[LINK] Surveillance in extremis

Geoff Ramadan gramadan at umd.com.au
Thu Aug 24 10:31:48 AEST 2006


Marghanita da Cruz wrote:
> Geoff Ramadan wrote:
>>
>>
> ...this is going to be a demonstration of a picture worth a thousand 
> words...but here goes..from the verbal description I received (via a 
> telephone after my source went out and inspected the bins)
> 
> there is a little white disk thing and another thing which she managed 
> to slip her finger under and twirl, on the side of the bin a couple of 
> inches from the top.

Your are right... a picture would be worth a thousand words.
Can you get a picture (send to me direct)

> 
>>>
>>> stories also floating around of cameras on trucks checking whether 
>>> the garbage is acceptable (recycle stuff isn't contaminated) and my 
>>> guess, tagging the photo with the RFID.
>>
>>
>> This would be correct.
>>
>> The pick up arm would also have a load cell installed to weigh the bins.
>>
> ...an interesting aside on this is the rejection of bins. - in the 
> aforementioned report there was also a reference to a the camera 
> rejectina  a bin as the explanation why a bin had not been emptied-- 
> however, this turned out not to be the case

The camera is used by the operators to inspect the contents, and if contaminated 
  entered via the on-board computer.

> 
> On a slight asside, in Hamburg the recycling works on a community basis 
> (which it does NSW too - as currently the cost of waste disposal is 
> distributed amongst all ratepayers...in my view disproportionately to 
> Strata ratepayers- but that is offlink). However, in Hamburg the 
> residents in the community have to collectively address the problem of 
> their waste if it is contaminated....obviously this won't work for 
> people moving out of the area and dumping their stuff...but would for 
> those who wish to continue to live in the community.
> 
> Unfortunately, I doubt if any of these social pressures and transparent 
> governance mechanisms are in play in the Garbage Management in 
> Australia. I am guessing that the purchase of bins with RFIDs is just 
> another poorly governed procurement of ICT.

How can you address the problem if you don't monitor and provide feedback. This 
is exactly what the RFID Garbage Tracking system is doing.

Also, instead of wasting ratepayers money on educating the masses, who are 
generally doing the right thing, you can target your "education" at the 
offender. I would also guess the most offenses are not deliberate, just poorly 
informed of the consequences of their actions (cost of contamination).

Reg
Geoffrey Ramadan



> 
> Marghanita



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