Abstract Waste management is a raising concern faced by many nations in the world today. On the streets of major cities, it has become almost common to find waste which poses health hazards and other concerns to its communities and inhabitants. This project focuses on the use of smart systems and the Internet of Things (IOT), to provide an efficient and effective approach to waste management. This project designed and manufactured a prototype of a solar powered, self-compacting smart bin with a server side monitoring application. The prototype smart bin is capable of monitoring internal rubbish levels, compact it, freeing approximately 25% of the space with each compaction space. The bin also monitors total weight and is capable of sending all these information to a secure server side application. The accompanying web application monitors the state of each smart bin and proposes optimal routes for pick up. This approach will contribute to a smart and efficient waste disposal improving the cites waste management.