IoT-Aware Waste Management System Based on Cloud Services and Ultra-Low-Power RFID Sensor-Tags

Abstract

Waste management is a challenge for modern cities as it impacts on environmental sustainability and on the level of quality perceived by citizens. In the last few years, several progresses have been made in this direction with the introduction in the city of door-to-door separate waste collection. A key element for the success of such actions is to achieve excellent cooperation from citizens. The Digital Transformation process in this sector will require time other than a careful management of the data associated with the waste collection processes. At this regard, the progress of hardware and software technologies enabling the Internet of Things (IoT) will contribute significantly to accelerate the whole process. Among these innovative solutions, the use of RFID tags with augmented capabilities and cloud-based software architectures capable of properly managing collected data will be crucial to obtain an intelligent and efficient waste management system. In this paper, an innovative system capable of capturing and processing data relating to the door-to-door separate waste collection in the context of future smart cities is presented. In particular, the system includes an innovative RFID sensor-tag equipped with low-cost weight sensors and a Cloud software system capable of managing the collected data and satisfying the various stakeholders' expectations. First results on both functional and performance validation of the overall system are shown.