Media

Household's recycling bins confiscated after 'extreme' rule breaking

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 04:15:43 GMT

Recycling habits in the Ashburton District continue to improve but there remain exceptions, with one rogue property abusing both the bin system and the contractors

Ashburton's recycling habits are improving, but one rogue household has been labelled the "extreme worst end of the scale" for breaking the rules.

The household was accused of putting out multiple yellow and red bins to dump 480 kilograms of rubbish, then acting "extremely abusive" when approached over the incident, councillors heard during a recent meeting.

Recycling audits have been carried out since 2020.

In this case, a property had been using its yellow recycling bin as a rubbish bin for two consecutive weeks.

The property also had three red bins as well as the yellow bin out for kerbside collection, councillors heard.

It was estimated they had presented around 480kg of waste on collection day.

When approached, the resident was "extremely abusive to the audit team and collection contractor", the councillors were told during an update on audit results.

Council infrastructure and open spaces group manager Neil McCann said the usual education approach for incorrect recycling practices was deemed to be unachievable.

Any bins presented by the property were now treated as waste by the contractor, he said.

The property's yellow bin had been confiscated but they acquired another one, as well as the two additional red bins. The extra bins had been confiscated, McCann said.

The incident was at the "extreme worst end of the scale".

However, McCann said ongoing kerbside auditing has improved results in Ashburton. This saved ratepayers the $1000 additional cost of a contaminated recycling load being diverted to landfill.

"The observations of our audit team on the ground is that people are generally recycling well, though there are odd cases of larger non-compliance as has been highlighted.

"The biggest issue is finding rubbish in recycling bins and this is most commonly soft plastics, food, clothing and soiled nappies."

Since auditing began in 2021, Ashburton has only had four contaminated loads.

As a comparison Christchurch City Council reported that in May it had 2 percent (11) of its recycling loads diverted to landfill, at a total cost of $11,000 - its best month of the year to date.

In terms of general waste, the latest figures showed that there were 1169 tonnes of waste sent to the Kate Valley landfill in April, bringing the total for the 2023/24 year to 12,595 - with about 14,800 tonnes sent in the previous year.

The council plans to hold a workshop to decide on the green waste bin size options ahead of the kerbside rollout in September 2026.

This will be included in the next waste management contract, which is due to go out for tender in September.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

Two breakthroughs made 2023 tech's most innovative year in over a decade

jisook@matter.city (Jisook Moon) — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 01:14:00 GMT

After several years dominated by iterative product updates and government scrutiny of big tech companies, 2023 turned into a comeback year for tech.

Government scrutiny of big tech and a series of iterative upgrades of iconic products such as the iPhone have largely dominated the last decade in tech. Not since the rise of 4G unleashed a wave real-time apps such as Uber and Airbnb have new innovations been the main story in tech.

But 2023 was a different kind of year, dominated by the stories of two big breakthroughs.

1. ChatGPT and Generative AI

While ChatGPT technically launched in November 2022, it unleashed a wave of new innovations and intense interest in AI that rippled throughout 2023 and made it the biggest story of the year.

ChatGPT's biggest breakthrough is making technology feel more human. Unlike Google, the internet, and other forms of search where you have to know specific phrases and syntax for talking to computers and getting the best results, you can ask ChatGPT questions in the same kind of natural language you would use if you were chatting with a person. And the results you get back are often so startlingly good and helpful that it has taken the world by storm. ChatGPT reached its first million users in just 5 days and broke 100 million active users in January 2023, just two months after it launched. It's now approaching 200 million.

ChatGPT is so good at sounding like a person that it sometimes fools people into thinking it's more capable than it actually is. It can even lull us into thinking that it might be staggeringly smart like science fiction AIs such as Data in Star Trek or even scary like AIs in the movies such as The Terminator or iRobot. However, ChatGPT is simply very good at understanding questions, searching massive amounts of publicly available data very quickly, and imitating human speech patterns when providing answers.

