New bin can reduce bomb danger
Feb
16
Written by:
16/02/2012 12:39
People in London are among the first to see a new type of waste bin being used on the streets which it is hoped will minimise the danger of bomb blasts.
People in London are among the first to see a new type of waste bin being used on the streets which it is hoped will minimise the danger of bomb blasts.
The £25,000 bin is blast proof and has a gel-like biodynamic protection that can withstand bomb fragments - but its designers said it is not guaranteed to entirely prevent casualties if a bomb is activated.
The City of London awarded Renew a 21-year contract to reduce street litter and the first models were installed on January 26.
The new Renew bin is also able to broadcast live information, like London Underground delays, through its built in LCD display that is protected by aluminium and has a 140l volume.
Kaveh Memari, chief executive officer of Renew, said: "We went through a number of prototype failures in 2006-2007, but by the end we achieved a square-shaped object capable of withstanding huge overpressures without relying on a terribly exotic material."
The bins were developed at the Energetic Materials and Research Testing Centre in New Mexico and originally weighed over a tonne which forced the team to go back to the drawing board to produce a product that now weighs 50% less.
Copyright Press Association 2012