Graz –
Littersharks in the city centre

The city of Graz was looking for new litter bins for its city centre and was particularly keen to have a closed-loop system. The solar bins that were previously in use could not cope with the volume of litter from the populations in the 17 city districts. What’s more, there had been a noticeable increase in vandalism with the growing population density. To make the day-to-day work of the city cleaning operatives more efficient, other factors had to be taken into account when deciding on the new system. The bins needed to be easy to operate and quick to empty, as well as robust and resistant to vandalism in order to reduce damage and keep repairs to a minimum.

The city of Graz put numerous litter disposal systems to the test. At the 2017 municipal fair (“Kommunalmesse”), Graz finally opted for the Littershark and initially ordered 30 of the bins, each with a volume of 150 litres. Five Solar Press-Sharks were put in place in heavily frequented, large public areas such as the city hall and the railway station. Over the years, the old bins were gradually replaced by Littersharks. More than 200 Littersharks have since been installed in the city. To meet the different requirements of the various locations, versions with capacities of between 60 and 150 litres and with ashtray and/or dog-waste disposal solutions have been installed.

The Littersharks have been equipped with the Shark Eye monitoring system, which registers and transmits the fill levels of the individual bins. The more accurate emptying regime of the waste bins results in a time saving that the Graz municipal cleaning team now considers to be indispensable.

More than 200 Littersharks are now in use in Graz city centre.

To get the residents of Graz on side and make the cityscape even cleaner and nicer to live in, Graz has introduced an app for locals, called “Schau auf Graz” (Look after Graz). Since 2015, the app from Holding Graz has served as a digital tool to actively involve the people of Graz in keeping public spaces clean and tidy. Their concerns are recorded through the app by the Infrastructure and Energy division’s customer service team at Holding Graz and forwarded to the relevant departments for them to deal with.

With the introduction of the Littershark, the population’s attention was focused even more on maintaining a clean city. For example, significantly less litter and cigarette butts are discarded on the streets. The employees are also very pleased, as the functionality of the Littershark guarantees that the bins can be emptied quickly and easily. The robust and sleek design minimises the need for repairs and makes cleaning simple. This ensures that the city always looks its best.

Thanks to the larger capacity of the Littersharks, fewer emptying trips are needed.

Project and customer facts

  • The city of Graz has been a satisfied customer since 2017

  •  A total of 200 Littersharks of all sizes are used

  •  Vandalism is a thing of the past

  • More efficient emptying with the Shark Eye saves time

Michael Vidovic, MSc, Deputy Head of Municipal Cleaning, Graz

“Graz is delighted with the Littersharks and the service provided by Abfallhai Österreich GmbH, and we are very happy to have taken this step in this sustainable direction when we did.”

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