The real magic behind this technology comes from the Large Language Models (LLMs) that power it. That's the tech that makes generative AI -- or conversational AI -- happen. OpenAI's GPT-4 is the LLM behind ChatGPT, but there are now many other LLMs and that's a big part of the 2023 story as well. Google's Gemini LLM , which powers Bard (its ChatGPT competitor) is one of the newest, but others such as Meta's Llama 2 and Amazon's Olympus are potentially competitors to ChatGPT as well as LLMs aimed at other purposes.

Of course, LLMs and generative AI can be used for far more than just creating chatbots. Some of their other uses can include:

Creating AI-generated images from ideas using DALL-E
Summarizing large documents such as research reports and legal contracts
Sentiment analysis for marketing
Code help and automation for software developers
Writing assistance in drafting common types of documents
Translation of text from one language to another

And we're just scratching the surface here. LLMs are getting faster, more efficient, and more capable and the number of problems they will be used to tackle in the future is likely to be exponentially larger.

2. Apple Vision Pro and a new era for AR and VR

The metaverse may have flamed out in 2022 with the crash of the cryptocurrency market and the general lack of interest from mainstream consumers, but something infinitely more interesting rose from their ashes in 2023. It was the huge resurgence of interest in next-gen, three-dimensional experiences in AR and VR and it was largely powered by the promotional engine of one company: Apple.

At its Worldwide Developer Conference in June, Apple took the wraps off its Vision Pro headset -- a project seven years in the making. It wowed the developer community, technology analysts, and the media with a quality and fidelity of mixed reality experiences that have never been seen in a standalone consumer headset that wasn't tethered to a powerful computer. In fact, Apple didn't refer to Vision Pro as a mobile device but as a new kind computer -- a spatial computer.

After my hands-on demo of the Apple Vision Pro at WWDC, I wrote , "Apple has made breakthroughs with the Vision Pro that will redefine technology, productivity, and entertainment for the next decade."

While the release of Apple Vision Pro is still months away , I stand by those words. I've tested various augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality headsets over the years, but the Vision Pro is the first one where I couldn't wait to try it again as soon as I was finished using it for the first time. That's because the experiences were so real and so compelling.

Also: These 5 major tech advances of 2023 were the biggest game-changers

Of course, Apple Vision Pro will cost $3,500 and the 1.0 version will have a limited audience. But it's going to open the door to a new level of mixed reality experiences and get a lot more consumers interested in trying them.

Case in point: After my Vision Pro demo I was eager to try the $500 Meta Quest 3 with its newly upgraded displays when it launched in October. I quickly discovered that the Supernatural app on the Meta Quest 3 was a far more fun and engaging way to do cardio workouts than using a treadmill, elliptical, or stationary bike -- and that's something Vision Pro won't do at launch.

The bottom line is that Apple's entrance into this space has lit a fire of consumer interest in VR and AR. I saw it on a Saturday in November when I walked into a Best Buy and saw a double line of 10-15 kids and their parents waiting to try out the Quest 3 as two Best Buy employees quickly wiped down headsets and handed them to the next kid in line. And it was never more apparent than on Black Friday and Cyber Monday when Meta's Quest 2 and Quest 3 outsold Apple AirPods and AirPods Pro on Amazon .

Final thought

It's possible that ChatGPT and Apple Vision Pro have both given us iPhone moments -- the release of a new product that will define what comes after them and spawn a whole new generation of products and experiences. Only time will tell. But it's clear today that ChatGPT and Apple Vision Pro have injected tech with an optimism and energy that's been missing in recent years. And for that, they both get a well-earned hat tip.

Thanksgiving Leftovers are Good for Longer Than You Think

jisook@matter.city (Jisook Moon) — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 01:48:35 GMT

Don't automatically assume a date label on food has to do with safety.
(Also: Don't forget to freeze your leftover stuffing and pie.)

