It has been reported this month, that 5 Ulster councils have installed controversial computer chips in household wheelie bins and are using them to monitor bin usage. It has been suggested that the powerful chips have also been used across several council areas to collect data from recycling bins for up to 3 years. Belfast City Council is currently using the chips in their blue recycling bins and brown compost bins. This works out at 105,000 bins, at a cost of £157,500. Antrim, Lisburn, Newtownabbey and North Down council areas have also installed them, without consulting residents. Lisburn City Council were said to be considering expanding the scheme after a trial of the current chips in brown bins and Fermanagh District Council are using similar chips in business waste disposal bins.
This follows on from the discovery that half a million wheeliebins in England have been given similar chips to record homes' waste habits, and has lead to the belief that district councils are planning to charge residents for the weight of rubbish collected. A spokeswoman for the scheme said the technology was simply being used to tell how often people use their boxes, which areas are doing well and what the overall participation rate is.
