Este caso de éxito de IoT para smart cities muestra cómo el Ayuntamiento de Madrid ha implantado papeleras inteligentes con sensores IoT de llenado para mejorar la limpieza viaria y la gestión de residuos urbanos. La solución, desarrollada por Celestia TST junto a SULO, empresa especializada en mobiliario urbano y gestión de residuos, se basa en el despliegue de sensores volumétricos conectados que permiten conocer en todo momento el nivel de llenado de las papeleras y optimizar los servicios de mantenimiento y gestión de residuos, anticiparse a incidencias y avanzar hacia una ciudad más eficiente y sostenible.
Project Overview: IoT in Action
Starting in 2021, Madrid City Council installed IoT volumetric fill-level sensors in bins across 325 locations in the capital, using LPWAN Sigfox (0G network) technology to transmit real-time data to the platform. The goal was to optimise waste collection and street cleaning routes, while also monitoring the availability of bags for dog waste disposal.
The project forms part of the council’s strategy to embrace technology, digitalisation and sustainability in urban services within its smart city model. Of the 66,334 bins in the city at that time, 12,000 (around 18%) were fitted with fill-level sensors designed, tested and certified by Celestia TST in just eight months.
The Challenge: Data-Driven Street Cleaning
Madrid needed to improve the efficiency of cleaning services, avoiding both overflowing bins and unnecessary collections. Traditional management, based on fixed routes and visual checks, made it difficult to adapt services to real demand in each area due to the lack of real-time data.
In addition, the council sought a scalable, low-energy solution that could integrate with its monitoring systems, aligned with smart city initiatives and intelligent urban waste management.
The IoT Solution by Celestia TST and Sulo
Celestia TST, in collaboration with Sulo, deployed an IoT solution based on volumetric sensors connected via the Sigfox 0G network and integrated into urban bins. Each IoT device uses infrared laser technology to measure the distance to the waste level and also monitors the internal temperature of the bin.
El sistema genera alertas automáticas cuando el llenado alcanza un umbral configurable de la capacidad o cuando el incremento de la temperatura es anormalmente alto, avisando a través de la plataforma, para priorizar la recogida y detectar posibles riesgos como incendios. Además, los sensores envían información periódica con hasta 16 lecturas diarias sobre el nivel de llenado y el estado de la batería, lo que permite planificar tanto la recogida como el mantenimiento preventivo del parque de papeleras inteligentes.
Impact on Urban Management and Smart Cities
Thanks to real-time data on fill levels and temperature from IoT sensors, the council can design dynamic collection routes, focusing on bins that truly need attention and reducing unnecessary trips. This translates into improved operational efficiency, cost savings, lower environmental impact and a more consistent service for citizens.
At the same time, the solution enhances safety and responsiveness to incidents, laying the foundations for a smarter city model where decisions are driven by objective data collected by IoT sensors distributed across the territory. This success story is a replicable example of how IoT applied to street cleaning contributes to the digital transformation of smart cities.
FAQs
Una papelera inteligente con IoT es un elemento de mobiliario urbano equipado con sensores volumétricos que permiten conocer en todo momento el nivel de llenado de las papeleras y optimizar los servicios de mantenimiento y gestión de residuos, anticiparse a incidencias y avanzar hacia una ciudad más eficiente y sostenible.
Soluciones IoT optimizan rutas de recogida, reduciendo viajes innecesario hasta un 80% en costes operativos según benchmarks sectoriales. Esto elimina desbordamientos y mejora la eficiencia municipal?
Menos desplazamientos logísticos bajan emisiones, con ahorros típicos del 25-30% en municipios equipados con sensores IoT. Contribuye a ciudades más sostenibles sin comprometer el servicio.
Yes. The IoT architecture used in this project is both scalable and replicable. It can be extended to more bins and containers in Madrid or implemented in other cities looking to enhance their smart waste management and connected urban services.
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