By Zahra Hirji

At Thanksgiving, food is the main event. But despite all the effort that goes into buying and preparing a turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie, some 312 million pounds of food will end up in the trash this week. That’s roughly $600 million worth.

While Thanksgiving is known for its excess, the holiday is a microcosm of a global problem. About 30% of all food produced for human consumption is wasted, according to the World Food Programme . In the US, the Department of Agriculture estimates that number could be up to 40% . Nearly half of US food waste is generated by households, which makes reducing it both powerful — saving families money while slowing greenhouse gas emissions — and as straightforward as learning to love your leftovers.

“Thanksgiving to me — there’s such irony because the whole history of the holiday is celebrating people having enough food to make it through the winter,” says Dana Gunders, executive director of nonprofit ReFED, which is focused on food waste and developed the Thanksgiving estimates. “We’re so grateful and thankful” for all this food, she says, “and then we throw it out three days later.”

Global attention to food waste is on rise, says Emily Broad Leib, director of Harvard’s Food Law and Policy Clinic. That’s in part because of its impact on the planet — from the water, land and energy that goes into growing food and raising livestock to the emissions generated when it’s trashed.

“When we throw food away, it’s sitting in a landfill and emitting methane,” Broad Leib says. “Methane in the short term is 80 times more potent than carbon in the atmosphere.”

A staggering 58% of methane emissions escaping from US landfills come from food waste, according to an October report from the Environmental Protection Agency. And while landfill-related emissions are declining overall, methane emissions from food waste are on the rise. In 2020, about 55 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions were released into the atmosphere from decomposing food in landfills, the EPA found — roughly equivalent to the combined annual emissions of 15 coal-fired power plants.

Methane Emissions From Food Waste Are Rising in US Landfills

Food waste is the largest source of methane emissions escaping landfills.

The USDA and EPA aim to halve food waste in the US by 2030 compared to 2016 levels, which requires working with governments, companies and schools. At home, one of the biggest ways to guard against waste is also one of the simplest: Make the most of the food you have. Especially on Thanksgiving, when there will be leftovers.

“Love your leftovers,” says Gunders. “As the host, your responsibility is to prepare to send leftovers home with people, and you can do that by having leftover containers on hand or by asking your guests to bring containers.”

The importance of leftovers cannot be overstated. Over the summer, researchers at Gallup and the MITRE Corporation surveyed the food-waste habits of more than 9,000 US households for one week. Among their findings: Households more willing to eat leftovers produced just 3.5 cups of waste per week, compared with about 6 cups on average, says Laura Leets, MITRE’s innovation lead involved in the study. Households where people explicitly said they were less likely to eat leftovers produced a whopping 12 cups of waste, or about 6 pounds (2.8 kilograms).

The researchers also identified widespread confusion about food date labels, with many people interpreting them as strict indicators of food safety instead of, at least sometimes, guidance on freshness. The report found that people who “often or always” throw away food that has passed its date label wasted 8.9 cups of food per week, over twice as much as those who “never or rarely” throw away past-date food (where the average was 4 cups per week).

Gunders has one more reminder for reducing food waste: Use your freezer. “Freezers are kind of the magic pause button for your food,” she says. “As much as we may love leftovers on day one, by day three we’re kind of over them. That’s okay. Pop them in the freezer and in a couple of weeks, you’ll be very excited to have them.”

According to the USDA, Thanksgiving leftovers are safe in the fridge for up to four days, and safe in the freezer “indefinitely, but will keep the best quality for two to six months.”

Of course, you don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving dinner is served to think about reducing waste — Gunders emphasizes paying attention to how much food you’re making in the first place. One tip is to cook slightly smaller dishes than usual because there are likely to be more appetizers, sides and desserts than with other meals.

“Be thoughtful about how much you prepare and lean towards actually less servings for the number of people you have for each dish,” Gunders says. She points to an online tool called the Guest-imator that helps people estimate how much of each Thanksgiving dish they should make depending on who’s coming and how many dishes will be served.

