Solid urban waste has proved an enormous problem for many years both for citizens and councils with regard to disposal and recycling.

It has become common knowledge that the numerous activities and the numerous human resources needed to set up the long procedure that ends in the disposal of solid urban waste, whether organic or not, necessarily involves high costs that are reflected on local councils or single citizens who are faced with increased taxes for the disposal of urban waste.

Another problem affecting many communities is the hygiene of the areas where, with particular reference to solid organic refuse, waste is heaped as it awaits collection by appropriate vehicles for transportation to the allocated rubbish dump.

To contain costs and avoid excessive disturbance to its community, most councils provide a system of waste management, which is periodic according to the number of residents in each town, neighbourhood and district.

The frequency with which refuse must be collected is based on the ratio between the number of residents and the capacity of the waste containers that are made available. Especially in those areas where the number of residents does not account for the presence of a chain of refuse collection to be able to give assistance to each block of flats, some communal containers are arranged where each family can deposit their own refuse of previous days.

Unfortunately this type of organisation, needed to contain the costs of solid urban waste, involves major problems in terms of environment and hygiene in that-with particular reference to the areas where the temperature easily exceeds 25-30 degrees centigrade-the solid organic refuse tends to rot giving rise to annoying smells that can favour many types of infection.

In those areas then, where the tourism industry is booming, the population which is well serviced by the public cleansing during the winter months, is in some cases increased tenfold in summer thanks to the influx of tourists and holiday makers. This makes the system of collection of roadside refuse completely inefficient.

As regards the system of waste collection deposited at communal containers, mention should be made of the problem relating to the waste hauling trucks used. These vehicles are equipped with a device to compress the solid refuse collected in order to pack as much as possible.

This operation, however, necessarily involves a particular slowness in the procedure of the collection and storage of the refuse itself, the need for large trucks, and a notable level of noise caused by the mechanical operation needed to compact the refuse collected.

All of these elements are considered as being annoying by the residents since the large size of the vehicles combined with the slowness of the procedure causes the traffic to slow down. As a result the refuse is collected in the early hours of the morning. It is inevitable at this point that the noise of the mechanical systems in use is highly annoying for anyone living close to the communal urban waste collection points.

A further element against the present refuse collection system is tied to environmental pollution, with reference to both olfactory pollution created by the vicinity of communal collection points and that caused by the rubbish dumps. In these last years the latter have been the focal point of vigorous demonstrations in that they are considered sure sources of infection as well as a disgusting and undignified show, a clear element of degradation and incivility.

To resolve all or part of the problems the present invention proposes a method and a series of devices for the collection of solid urban refuse, both organic and inorganic, which foresees the use of a domestic type of container, able to compact and preserve the organic type of refuse, recyclable plastics, paper refuse, domestic oils, bones and whatever other refuse.

To do this, and with particular reference to the organic waste, which is the most difficult to dispose of, the unit for the domestic collection of refuse is equipped with storage means in appropriate compartments having the characteristics of cold stores.

This ingenious device allows to keep the refuse at a temperature that slows down the process of decomposition making it almost odourless even after a few days.

Another feature of this important invention foresees compartments in a single structure for the collection of all recyclable and polluting refuse like plastic, paper, domestic oil, batteries and bones with the added feature of compacting the plastic and/or paper refuse in such a way as to reduce its volume.

Said unit designed to store household waste, if used with special communal collectors and means for the collection and transport of the refuse like those which will be described in detail below, will give way to an innovative method for the collection and disposal of refuse.

Said measures for communal collection and transportation as well as the method of treating said refuse, are to be considered as protected by the present invention together with the domestic system of waste collection and compaction.

We will now proceed to a detailed description of the above-mentioned units with particular reference to the figures attached to be considered purely as an example and by no means limiting, where: -Figure 1 is a frontal view of the collection and compression unit for domestic refuse; -Figure 2 is a lateral view of the collection and compression unit for domestic refuse; -Figure 3 is a view of one of the features of the collection and compression unit for domestic refuse; -Figure 4 is the top view of the container for communal collection; -Figure 5 is a view of the bottom part of the container; -Figure 6 is the top view of the container of the refuse collection truck.

The main body of the refuse collection and compression unit is shown by number 1. The top part contains a press 2, which is operated electrically or manually, and allows the refuse previously deposited into container 3 (fig. 2) to be compressed. This container 3 may be removed from element 1 through the opening of a folding panel 4, on which an element 5, which also acts as bottom to the drawer or container 3, can move, thanks to suitable wheels.

Element 5 can be bound to the structure of container 3 by suitable means 6-namely a toggle lever or similar. This allows the user to decide whether to remove all of container 3 to put new refuse inside or just its base 5.

This last operation is necessary when, by one or more waste compressions carried out by press 2, container 3 is completely filled or filled as far as the limit indicated.

At this point by removing only said base 5 with the use of dedicated electrical or manual means and activating press 2 again, it will be possible to push the pressed and packed refuse into ordinary sacks, for example those for recycling plastic, into compartment 7 below the one where container 3 is lodged.

