To get a little closer to this, the Finnish company Finbin has developed an intelligent garbage can. Thanks to a solar-powered press, it absorbs six times more volume. Lubrication-free igus plain bearings ensure a long service life for the bin. A project that won the green manus award in 2021.

Pizza boxes, coffee mugs and beverage cans. Cities around the world have been fighting such a flood of waste for years. Classic waste bins are increasingly reaching their limits. The Finnish company's answer: a garbage can called CitySolar, which uses a solar-powered press to compress waste sixfold and thus has a higher capacity. A waste container that is connected to the internet and triggers an emptying before reaching the maximum level. In order to further increase the sustainability of the innovative dustbin, the engineers use components that do not require maintenance. Lubrication and maintenance-free iglidur G and iglidur M250 plastic plain bearings from igus are therefore used for the mechanics of the press and the toe rail. Classic metal bearings were out of the question for the job, since high humidity and lubrication are problematic in everyday operation. Moisture, dust and dirt, on the other hand, cannot harm the iglidur plain bearings. A test in the 3,800 square meter in-house igus laboratory proves how wear-resistant the bearings are. In the test, the plain bearings swiveled on a gas-nitrated St52 steel shaft - with a load of 30 MPa and a speed of 0.01 meters per second. The plain bearings of the iglidur G series showed almost no signs of wear even after 200,000 cycles. They are therefore ideally suited for reliable and maintenance-free use in wind and weather and over many years.

manus award also honors sustainable projects in 2023

Finbin's CitySolar waste bin received the green manus award for its forward-looking and sustainable 2021 project. Every two years, the international competition awards innovative plastic plain bearing projects with the golden, silver, bronze and green manus. This year, igus is again looking for unique applications. The four winners can win up to 5,000 euros. The application period ends on February 10, 2023. The application can be submitted online in just a few minutes.