“Thanksgiving is the holiday of leftovers,” says Broad Leib. “I can’t think of any other meal where we so purposefully over-prepare food.”

Case Study - City of Monash Pits

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 04:05:42 GMT

Case study .

City of Monash, Melbourne

Matter is proud to pilot their storm water pit sensors with the City of Monash , a moderate sized council in Melbourne.

Ambition: Teaming up with City of Monash for a storm water pit sensor trial, to track water levels, events and help with flood mitigation.

Priority move: Trial sensing storm water pit information and displaying this on our Capture dashboard for convenient viewing.

Matter Objectives:

• provide measurement systems (Sense)
• provide measurement data (Capture)
• provide novel monitoring systems (inc CaptureOS)

Preliminary results from the trial found:

371645 data point

Real time data to date.

2,765 reports

On overflowing pits (approx.)

9% of pits

Reported blockages.

Case Study - City of Port Phillip

jisook@matter.city (Jisook Moon) — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 03:54:40 GMT

Case study .

City of Port Phillip, Melbourne

Matter is excited to trial their storm water pit sensors in a pilot within the City of Port Phillip.

The focus with be on the suburb of Ellwood where 13 sensors are bring deployed in order to gain a better understanding of water flow, events and how to manage the area.

Ambition: Matter are trialing their sensors with the City of Port Phillip, to help with tracking events such as pit blockages in leafy residential suburbs.

Priority move: Trial sensing storm water pit information and reviewing event data on the Capture dashboard to help with future pit management.

Matter Objectives:

• Identify and report on blocked pits
• Reduce the need to manually check pits for blockages
• Weather event notifications to allow for preemptive cleaning

Preliminary results from the trial found:

84052 data point

Real time data to date.

104 reports

On overflowing pits.

38% of pits

Reported blockages.

Smart Waste Management is Revolutionising Waste Collection

jisook@matter.city (Jisook Moon) — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 08:57:11 GMT

By utilising smart bins, we're making waste collection more efficient than ever before!

With the help of sensors, smart bins provide real-time data on the fullness levels and types of waste being deposited . This means no more unnecessary collection trips or overflowing bins!

By optimising waste collection routes based on the data received from smart bins, we can significantly reduce costs and make the most out of available resources . It's a win-win situation for both the environment and your wallet!

Let's embrace the power of technology and work together towards a cleaner, greener future . Join us in adopting smart waste management solutions and let's make waste collection efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable!

Flood Monitoring and Mitigation

jisook@matter.city (Jisook Moon) — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 03:07:36 GMT

Let's talk about flood monitoring and early warning systems powered by water sensing devices.

Water sensing devices play a crucial role in monitoring water levels, rainfall, and river flow in real time.

By constantly gathering data, they enable early detection and warning systems for potential floods.

Timely alerts provide valuable time for communities to take necessary precautions, and safeguard lives and property from the devastating effects of flooding. It's all about being proactive and staying ahead of nature's forces.

Flood monitoring and early warning systems give us the power to mitigate damages caused by floods. By understanding the dynamics of water levels, we can make informed decisions, implement preventive measures, and ensure the safety of vulnerable areas.

Together, let's harness the potential of water sensing devices and early warning systems to protect our communities from the ravages of floods. By investing in technology and preparedness, we can minimise damages and keep our loved ones safe.

Join the movement for flood resilience and be part of a future where communities are better equipped to handle natural disasters. Together, we can build a safer and more resilient world!

Let's Break the Waste Cycle

jisook@matter.city (Jisook Moon) — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 00:45:00 GMT

... and Embrace the Circular Economy!

Today, I want to shed some light on an issue close to our hearts: our current waste problem and the exciting shift towards a circular economy.

We've been living in a linear model for far too long, where we take, make, and dispose of products without much thought for the consequences. It's time for a change! The linear model leads to excessive waste generation, pollution, and resource depletion,
harming our planet and future generations.

