A high-tech rubbish bin from a UK start-up company does more than just collect garbage.

The robot-looking Renew Pods were deployed around parts of London ahead of last year’s Olympic Games, initially designed to serve up video advertisements on large displays. Now a company is adapting the units to use wi-fi to sniff out and collect information from nearby smartphones.

Data is reportedly being mined by the bins in over 100 sites around London, which have been set to track how fast a phone is travelling (generally linked to the walking speed of the owner) and for how long it is within range. Additionally, the bins can determine the manufacturer of a mobile device from its MAC address.

The high-tech rubbish-holders are concerning for many privacy advocates, though the company behind them claims the idea is to measure variables in market share between mobile handheld providers within the city.

The technology has caught the attention of some in the advertising and marketing fields, who are reportedly working to design ‘smart’ bins with advertising tailored to passers-by.

The company behind the bins is called Renew; their website celebrates the success and possibilities of the slightly invasive technology.