Vehicles & Plant Awards 2006 winner, Ecoprocess, has launched the Thorbjörn electric bin lift designed for trade waste and recycling collections.

The Thorbjörn bin lift, a semi-manual single chair, with an electrically operated comb lifting device for trade waste containers, is currently being trialled by a leading waste management company in France, and is now available for customers in the UK. It can be fitted to any standard rear end loaded RCV, and offers the following benefits:

• Fast and lightweight, offering increased payload
• Virtually Silent
• Numerous design features to improve worker and pedestrian safety
• Versatile and interchangeable
• Reduced fuel consumption (the lift is powered by the vehicle’s electrics)
• Clean and easy to service

The Icelandic company, which opened a subsidiary in Kent last year, also offers the Isbjörn split bin lift for household waste collections. The Isbjörn, which is currently being used in the UK by Greenwich Council, WCR and the Cooper Group, won the Developments in New Technology – Plant Equipment category at the Vehicles & Plant Awards this month. Speaking about the electrically-operated bin lift, judges said, “Without a doubt this is innovation…. There have been so many attempts at improving bin lifts but this has succeeded.”

The Isbjörn and Thorbjörn bin lifts are easily interchangeable, meaning that the same vehicle can be reconfigured for different collection scenarios. It takes less than 30 minutes to change the bin lift module, enabling local authorities, waste management and contract hire companies to use their fleets with greater efficiency and operate rounds with fewer vehicles.

Both lifts feature smooth surfaces, power regulation, obstacle detection and padded safety barriers covering the operating zone. Individual controls and emergency stop buttons are included on both sides of the lift and if the bins exceed safe weight limits, the lifts are stopped automatically.

Ecoprocess is also developing a new weighing system which enables accurate information on payload to be gathered remotely without interruption to the collection. This intelligence is of increasing value to the waste management industry for routing vehicles and planning sustainable and profitable collection strategies. The data can also be used to measure recycling targets and for invoicing purposes, particularly where Pay-By- Weight schemes are in use. A management system, which gives fleet managers a “bird’s eye view” of their collection vehicles on the road, is also under development by the company’s technicians in France.

Scott Young, UK sales manager for Ecoprocess, said: “The launch of the Thorbjörn into the UK waste market is a major step forward for operators in terms of increased operator safety, improved productivity, and greater operational flexibility with lower whole-life costs. Bin lifts need no longer be seen as a dumb, dangerous, but necessary device, but as a valuable tool in providing important operational information critical for making strategic decisions, and helping to create a safer, more productive working environment.”

Developed in partnership with leading specialists in waste collection, Ecoprocess bin lifts provide solutions to the persistent problems associated with traditional hydraulic lifts such as noise, grease and risk of operator injuries. With their controlled power and soft motion, the lifts generate virtually no noise and because they can be operated with the engine on tickover, collections can be made more quietly and working hours can be extended to areas previously out of bounds due to noise restrictions.

Light-weight, interchangeable and clean, Ecoprocess bin lifts are easy to service. Remote maintenance and diagnostics help to prevent breakdowns and where necessary, repairs can often be made on the road, reducing “down time.”