But fear not! There's a more sustainable and efficient alternative: the circular economy . It's a game-changer that aims to
minimize waste and maximize resource use throughout the entire lifecycle of products.

In the circular economy, we shift our focus from "take, make, dispose" to "reduce, reuse, recycle, and regenerate." ��✨

Here's how it works with Matter:

1. Reduce: We aim to reduce the production of waste by monitoring waste levels and making people more conscious and embracing eco-friendly design principles.

2. Reuse: Instead of discarding items after a single use, we encourage reusing and repurposing them whenever possible. This can be done through sharing platforms, repair services, and creative upcycling initiatives.

3. Recycle: Recycling plays a crucial role in the circular economy, ensuring that materials are transformed into new products instead of ending up in landfills. We support recycling efforts and where possible choose products made from recycled materials.

4. Regenerate: The circular economy goes beyond waste reduction and focuses on regenerating natural systems. We promote sustainable practices like renewable energy through solar charging and ecosystem restoration through carbon emission reduction.

By embracing the circular economy, we can create a world where waste is minimized, resources are conserved, and the environment thrives. It's a win-win situation for both our planet and our communities.

So, let's make a conscious effort to break free from the linear model and embrace the circular economy in our daily lives.
Whether it's reducing our personal waste, supporting sustainable businesses, or advocating for change, every action counts!

Together, we can build a future where waste is seen as a valuable resource and where our planet flourishes for generations to come.

Let's join hands and be a part of this positive change! ��

A Glimpse into the 2022 National Waste Strategy

jisook@matter.city (Jisook Moon) — Wed, 24 May 2023 03:47:22 GMT

In the face of growing environmental concerns, governments around the world are stepping up their efforts to address the pressing issue of waste management. In 2022 , Australia introduced its beneficial National Waste Strategy .

With a comprehensive and forward-thinking approach, this strategy aims to revolutionize sustainability, promote circular economies, and reduce the environmental impact of waste. Let's delve into the key highlights of this transformative initiative .

In conclusion the 2022 National Waste Strategy stands as a testament to Australia's commitment to environmental sustainability and responsible resource management. By embracing the circular economy, strengthening waste management infrastructure, promoting public awareness, fostering collaboration, and implementing an effective monitoring system, this strategy sets the stage for a cleaner and greener future. As we witness its implementation and long-term impact, it becomes evident that such initiatives are crucial steps towards tackling the global waste crisis and building a more sustainable planet for generations to come.

Contact us to find out how we are implementing and enabling this strategy.

Case Study - City of Stirling

jisook@matter.city (Jisook Moon) — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 04:04:58 GMT

Case study .

City of Stirling, Western Australia

Together with the City of Stirling in Western Australia, Matter successfully implemented their waste sensing technology in the City’s high traffic public spaces to collect better data regarding waste collection and logistics.

The goal of the project was to identify inefficiencies in waste collection processes, support smarter urban planning and allow for cleaner and tidier public spaces within the City.

The project encompassed forty-five waste sensors at Trigg beach and Clarko Reserve. Matter installed volumetric waste sensors in each public bin within the project site, while the corresponding data collected from the sensors was managed through the Capture platform - a web-based application providing near real-time information about waste levels.

Preliminary results from the trial found:

81%

of public space bins did not require emptying at time of servicing.

Only 7%

of bins need servicing during wet weather periods.

Significant

people and fleet efficiencies could be implemented to reduce costs.

Case Study - City of Gosnells

jisook@matter.city (Jisook Moon) — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 04:04:57 GMT

Case study .

Gosnells Council, Western Australia

Matter is proud to share the findings of this waste sensing pilot with the City of Gosnells, which – as far as we know – is Australia’s first NBIoT wheelie bin sensing trial.

The pilot deployed 50 sensors across a number of the City’s parks. The sample size is small but

the locations are well spread.

A number of Key Findings came out of the trial, one of the most vital being that substantial time/labour savings could be achieved through operational efficiencies i.e. checking/emptying only ‘full’ bins.

