Unblocking bins with Junker: the revolution in Comacchio

CASE HISTORY

In Comacchio, citizens manage everything, from consultation to correct sorting, to unblocking bins, with a single digital tool: Junker.

Objective: traceability and …intelligence

In the Municipality of Comacchio, in the province of Ferrara, waste collection operator CLARA addressed the challenge of waste collection accounting using smart bins, embracing a solution that combines the physical infrastructure of smart bins with the ease of use of the Junker mobile app.

The goal was twofold: to ensure the traceability of waste collection for fair pricing and, at the same time, to make the collection process as intuitive and convenient as possible for residents.

The technological solution: Junker for intelligent unlocking

The heart of the innovation lies in the bin unlocking system, specifically those for unsorted and organic waste, which in Comacchio and other municipalities in the CLARA catchment area have been equipped with a controlled opening mechanism. This system requires unique user identification.

The collaboration with Junker has allowed us to integrate the bin unlocking function directly into the app that residents already use daily to check their collection schedule and ensure proper waste separation. CLARA citizens, using an integrated system called Clara Key, can approach the smart bin and unlock it using the dedicated feature within the Junker app. Opening the bin automatically records the operation, linking it to the specific user.

Results of the first four months since the introduction of the new unlocking system:

10.618 active users

Number of users who have used the Junker app for opening smart bins.

317.725 disposals in the smart bins

Number of unlocks recorded via the Junker app

21.933 residents

Number of residents in the municipality, net of tourist flows.

Advantages

The benefits recorded from the Comacchio case history

This implementation has generated tangible benefits, transforming the collection service in Comacchio into a benchmark:

Integration and Simplicity: leveraging a single platform like Junker, already well-known and widely used for waste sorting guidance, has avoided the need to introduce complex new applications, facilitating community adoption of the new technology.
Collection Quality: associating waste collection with the user, increases the sense of responsibility and discourages improper disposal, leading to improved quality of sorted waste collected.