Kingdom Systems chief service officer, John Roberts, told KentOnline how its WasteWatch technology, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) cameras, has already helped slash fly-tipping incidents in one town.
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00:00We also have technology that uses AI cameras to identify when a flytip has been placed at hotspot locations.
00:08We have four of these in Dartford Council currently that have been in place since 2021.
00:15For Dartford Council, they have seen an absolute reduction in their flytipping in those floor hotspot areas.
00:23It's completely disappeared for them.
00:25They were having around about five tonnes of waste every single week that was getting cleared.
00:31It's gone. Not just only as the problems disappeared in those areas.
00:36It also has led to a better working relationship with the community and less because there are complaints are completely dropped.
00:46And it's just a better environment in those areas.
00:50There's two sides to the flytipping. It does affect local authorities.
00:56We work with local authorities up and down the country, so we're aware of the effect it has on them.
01:01And it costs millions and hundreds of millions to go out and clear this waste.
01:08It also affects our farmers in the UK because when it's on private land, it's their responsibility and it goes back to the Environment Agency.
01:20And, you know, so those figures don't always get reported.
01:23So we talk about this being hundreds of millions of pounds, but it is more than that.
01:27These costs are extortionately high, and especially when we've had a few sites that we've looked at where we've had things like Exbestos that needs specialist clearance teams to come in and do, which costs.
01:40And these costs, obviously, for a local authority, if it wasn't being spent there because flytipping could get rid of, it can go back into other areas and provide services that we all would love to see and need on our daily basis.
01:56So we're happy that our part in this is that we can drive that change and start to see those reductions and hopefully start to see some long-term change over the next so many years.