Preliminary results from the trial found:

Only 7%

Necessary bin collections

across this period.

Over 50%

Collections executed

at <10% fill.

$39,793

Annual savings at optimal collection efficiency.

Case Study - City of Perth

jisook@matter.city (Jisook Moon) — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 04:04:53 GMT

Case study .

Perth Council, Western Australia

The City of Perth awarded a contract to Matter after a competitive open market tender.

Tenders were issued November 2019. Tender was awarded August 2020.

As a result of the trial, the City has purchased an additional set of sensors to expand coverage. The City liked Matter’s ongoing R&D, additional analytics dashboards, route optimisation upgrades and new sensor options to expand the use case set.

2022 results from the trial found:

55 sensors

Deployed in the field.

Approx 81%

Collection Efficiency.

$30,792

Savings in overserviced collection costs.

Create a Ripple Effect with our New App

jisook@matter.city (Jisook Moon) — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 07:43:27 GMT

Introducing Ripple – the app changing the way households manage waste.

We can’t change what we don’t measure. We measure our power. We measure our water.
Now we can measure our waste with the Ripple app , promoting a move towards tracking & changing waste behaviours.

Our new Ripple app :

Tracks bin fill levels
Alerts you when your bin is getting full or has fallen over
Sends you collection day reminders – never miss another bin day again!
Sends alerts with severe weather warnings that may affect your bin
Includes handy waste tips & tricks

Now the Ripple app comes with the added bonus of 'Binny' the waste magnet for your home or office.

Never miss a bin day again, with interactive lights on the fridge magnet alerting you to which bins to put out and when the truck is on it's way. Also ha ve a clear visible reminder of your real-time bin levels. A smart feature is the comical red 'Binny' down button that lights up if your bin falls over.

Australasian Waste & Recycling Expo '22

jisook@matter.city (Jisook Moon) — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 05:52:30 GMT

This month, we're rolling up our sleeves and getting our name badges ready for the AWRE conference at the end of August.

We'll be showcasing our product and technology solutions designed to help councils, businesses and households measure, manage and reduce their waste .

We're looking forward to:

Networking with industry professionals
Connecting with other sustainability experts
Seeing the latest waste product and service innovations.

If you'll be near the area, why not register for the free two-day event and pop by our stand ( G23 ) in the Innovation Zone?

Our products

Our council partners

Let us know if you're going to be attending the conference with an email or say hello on LinkedIn .

Also stay tuned for updates on the exciting, Australian-first new product we'll be launching there!

Matter – a Year in Review 2021

jisook@matter.city (Jisook Moon) — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 06:40:20 GMT

Last year was a big year of growth and development.

We deployed our sensors in multiple locations around the country.
Some of our most exciting partnerships were with:

The City of Casey, Victoria

Casey came on board trialling our sensors, deploying them to help with efficiency of their waste collections, lower costs and gather data to make improvements for residents. They have been happy so far with our service.

Wellington Square, Perth
City of Perth transformed Wellington Square in East Perth into an amazing hub for local residents and visitors. Our Matter waste sensors are installed throughout the park bins to measure waste, a great smart tech addition. The data can be tracked online through our app and will help to track waste and carbon emissions.

City of Gosnells, Perth

The forward thinking council has installed our NBIoT sensors, which work on the broad Telstra network. As the ‘THINGS’ network (a communication platform for sensors) has upgraded their system we were quick to act and implemented new firmware to make our sensors compatible.

Matter also expanded the over East market, partnering with Exceed ICT , an IT consulting company. We worked on rolling out our NBIoT sensors to new customers in the over East market.

Closer to home Matter Lab was formed (in our new Osborne Park office). We are very excited about our new office and meeting areas.

The team also grew taking on Zee Sabri our in-house Software Developer, who has been tasked with speeding up our development processes and implementing new functionality in our current suite of applications. Jenna Westphal our marketing specialist has also joined the team and will be sharing regular updates and exciting developments.

