Fanø Municipality is now expanding their existing BrainyBins system with 30 additional full detectors at the island's environmental stations. The administration's decision is based on the new waste directive, where food and drink cartons have been added as new categories, so that now a total of 10 fractions must be handled.
- We see it as a completely natural part of our operation that the full detectors are installed in the new containers at our environmental stations, says Line Lambæk-Knudsen, engineer and port officer in Fanø Municipality. She continues:
- The emptying is outsourced to Nordby Renovation, who use the full detectors to empty more rationally and with focus on less transportation time. I also use the system myself to check whether everything is as it should be.

The latest generation of sensors is mature technology
Three years ago, Fanø Municipality installed the BrainyBins system with intelligent sensors on the recycling stations' containers together with the BrainyBins Transport and logistics software to monitor and manage the emptying. At that time, the project included 82 containers. The full detectors report to the system when, for example, the containers are 80 percent full.
- The fill level detection technology is now a mature technology in operation, not least with the latest generation of sensors with radar technology, says Torben Østerby, sales manager at Maacks ApS. The Sønderborg company has developed and produced the BrainyBins system.
Maacks has been responsible for the installation of the new full detectors for the Fanø Municipality.
Precise data is sent via the mobile network
In connection with the expansion, Fanø Municipality and the service worker wanted the full detectors to report more frequently to get more accurate data, partly because there can be extra pressure on the recycling containers in the summer.
This has been solved by the fact that the communication between full detectors and the BrainyBins system now takes place via (the Danish) TDC's network for mobile communication.
Maacks' overarching vision is to help create a greener future through the use of intelligent technology and data to ensure efficient management of recycling and waste.
The Sønderborg company is the market leader on the Danish market within smart sensor technology and associated software for monitoring and administration of recycling stations and containers. The company delivers to more than half of the Danish supply and waste companies.
The solutions include BrainyBins Transport and Logistics software for management and administration of waste bins, containers, and recycling stations, as well as a number of sensor types that register fill level, temperature, location etc. in bins or containers. The system has been developed in cooperation with Danish supply and waste companies.
Maacks is a technology leader and has recently applied for an international patent for the new BrainyBins Radar sensor, which provides more reliable and accurate measurements than previous generations of sensors.