LAWR

SYSTEMS AND SOFTWARE Waste in the future: Internet of Things and machines for living? By 2030, the world is projected to have 41 mega-cities with more than ten million inhabitants. This will have huge implications for the planet and how we manage waste. In light of this, Liz Gyekye looks at technological developments that will help the resource management sector meet this challenge. lobally, more people live in urban areas than in rural areas, with 54% of the world's population residing in urban areas in 2014, according to the United Nations. In 1950, 30% of the world's population was urban, and by 2050, 66% of the world's population is projected to be urban. Continuing population growth and urbanisation are projected to add 2.5 billion people to the world's urban population by 2050 – this equals a lot of waste. New technologies are set to help this waste challenge. Last year, resource management firm Veolia and London School of Economics launched a report called 'Imagine 2050'. It looked at the innovations needed in waste, water and energy to ensure a sustainable future in 36 years time. The report created a tale of two cities and looked at different possibilities that could be seen in 2050. In its 2050 vision, the study envisioned a world where homes will feature nanoscopic robots which will treat and sort out waste; where homes will be binless and connected to underground networks – one for organic and food waste that goes to a green calories centre to provide heat and power for homes. At the household level, the report maintained that the consumption of resources will have been drastically reduced through use of new technologies and wide-reaching behavioural changes – closed loop systems will become the norm. Internet of Things The Internet of Things (IoT) is another concept that could shape waste management in the future. IoT is a computing concept that describes a future where everyday physical objects will be connected to the internet and be able to identify themselves to other devices. For example, in the future, products in factory supply chains such as engines and TVs could be tracked from across the globe via IoT. In relation to waste, this could lead to a customer being notified when their TV/washing machine is reaching its end of life and warn them when it needs to be replaced. Rewinding back to the present, waste management firms are already using technology employed by aerospace industries in a drive to improve services. They are using 3D visualisation (computer modelling) to help build their waste facilities. According to software specialist Yotta, this technology was used by Viridor Waste Management to support the planning of a proposed waste facility near Cardiff. Supplied by Bluesky, the imagery and height data was used to create a virtual reality model of the site and surrounding area in support of Viridor's planning application. The 3D visualisation transformed the interactive model from a standalone illustration of the site to a real world visual representation of the entire locality. 3D computer modelling of buildings and entire cities can be used as a central reference point for local government, 22 Local Authority Waste & Recycling March 2015 G Homes (aslo known as 'machines for living) could be binless in the future and connected to un- derground networks

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