Looking forward to another busy year of business with you all.

It’s Nearly Here – COP26!

jisook@matter.city (Jisook Moon) — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 03:48:44 GMT

The UK will host the 26th UN ‘Climate Change Conference of the Parties’ (COP26) in Glasgow on 31 October – 12 November 2021.

This is a really important conference for the world as it is an opportunity to fast track action towards unified goals to help with climate change. The goal is to increase climate ambition, build resilience and lower emissions.

Net-zero emissions have never been more topical. Australia is yet to commit politically to net-zero but many companies we're working with right now are. We've been busy working on the waste/carbon nexus over the last 2 years. Our ‘Impact ‘Calculator’ is now ready to help your business work out how it can make a difference.

The conference has already been rescheduled from last year due to Covid-19, however the time to act is now. Climate change is impacting people all around the world and we need to come together and act.

We are looking forward to seeing what comes out of the conference, stay tuned for updates.

Get in touch if you would like to hear more about Matter and how our technology is changing the waste landscape.

References: United Nations Climate Change (2021). Glasgow Climate Change Conference , article and images.

Wellington Square Upgrade

jisook@matter.city (Jisook Moon) — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 06:28:45 GMT

Perth has just transformed Wellington Square in East Perth into an amazing hub for local residents and visitors. It now has a kid’s playground wonderland – Koolangka Koolangka Waabiny.

The square now also boasts amazing event spaces, a skate park, a flying fox, embankment slides, waterplay, climbing towers, basketball courts and a large scale activity / multi-use sporting field. The upgrade was sponsored by Lotterywest with a whopping 4.37 million dollar grant.

The square also has some new innovative additions such as the reflection corner in the park designed to commemorate the Stolen Generation and our Matter waste sensors, which are a great smart tech addition. The sensors are installed throughout the park bins to measure waste. The data can be tr acked online through an app and will help to track waste and carbon emissions.

There are 350 new trees and 60 per cent canopy cover, the park also features expansive shade and greenery. With additional new lighting and CCTV, safety in the park into the evening is also a priority.

Wellington Square has significant cultural relevance for the Whadjuk Nyoongar people. The land was a special place where they met for ceremonies, raised families and hunted. It will continue to be a special place for all with respectful acknowledgement of the Traditional Owners and custodians of the land.

Looking forward to seeing how our sensors help manage this fun space.

Get in touch if you would like to know more about ‘ Sense ’ and ‘ CarbonFX ’.

Article reference : “Wellington Square” City of Perth, May, 2021 – https://perth.wa.gov.au/en/forms-and-payments/Hire-and-Bookings/parks-and-gardens-hire/venues/wellington-square

The Start of a Beautiful Relationship

jisook@matter.city (Jisook Moon) — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 06:28:43 GMT

Matter and Exceed are on the same mission – to reduce waste and carbon emissions.

The beginning of a beautiful relationship between Matter and Exceed. Watch the video of Luke Wadeson explaining Matter's sensors and how they are helping to reduce waste and carbon emissions.

Get in touch if you want to be part of the solution.

Matter, Casey Sign Contract to Bring Innovative Waste Sensing to Victoria

len@matter.city (Len Luxford) — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 01:54:48 GMT

Sustainability technology company Matter is pleased to announce the signing of a commercial contract with the City of Casey in Victoria today to supply smart waste sensors within the community public space bins.

The contract will give the City of Casey access to innovative real-time data and software that will help improve waste collection efficiencies, lower costs and reduce litter across key public spaces.

Matter Managing Director Martin McGinty said the company was thrilled to be selected to roll out the technology across the municipality, signifying a crucial first step in using waste sensing to address the waste crisis.

“The City of Casey is already leading the way in community waste management and we are thrilled to be able to support them to further innovate in this space,” said Mr McGinty.

