction of the electric vacuums in pedestrianised areas and places where we see a lot of people will save street sweeping staff time and improve productivity.
“These environmentally friendly vacuums are near silent, mobile and manoeuvrable and will be used in the city centre and central Broughty Ferry.”
Dundee City Council is collaborating with other Scottish cities, academics and business and will use the results to help pioneer advances in digital solutions in city services.
The Scottish Cities Alliance (SCA) has received approval for a £10m European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) strategic intervention on Smart Cities.
The total Smart Waste Project budget for Dundee is £250,000 over the period 2017-19, of which £150,000 will be contributed by the city council.
Dundee is collaborating with Perth, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling through the Smart Waste project to deliver improved waste management services including smart bin technology to enhance waste and recycling collections through improved monitoring and data sharing.
Dundee City Council
Dundee draws skilled workers from a 60-minute catchment population of 640,000 and has a local population of over 140,000. The availability of a large pool of highly skilled labour is a key feature in the Dundee economy. Flexibility in the labour force is currently more prevalent in Dundee than in Scotland as a whole. All forms of labour market flexibility - part-time, temporary employment, self-employment and shift work - are widely operational within the city. Labour force stability in the city is excellent, enabling companies to plan with confidence. Labour turnover levels are less than 5% and absenteeism averages 2%.