Compartment 7 includes a moving tray. The block of refuse pushed downwards from press 2 will be positioned here. The remaining lower part of element 1 is made of compartments or containers able to host previously compressed blocks of refuse, both compartment 7 and the remaining lodgings being refrigerated areas.

We have already described how the initial and gradual collection of recyclable refuse like for example plastic, paper or aluminium is operated. These are then progressively compacted inside conventional sacks as far as the limit foreseen or at least until the maximum capacity of container 3 are reached. At this point, thanks to the possibility of slipping off base element 5 from under element 3, it will be possible to drop or push the block of refuse into empty compartment 7 where it will be cooled to a temperature of approximately 4 degrees centigrade.

Once cooled it will be possible to stack the block into one of the other refrigerated areas below.

This special feature prevents any possible organic residues left in the plastic, paper or aluminium containers from beginning the process of decomposition giving way to unpleasant smells.

The same innovative features are adopted for containers 18 and 19. Essentially they are identical to each other and can be positioned in any of the provided compartments of structure 1.

An opening 20 is foreseen on the upper compartment from where it is possible to introduce organic refuse (leftovers, fruit peel, etc) into the container positioned in the compartment above.

Opening 20 is also equipped with a hermetic seal, as both containers 18 and 19 are subjected to refrigeration. In fact, the possibility of maintaining organic refuse at a temperature near 4 degrees centigrade makes it possible to stack the refuse even for a few days without it beginning to decompose. Having filled up the first container it will be possible to invert its position with the other container, which is still empty. Naturally, nothing prevents there from foreseeing a higher number of containers for organic refuse that will need to be positioned in the area of the unit, which shall be able to maintain the temperature near to zero and reduce it when necessary to below zero obtaining the freezing of the waste itself.

When the date approaches in which the refuse is brought to the nearest collection point, it will in fact be possible to freeze all of the refuse in containers 18 and 19, by using the commands provided, making it transportable without the need for any special features and above all in a practical and odourless way. Another noticeable advantage offered by freezing refuse is that of impeding possibly contained liquids to leak from the collection packages soiling in this way the surrounding environment.

The containers for the other types of recyclable or particularly polluting refuse such as oil, batteries and bones are placed in agreement with these devices.

Once frozen the refuse contained in compartments 18 and 19 is ready for transportation to the communal collection point where a container 8 can be found as illustrated in figure 4 and 5.

This container 8, which can possibly be of the refrigerating kind and thus electrical, but in the solution proposed will be mechanical, simply for illustrative and non limitative use, is made of a double opening both on its top 10 and its bottom 11. Container 8 can be loaded from top opening 10 by simple manual opening of the two bulkheads 10', while to be emptied it is necessary to raise it using hooks 13. These hooks also act as a security closure of the lower opening 11 of container 8. Being mounted on elastic supports, when the lifting operation has begun hooks 13 will withdraw to the point where ends 14 will not come into contact with notches 15 present at either end of each bulkhead 11'. At the end of travel hooks 13 will act as a hook up device for the container which, by conventional means namely a hoist or a crane, can be lifted and taken to a nearby refuse collection truck.

This truck will be structured in such a way as to allow it to work easily with container 8 and in particular with reference to figure 5, will have a container 17 with one single top opening controlled by two sliding panels 16. Such sliding panels 16, when brought close to each other, close container 15 guaranteeing hermetic sealing, itself being of the refrigerating type.

When, on the other hand, aforementioned top panels 16 are open, they give way to an opening of the container 15 bound on two sides by the front and back sides of the container itself and on the other two sides from the inside of panels 16. Placing container 8 on container 15, the two projections 12 placed on the lower panels 11'of container 8 will come into contact with panels 16. Lowering the lifting device still further, elastic means will bring hooks 13 to an extended position distancing the ends 14 from notches 15 on bulkheads 11'. All of this will determine the opening of bulkheads 11'themselves and the relative emptying of container 8 inside the bigger container 17. Of noticeable importance is the fact that the truck used for the transportation of refuse is not supplied with any unit for pressing the waste itself which as mentioned before is often a cause of disturbance due to the noise produced during operation.

The organic refuse, which was frozen before being transported to container 8, will be once again in a refrigerated environment.

Said domestic refuse of organic type can be brought to the rubbish dump, where it will be possible, by specific treatments, to reduce the emissions of unpleasant smells.

It is in fact possible to create suitable excavated areas in the ground where the blocks of refuse can be deposited in a more or less uniform layer. They are then covered with soil. Defrosting will give rise to the decomposition of the refuse which, being covered by soil, will not be a source of unpleasant smells as it happens today in the so called open type dumps. Suitable experiments will demonstrate how the frozen blocks of refuse buried underground can constitute rich sources of fertilisers for fields and/or gardens. The almost complete reduction of the emission of odours means that said blocks may also be used as fertilizers for domestic gardens greatly contributing to the problem of refuse disposal.

This presentation as well as the attached tables simply aim at describing this invention. An expert in the art can then identify structural changes to the units described which will have to be considered within the context of this invention.