“Our existing projects have shown that not only are there significant efficiencies available with our technology when used in public spaces, but it has clear benefits in terms of reduced traffic, public safety and litter reduction.”

“In one case, our data found that up to 80 per cent of bin attendances were unnecessary. This data is only the start of what waste sensing is capable of when you have access to the right technology and user Apps,” he said.

Data collected – including bin volumes, collection times and days, fill levels, estimated CO2, and bin visits – will initially be used to improve waste collection rosters and routes, and reduce costs.

The contract will also help the Council meet its commitments to proactive litter management as part of the Rethink Your Waste Strategy 2016-2022, while aligning with their Smart City Strategy 2017-2021.

City of Casey Sustainability and Waste Manager, Michael Jansen, said the Council had used remote sensing technology to achieve efficiencies in environmental monitoring on closed landfills for some time now.

“Casey is excited about partnering with the team at Matter. Their technology will further support our innovative practices and enhance our litter bin service within the community,” said Mr Jansen.

“Good quality data will provide Council and our collection contractor, Haulaway with greater insights into what is happening in the community. This will allow us to plan more efficient collection schedules, respond more effectively and be proactive to ensure delivery of a high quality and cost-effective service.”

Matter is an award-winning sustainability tech company that empowers people and communities to track, manage and reduce their waste footprint. Their patented smart sensors and user Apps are the first to be small and economical enough to be rolled out at scale.

Along with Councils and businesses across Australia – and on the backdrop of a global waste crisis - Matter is on a bold mission to supply all residential homes with their technology and user Apps by 2025, enabling councils for the first time to offer the incentive schemes required to drive consumer waste reduction within the home.

Matter Launches World's Smallest Waste Sensor

len@matter.city (Len Luxford) — Thu, 14 May 2020 05:53:25 GMT

Innovative sustainability technology company Matter recently unveiled its new and improved waste sensor, the latest in smart green technology set to disrupt the waste industry and improve personal waste behaviours.

The patented sensor is the first of its kind and marks a tipping point in waste management across Australia.

Previously, waste-sensors have been too expensive and large to roll out at scale but the latest smart-sensor from the team at Matter is available at a a size and cost to roll-out across entire communities - on residential bins, public space bins and within commercial facilities.

With intuitive user-software, real-time data feeds and user Apps, the 'feedback loops' create the mechanism - for the first time - for communities and households to significantly reduce landfill, waste-related carbon emissions and lower waste levy costs.

Matter is currently partnering with a number of Councils and Smart Cities across Australia who are using the pioneering technology on public space bins. The real-time data is helping to improve waste collection efficiencies, lower waste costs to Councils and reduce litter across key public spaces.

On the backdrop of a global waste crisis, Matter is on a bold mission to supply all residential Australian homes with their technology and user Apps by 2025, acting as a key enabler of consumer waste reduction campaigns within the home.

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Final thought

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Don't automatically assume a date label on food has to do with safety. (Also: Don't forget to freeze your leftover stuffing and pie.)

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Case study .

City of Monash, Melbourne

371645 data point

2,765 reports

9% of pits

Case Study - City of Port Phillip

Case study .

City of Port Phillip, Melbourne

84052 data point

104 reports

38% of pits

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Here's how it works with Matter:

Let's join hands and be a part of this positive change! ��

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Case Study - City of Stirling

Case study .

City of Stirling, Western Australia

81%

Only 7%

Significant

Case Study - City of Gosnells

Case study .

Gosnells Council, Western Australia

Only 7%

Over 50%

$39,793

Case Study - City of Perth

Case study .

Perth Council, Western Australia

55 sensors

Approx 81%

$30,792

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Matter Launches World's Smallest Waste Sensor

Innovative sustainability technology company Matter recently unveiled its new and improved waste sensor, the latest in smart green technology set to disrupt the waste industry and improve personal waste behaviours.

Don't automatically assume a date label on food has to do with safety.
(Also: Don't forget to freeze your leftover stuffing and pie.)