Mr Fill
“Within three years, we want to be the biggest supplier in smart waste management.”
Theo Kik, Managing Director and owner Mr. Fill
The success story that is Mr. Fill started back in 2018 when Theo Kik met two innovators who were in the process of developing a new tech-product. The idea was solar-powered waste bins that compress the litter, and therefore needs to be emptied less often. Theo immediately saw the potential, bought the idea and Mr. Fill was born shortly after that.
Reducing litter, emissions and cost
A smart city is run on technology and innovation and that includes the waste management products as well. Mr. Fill’s plan is to be the go-to solution for every smart city when it comes to the fight against litter. The smartness of the bins comes from both sensors that detect how full a bin is and a solar-powered built-in electronic compactor. The compactor can process five times more waste than an ordinary bin which comes in handy in busy cities, like for instance Amsterdam. Their ordinary bins usually needs to be emptied seven times a day, but Mr. Fill has cut the depletion into more than half of that. And as a result of this, there is less litter, reduced CO2 emissions and cost savings of up to 75%.
—The most important thing is that we reduce litter and cost. Cost reduction is due to the less amount of time spent on emptying the bins, cost for the vehicles and cost for the staff, says Theo Kik.
The first bin to hit the market was the 120-liter Solar compacting bin, launched in 2018. Mr. Fill’s product portfolio has since grown to include the 240-liter compacting bin, Underground compactors in three versions and Smart bins in three versions. 98% of the bins are recyclable, which is a major aspect that makes Mr. Fill stand out from the crowd. In addition to that, all the bins are connected to Mr. Fill’s digital platform Smart City Manager. The platform communicates with the bins 24 times a day and the information is available in Mr. Fill’s app. Via the app, municipalities can also lock the bins and see if a bin needs service. Everything is managed electronic and smart.
The display indicates if the bin is full or not, green = go ahead and throw your trash! The importance of high-quality partnership
In Mr. Fill’s early days, Theo would travel all over Europe to meet potential partners and grow his network. The focus was to find local partners so they could be close to the market and be able to win tenders. Because of Mr. Fill’s innovative and efficient product and approach, they swiftly won a couple tenders in different countries and started building reference cases.
—We worked hard with the development of the bins and we realized very quickly that we needed spare parts with just as good quality as the actual bins. As we began to grow, we needed to find new international partners that we could trust to deliver high quality products in big quantities, says Theo Kik.
Presently, Industrilas provides swing handles and hinges for the smart bins and the products will be on all of the newly produced bins that will be distributed around Europe. The first smart bins in Sweden will grace the streets of the harbor city Simrishamn, starting this summer.
—I have worked with Mr. Fill for about two years now and it is fun to both work with them and to see them grow. Their product and technique is so modern, and they are always open to change and development. Theo gives me and Industrilas great feedback about our solutions and our collaboration runs very smoothly, says Rinus Nijman, Sales Engineer Industrilas Netherlands.
Mr. Fill Solar compacting bins with Industrilas Vision Swing HandlesTaking over the world, one smart bin at a time
With smart waste bins in 30 countries, Mr. Fill is the front runner in Europe. The aim is to grow globally, while continuing being the front runner in Europe of course. About 2,500 bins are currently sold every year, but Theo is expecting this to increase significantly in the coming years. With their 10,000 m2 factory, they have the capacity to produce large quantities.
— High quality is still the main focus though. We do not want to focus on the price of producing the bins or the spare parts, they should always be top quality. With a solid partner like Industrilas that provides great solutions, we never have problems with the handles and hinges, says Theo Kik.
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Mr. Fill bin grazing the streets of Antwerp