The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s tourism infrastructure fund has paid for the bins as part of the Christchurch smart waste network.
Six solar-powered Bigbelly rubbish bins will be installed in Akaroa, along with one in Little River, Corsair Bay and Naval Point in Lyttelton.
They will be put in before the summer visitor season to help ease the pressure on collection services and facilities.
The double bins will have wi-fi capability for members of the public to use within a 60m radius.
A built-in solar cell-powered compactor means the bins can swallow up to five times more rubbish than a standard waste bin, helping to deal with the influx of day-trippers, cruise ship visitors and freedom campers.
The city council bins utilise smart sensors that detect rubbish levels and alert maintenance contractors when they are nearing capacity and need to be emptied.
City council head of parks Andrew Rutledge said the smart waste solution better addresses the needs of visitors who pour into the popular recreational areas.
“By pin-pointing tourist hot spots and introducing more Bigbelly bins, we can better keep up with the demands on waste services,” Mr Rutledge said.
“The smart bins prevent rubbish overflows, ensuring public spaces are better maintained during high-use periods over summer.
“We can also optimise our waste collection service.
“We will place the bins in the region’s high-demand areas, including the waterfront in Akaroa.”
The compacting and online alert systems also ensure optimum use of waste collectors’ time while the technology prevents rubbish overflow, he said.
Daily data provides updates on the capacity status of each bin.
Akaroa’s public toilet facilities will also undergo an upgrade in preparation for the summer visitor rush.
The existing block of public toilets in Rue Jolie – behind the Akaroa Service Centre – will be demolished to make way for a 13m long prefabricated block housing eight toilets.
