Prague to pilot large-scale, dynamic waste collection
PRAGUE, Czech Republic – In the Spring of 2021, the Czech capital will pilot automated routes for waste collection.
Sensoneo, a global provider of smart waste management solutions, has announced it will provide the European capital with sensor-based waste collection that allows for real-time analysis of the amount of material needing collection.
Dynamic waste collection is part of a project focused on the demonstration of environmental and economic benefits resulting from large-scale deployment of the Sensoneo solution. The project is co-funded by the Horizon2020 program of the European Innovation Council.
The city of Prague will be able to systematically decrease the environmental impact related to the waste collection process, maximize efficiency of the currently available trucks and employ flexibility in the case of unanticipated changes. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, for example, is profoundly changing traditional waste generation patterns and standard collection frequencies, and the current routes are not able to flexibly cope with these changes.
“Cities around the world face challenges related to growing urbanism, increasing volume of waste and insufficient flexibility, which has been now even more highlighted with the ongoing pandemic,” said Petr Hlubuček, deputy mayor of Prague for environment, infrastructure, technical equipment and safety.
“Innovative technologies, which we will test during the pilot project, follow Prague’s strategy, focused on sustainability and a circular economy. I am convinced that this project will contribute to our plan of making Prague an active initiator of green technologies.”
Four processes
The project includes the following processes:
- Collection Efficiency Analysis for all waste commodities using Sensoneo’s unique method, based on processing all currently available data related to containers, vehicles and routes, identifies weak points and opportunities for savings and improvement of the quality of service;
- Establishment of new routes and frequencies in order to increase the continuous efficiency and quality of service. Combines the shortest possible routes, on-time collection, and maximum possible utilization of vehicle capacity with the long-term goal to reduce the number of vehicles used during waste collection;
- Collecting waste via automated routes (flexibly reflecting daily specific requirements) using Sensoneo’s navigation, which is designed for the requirements of individual waste collection vehicles. This facilitates the employment of drivers without prior driving experience in particular districts or particular routes;
- Final evaluation – showcases savings (time, cost, fuel, emissions) with a before and after comparison.
The project also includes realtime monitoring of 550 containers for electronic waste with Sensoneo sensors to optimize waste collection and ensure sufficient capacity for citizens to drop off materials.
Digitization
“Digitization is a huge topic in the field of waste management. It has been our long-term goal to identify and implement the tools that drive the improvement of the waste collection process and the quality of our service,” said Patrik Roman, CEO of Pražské služby, a.s. (Prague services – a wholly owned subsidiary of the city of Prague).
“This project upgrades the established systems of daily planning, real-time performance monitoring and evaluation. Planning waste collection routes for over 130 thousands containers in Prague is a complex and very demanding job and the successful outcome of this project can significantly help to improve it.”
The preparation phase of the project is underway and the launch of the operational phase is scheduled for March 2021. The entire project, including the evaluation, will run until September 2022.
This project is co-funded by the Horizon2020 program of the European Innovation Council.
Sensoneo’s technology combines Smart Sensors that monitor waste in real-time with tracking and monitoring equipment and software. They produce data results in transparent waste streams, optimization of waste collection routes, frequencies, and vehicle loads and the introduction of incentive programs dedicated to decreasing waste production.
Sensoneo’s smart waste management has attracted cities and businesses around the world, and the solution has been installed in more than 50 countries on five continents.
Smart Prague 2030 is a strategy based on the introduction of innovative and smart technologies making the city a better place for living. The strategy defines six key areas, where the introduction of modern technologies will have the greatest positive impact: Mobility of the Future, Smart Buildings and Energies, Waste-free City, Attractive Tourism, People and the City Environment and the Data.