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Feasibility Strategy – Problems, Methods, and Limitations.

Residential,

Automated Trash Collection

Leisure Venue,

Manual Trash Collection

⇑ Identical Task Process, just a Different Work Setting ⇑

Present-day

Within the context of modern society, there are automated refuse collection services for residential, brush, and commercial markets. However, there is no fully automated refuse collecting equipment that can empty trash bins within leisure venues. Remarkably, it is the same type of work, just a different work setting, as viewed in the photos above. While different in context, the facts are real. You will be shocked when you learn the cost for emptying one 50-gallon trash receptacle in a public park versus residential and commercial collection.

Focus

The high cost associated with refuse collection at leisure venues and similar facilities is significant. An extensive assessment of the work tasks provides us with a comprehensive perspective on this work dynamic. The task of manual refuse collection requires attention to detail and safety. Emptying a 50-gallon trash receptacle at a public park may not seem complex, but it is. This complexity is influenced by receptacle location, size of the venue, and various integral features within the venue. Equally, high-use venues and facilities, such as parking structures, country clubs, private communities, and remote islands, also have their intricacies. The focus on fully automated refuse collection at this level is nonexistent. The objective is to devise an innovative solution that incorporates full automation, requires only one operator, and utilizes a machine capable of navigating diverse terrains and environments.

Vehicle Access Prohibited

Leisure venues and similar facilities consist of passive environments with intricate infrastructures and diverse surface conditions that restrict vehicle access based on size, weight, and maneuverability. However, smaller vehicles with less load capacities are permitted to enter these areas.

Collection Service Level

The effectiveness of trash removal in leisure venues and similar facilities is influenced by several key factors. Primarily, the volume of patrons a venue attracts dictates the level of service required. Additionally, the venue's topography, existing infrastructure, and the proximity of surrounding amenities play crucial roles in determining the strategic placement of trash bins. Moreover, the process of manual refuse collection is shaped by various elements, including the potential for task duplication, prevailing environmental conditions, staff availability, and their physical capabilities, all of which must align with the specific demands of the task at hand.

Increase Service Frequency Indicator

All leisure venues provide trash receptacles for patrons' use. These receptacles are placed in high-use areas such as sports fields, playgrounds, and other similar locations throughout the venue. With more patrons, larger volumes of trash, slower collection service, overflowing receptacles, and heavier trash loads become common. Equally, some receptacles may collect water, create odor and attract pests. To keep up with the demand, an increase in service frequency is required. This fact is an example of when fully automated trash collection is necessary. It reduces costs by improving process efficiency.

A Need for Automation

The call for fully automated trash collection within leisure venues has become increasingly urgent due to the significant demand caused by high usage, which necessitates more frequent trash collection. Current methods rely on manual labor and the use of equipment not designed for the work. This creates redundancy of tasks which affects overall efficiency and service costs. In an outdoor environment, manually emptying trash receptacles continuously contributes to workers' fatigue and slows their progress. From an operational standpoint, the rising annual budget overruns highlight the critical need for automated solutions to streamline processes and enhance productivity.

Process, Physical Endurance

Manual trash collection requires significant physical stamina and focus, particularly where the task involves emptying 50-gallon waste receptacles. The strategic positioning of these receptacles throughout the venue creates the need for smaller vehicles with a limited load capacity, which in turn necessitates multiple trips to the dumpster. This repetitive travel across the landscape can lead to potential damage to both the environment and infrastructure. In the above images, a small maintenance vehicle travels from one receptacle to another, loading trash bags and then transporting the load to the dumpster. Once the vehicle is unloaded, it makes the return journey to continue the process, repeating this cycle until all receptacles are emptied.

Fatigue Creates Accidents

Environmental elements and task redundancies influence mental awareness and physical fatigue. Repetitive lifting, bending, and pulling of each trash receptacle may trigger a personal injury or create an accident. The image on the left shows an overflowing trash receptacle placed on its side. The city worker is pulling the trash out of the receptacle. At this point, the task becomes very time-consuming. With each pull, twist, or tug, it could result in a muscle strain or possibly something worse.

Partial Automation

The maintenance of emptying 50-gallon trash bins in recreational areas necessitates manual labor, regardless of the circumstances. Whether employing a trailer or utilizing the limited automation features of full-size vehicles, the process remains cumbersome and inefficient. When selecting a service vehicle for this task, it is essential to consider factors such as vehicle maintenance and operational costs, vehicle size, maneuverability, and site accessibility. Additionally, the frequent need to enter and exit the vehicle, the time required to empty the bins, and the unloading process all contribute to the overall service costs and the number of personnel needed for the job.

Special Events

Environmental conditions influence service efficiency. Prior to the opening day of the Az. Chihuahua Festival, there were two days of continuous rain. On the first day, the weather was clear and humid, with the ground wet. Three hours after the gates opened, workers were overwhelmed by muddy working conditions and trash. Two women were observed diligently pushing a cart that was fully laden. At each trash receptacle, they persistently added more trash to the cart, gradually increasing its weight and making it more difficult to maneuver through the muddy turf. Despite this adversity, the workers managed to keep the event clean as evidenced by the images above showing large piles of Az. Chihuahua Festival trash being moved to a trailer.

Youth Sports Activities

Leisure venues provide open spaces for community activities, a place where youth sports are enjoyed by family and friends. These types of venues illustrate the need for fully automated waste collection systems. At a soccer game, spectators and teams do their best to help keep the area clean. Some even try to recycle! In the image above, there are six 50-gallon trash receptacles per field, with six fields having three games each. Images show personal trash consolidated into a pile left behind by spectators and teams after one day of soccer games. After the teams and spectators leave, the trash is physically removed. Full and overflowing trash receptacles require two staff members to empty. These mounds of trash will require 10 to 20 minutes or more to clean up.

Beach Refuse Collection

In the early hours of the morning, a beach cleanup is underway as two men operate a 40,000-pound, six-wheel drive side loader to empty 50-gallon trash bins. The truck's operator navigates from one receptacle to the next, while his partner runs alongside, ready to assist. Upon reaching each bin, the ground worker positions it closer to the truck, allowing the operator to lift and empty its contents efficiently. In instances where litter accumulates around a bin, the truck operator disembarks to help clear the surrounding area, ensuring the beach remains clean and inviting.

Beach Parks, Refuse Collection

The process of emptying the decorative concrete trash receptacles at the beach park in the images above is proving to be quite labor-intensive. Due to the limited load capacity of the small truck being utilized, workers are required to make several trips to the dumpster for unloading. This redundancy in both the design of the trash receptacles and the size of the equipment is ultimately increasing the overall cost of the service.

Terminology Used Throughout this Domain

There are Three Established Methods for Managing Refuse Collection.

Process Analysis

This page outlines an extensive process analysis conducted over several decades relating to various leisure facilities across diverse climates and geographical settings. The findings indicate that traditional manual trash collection methods have seen little advancement, despite a notable increase in population, resulting in a continuous rise in operational costs. Service providers express a clear demand for fully automated refuse collection systems capable of navigating confined and complex environments, such as recreational venues and similar facilities.

Vision, knowledge, and ingenuity are the catalysts of innovation, cultivated by imagination.

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