Efficient and safe waste compacting

An innovative British invention coming to the market

We are at the research stage and are seeking a collaboration with a local authority or waste recycling company for a pilot scheme to collect data and quantify efficiencies. Please click here to register your interest.

The Problem

Wheelie bins, bins and waste receptacles fill up quickly and are inefficiently packed. Compacting household refuse in wheelie bins is difficult due to the height and position of the rim.

In order to close the lid or to avoid inconvenient trips to the local HWRC, householders resort to unsafe methods of compaction, with reported injuries and hospitalisations due to sharps, contaminants, chemical burns and falls.

To achieve cost efficiencies CIWM, LARAC, LGA, ADEPT, NAWDO and WRAP are advocating local authorities migration to three-weekly waste collections. Several authorities are already collecting residual waste three-weekly (31 authorities) or four-weekly (5) (https://laportal.wrap.org.uk)

Extending pickup schedules result in greater over production of waste and under capacity of bins leading to increased individual trips to HWRC with the associated costs of time, travel, congestion and CO2.

Overcapacity waste left outside of the bin encourages pests rip open bags and is a breeding ground for maggots and unpleasant smells.

RCV’s return to the depot with an average 26% spare capacity. (Chichester)

The UK government's Simpler Recycling waste reforms for households and businesses are set to take effect from 31 March 2025. New household rules require several bins for the separate collection of food, glass, general, paper and recycled waste.

In 2021, the population of England was 56m, it will pass 70 million in 2026 and reach more than 73m by 2036 (ONS)

The Solution

One part of the solution in the waste management mix.

The Basharama is a new invention, categorised as a vertical hammer with patents in the UK, Europe, USA, Canada and Australia. Designed to safely compact refuse in bins, specifically wheelie bins to reduce the incidents of overcapacity and injury.

Compacting waste efficiently and hygienically in a confined space provides an alternative to unsafe methods of compaction, avoiding direct contact with dangerous and unsanitary waste and reducing injuries and hospitalisations. Cost saving for the NHS and may even save a life.

Waste compaction to increase efficiency is common practice in waste management companies but has not yet pervaded households. Our trials demonstrated an increase in capacity of up to 32% or 77L.

Increasing the density of collectible waste leads to RCV efficiency by utilising the 26% spare capacity (Chichester) saving the LA labour, transport costs and co2 emissions.

Creating extra capacity reduces the need for individual householder journeys to the HWRC, saving time, transport costs, congestion and co2 emissions.

HWRC reduced footfall leads to improved efficiency and manpower savings. Chichester study - 257 051 annual visits to Westhampnett recycling centre (2022) 8 full time staff. A reduction of 33 228 visits (13%)

A integral tool for the LA in the transition to the UK government's Simpler Recycling waste reforms, addressing EDI issues, specifically for the less able bodied and mitigating customer complaints.

Design

The unique 15cm duel ergonomic handle and 40cm body shape vertically compacts the top 40cm of waste (trials demonstrate this required the least physical pressure and body movement and had the lowest impact on the arms and back of the user)

A fluted shape for ease of extraction, a shoulder to protect the users hands and a base surface area of 130cm2 minimises damage to refuse sacks.

Compacting the top 40cm of refuse removes excess air and creates extra capacity. The flexibility to use on any size of bin or caddy, washable, rust free and hygienic, no moving parts or corners to collect bacteria, robust, long lasting and fully recyclable. 65% weight distribution in the base section for efficient compacting and free standing for convenient storage. UV and rain also contribute to self-cleaning.

Made from recycled plastic and fully recyclable at end of life.

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

A Global Market

We are one small part in the waste management mix.

The UK spends £1.1 billion on waste annually - 418 Local Authorities and 215 NHS trusts (LA's £852m and NHS £137m)

The 2021 Environment act mandates migration towards the separate recycling of all recyclables, requiring several smaller bins and receptacles, population growth, smaller receptacles for residual waste collections, introduction of food waste recycling, reduced frequency of collections and evolving legislation result in over production of waste and under capacity of bins leading to more frequent individual householder trips to HWRC to deposit excess waste.

No other comparable hand held method of compaction on market, compaction efficiencies will reduce HWRC trips, congestion, transport costs and CO2.

We have IP and Patent rights in the UK, Europe, Australia, USA and Canada covering 53 countries.

370 million households use over a billion wheelie bins for refuse collection.

Europe, Patent No. 007574967-0001 – 221 million households

USA, Patent No. US D948,983 S – 128 million households

Canada, Patent No. 196990 – 12 million households

Australia, Patent No. 202013716 – 9 million households

There are 50 million businesses in the jurisdictions where we hold patents and the 2021 act requires businesses to recycle all recyclables.

Global licensing partnerships could achieve sales in excess of 4 million units and generate £120 million in turnover.

Over the last thirty years we have seen an ever growing movement towards the circular economy; this increasingly dominates the global political agenda and we see the Basharama as an integral and useful part of this evolution.

