Determing when trash can has been emptied

[PaulD]

Would like something simple and cheap to alert me when my trash can has been emptied. After I place the trash cans out for pickup, they are emptied via robotic arm on trash truck. Looking for a way to use my Omni Pro II (with attached GE wireless receiver) to alert me that the cans have been emptied. Must consider that cans get rough treatment. Several ideas I have kicked around include
1) Spring mounted flag that pops up when cans are picked up. Low tech and cheap but only provides a visual alert
2) Mounting a sensor like a garage car parking sensor on nearby structure such that it triggers when the cans are out of range (picked up). Route that signal back to my system.
3) Wireless PIR on nearby structure with mask to only see a small window where the can would be sitting. Triggers when the cans are picked up
4) Pressure sensor under can. Would need to be tough enough to let a can slam down on it
5) Put a quick disconnect on the can with a 2 wire cable running to it. The quick disconnect would provide electical continuity for a NC zone I could monitor. To arm the zone, I would place the cans out for pickup and then plug in my wire to the quick disconnect. Picking up the can would cause a disconnect and place that zone in a NOT READY status. Another way to do this would be to use a simple window/door contact switch with the magnet attached to the can. Picking up the can should break the connection

So far, item 5 look like the simplest way to do it. Any other bright ideas out there?

 

[Rupp]

I'm curious why you want to know if it's been emptied? I use an RFID chip to remind me to take the garbage out to the street but when I get home it's been emptied and awaiting the trip back to the house.

 

[cornutt]

I was thinking of something like an RFID tag on the can with a nearby receiver, tuned so it only has a range of a few feet. Or maybe you could hide at the end of the driveway one day, and when the truck stops to empty your can, slap an RFID tag on the truck. :blush:

 

[electron]

What about a mercury/tilt switch? I assume the can has a lid as well? You could use a simple door/window sensor for that.

 

[electron]

What about a mercury/tilt switch? I assume the can has a lid as well? You could use a simple door/window sensor for that.

 

[PaulD]

I'm curious why you want to know if it's been emptied? I use an RFID chip to remind me to take the garbage out to the street but when I get home it's been emptied and awaiting the trip back to the house.

I work from my house. Not an earth shattering necessity but I like the convenience of knowing when cans are ready to bring back to house. Also another excuse to use my HA setup as a convenience tool.

 

[PaulD]

What about a mercury/tilt switch? I assume the can has a lid as well? You could use a simple door/window sensor for that.

Thought about the tilt switch also but that requires me to attach something to the can that might be damaged by rough handeling...and they bang them around pretty hard with that robotic arm.

 

[Rupp]

I'm curious why you want to know if it's been emptied? I use an RFID chip to remind me to take the garbage out to the street but when I get home it's been emptied and awaiting the trip back to the house.

I work from my house. Not an earth shattering necessity but I like the convenience of knowing when cans are ready to bring back to house. Also another excuse to use my HA setup as a convenience tool.

What about one of the mail sensors that detect light. When the can lid is opened it detects light. These devices are pretty sturdy and attached to the can and not the lid they wouldn't take that much of a beating.

 

[Dave X10]

What about a mercury/tilt switch? I assume the can has a lid as well? You could use a simple door/window sensor for that.

I like that idea! If housed in a plastic case... like a heavy duty food container epoxied to the lid... should be tough enough. That could also be a critter detector. Or... maybe even just a battery powered motion sensor in the lid would work.

 

[Rupp]

Wouldn't a mercury switch activate when you roll it to the street and even activate if it wasn't setting level? If the lid is flat like this ------------- and the switch is mounted flat as well wouldn't it move back and forth as you move it or if the wind blew hard?

 

[PaulD]

If you have never seen one of these robotic arm in action, they pick up the can (actually plastic container with hinged lid) and elevate it to the top of the truck then tilt it to dump the contents. To make sure they got everything, they bump it a few times on top. Certainly get plenty of motion but very hard on anything attached to container. To help with odor, I tried to attach one of those stick-on deoderizer pads inside the lid. Did not last long. After a few cycles with the trash guys, it was torn off by the garbage during the dump process.
I can think of several workable methods but most are too expensive for this simple application. I can easily run a wire to a nearby structure within 4 feet of where the containers sit. I still like the idea of placing a magnet on the exterior of the container and then use a simple wired window type reed switch to connect to the magnet. When the container is picked up, the reed switch will detach from the magnet and create a NO condition. Simple and cheap.

 

[damage]

If you have never seen one of these robotic arm in action, they pick up the can (actually plastic container with hinged lid) and elevate it to the top of the truck then tilt it to dump the contents. To make sure they got everything, they bump it a few times on top. Certainly get plenty of motion but very hard on anything attached to container. To help with odor, I tried to attach one of those stick-on deoderizer pads inside the lid. Did not last long. After a few cycles with the trash guys, it was torn off by the garbage during the dump process.
I can think of several workable methods but most are too expensive for this simple application. I can easily run a wire to a nearby structure within 4 feet of where the containers sit. I still like the idea of placing a magnet on the exterior of the container and then use a simple wired window type reed switch to connect to the magnet. When the container is picked up, the reed switch will detach from the magnet and create a NO condition. Simple and cheap.

we have the same kind of garbage truck. our garbage bin is hard plastic, but the lid is thin. if yours is the same, you could drill a couple holes through the lid and use some screws to securely mount whatever sensor you end up using.

 

[az1324]

How about an accelerometer and a mcu triggered by a vibration sensor. Maybe then you could work out from the sampled data how much garbage you produced each week.

 

[Neurorad]

Dedicated CCTV or ip camera directed at the cans, looking for specific upward motion, with an ROI?

 

[nsisman]

I mounted an ms13 motion sensor ( if that's the dark grey waterproof one with a screw on battery lid) inside the lid of our green bin (organic waste) and have an event that runs only on Wed to say it's been emptied.

I used a small piece of wood on the outside to make sure the sensor had a firm base.

The first one wouldn't hold just screwed into the plastic and the sensor disappeared with the garbage ! Expensive lesson - it was an old sensor though.

I had to put a "do not retrigger" in the event as the waste technicians leave the lid open and the sensor also picks up the cars driving by.

Blue box and green bin go into the same truck here.

This has been working fine since last summer.