The Environment

COP26 tasked Governments with accelerating action to tackle the climate crisis through collaboration with business and civil society. The 2021 Environment act also sets out significant reforms and a new framework to help identify efficiencies in the waste and recycling process. Local authorities and waste management companies have been challenged with continued improvement of recycling performance whilst reducing costs.

Weighing 750 gm, 75 single recycled plastic bottles used in its construction, it uniquely contributes to the circular economy by being manufactured from recyclable materials and also improves efficiency in the recovery of materials at the end of their first life and prepares them for successful second (or third, or fourth) life.

A blue version will be manufactured using ocean micro plastic and recycled fishing nets.

14 million units produced equates to over a billion single use plastic bottles - 1000 tonnes of recycled plastic saved from land fill.

Our research using data from Chichester City Council. 16 weekly collection rounds totalling 53 341 households including 16 614 (31%) family households, alternating weekly between general waste and recycling collection.

We identified that overcapacity peaks with larger family households, HMO’s, large tower blocks and high density social housing and during specific times of the year, public holidays and seasonal green waste in the Autumn.

The RCV fleet returns with an average of 26% spare capacity, an extra 1000 tonnes of waste could be collected PA with little increase in manpower or CO2 emissions improving efficiency. Gravity will still allow efficient extraction.

Our next larger scale trial would distribute 8 000 units to all larger family households, HMOs and high density housing in order to monitor the volume and weight of waste collected over a 6-month period and the footfall at the Westhampnett recycling centre. The data will determine the savings in CO2, transport costs, congestion, and staff costs. These increased efficiencies will align with the directives of both COP 26 and the 2021 Environment act.

Benefits

Less incidences of refuse overcapacity and a reduction in the number and frequency of collections on RCV rounds and the migration to 3 weekly collections, resulting in a significant cost saving for the LA

CO2 saving

The householder will have less overcapacity issues and less frequent individual trips to HWRC to dispose of the excess waste, resulting in reduced congestion, cost saving on fuel and a reduction in CO2.

The average trip to the Chichester recycling centre is 3.2 miles each way.

In the UK the average CO2 vehicle emissions are 138.4 grams per km (or 221.4 grams per mile), (2020 data from the Department for Transport)

6.4 miles x 221.4g = 1 417g C02 per trip.

There are 16 614 larger family households in Chichester, if each family were to take just two less trips to the recycling centre annually this would equate to a saving of 1 417g x 2 x 16 614 Households = 47 084 Kg or 47 tonnes of CO2.

Adopted by all 418 LA’s would equate to a saving of 19646 tonnes (47 x 418) of CO2 annually.

In Chichester there would be reduction of 212 659 miles of car journeys and the associated savings in congestion and fuel. (Nationally 88 891 462 Miles)

LA Staff savings

In 2022 there were 257 051 visits to the Chichester Westhampnett recycling centre who employ 8 full time staff.

If there was a reduction of just two visits per year from each of the larger family households (2 x 16 614 = 33 228) This would equate to a 13% reduction in footfall and could lead to a reduction in staffing for the LA, potentially saving circa £30 000 PA.

Health and Safety and EDI

Annually there are many reported incidences of injuries and hospitalisations associated with wheelie bins accidents due to sharps, syringes, contaminants and falls. Injuries to householders climbing into their wheelie bin to compact the refuse before collection day and toppling over and breaking bones, others have cut themselves on contaminated broken glass, sharp tin lids and syringes, others have received chemical burns using bare hands to compact refuse. There are reports of householders lifting children into the wheelie bin to compact refuse.

The trial will inform evolution of the design and future iterations - a heavier/stronger design for medical waste such as syringes or spiky garden waste and a lighter/shorter design for less able bodied and elderly.

Long term benefits would be the reduction of unsafe methods of attempting compaction, reducing NHS costs and may even save a life.

Infestation issues occur specifically in urban areas, where over capacity refuse is left next to the full bins and is a breeding ground for insects, flies and maggots who spread disease. Over capacity waste also leads to an increase in fox and rat activity.

We have found some householders have “Refuse anxiety” where they become stressed if the cant deposit all their refuse in the bin in time for the collection day.

Feasability Study

Product Development

Our pilot scheme using 3d printed prototypes has informed and evolved the design, trials established the optimum weight, dimension and shape. The grip and height is suitable for any user 4ft 10.

The unique patented 15cm duel ergonomic handle features both a side grip and a vertical grip designed for both left and right handed users, the side grip compacts to a depth of 29cm and the top knob grip to a depth of 40 cm.

A base surface area of 130cm2, the average person exerts 65 LbF hand pressure, a compression capacity of 20/25 PSI, compacting refuse by 52 litres (240 L Bin) and 30 litres (140L Bin) whilst minimizing damage to the integrity of the plastic refuse sacks.