Finnish Firm Enevo Technology Deployment Expands : Waste & Recycling Collection Meets Internet of Things in Rotterdam

The use of waste management data analytics and dynamic route planning collected using Finnish firm Enevo’s technology is being extended Rotterdam as the Netherland’s second city aims to grows circular economy ambitions.

Enevo explained that it is partnering with the municipality of Rotterdam and Dutch waste and recycling firm, Total Waste Systems (TWS) to introduce the second phase of a Paper and Cardboard Waste Fractions project to double the number of monitored waste containers.

The project will increase the use of Enevo Smart Plan software for optimised collection route planning to 40% of the underground paper and card waste containers in the city.

Initially deployed as a proof of concept to demonstrate the effectiveness of the technology, the municipality of Rotterdam also enlisted the expertise of its waste collection team to optimise the software for use in the City.

The solution brings together waste container monitoring, data analytics and fill-level forecasting, dynamic route planning and driver route guidance via in-cab tablet computers. Wireless sensors monitor the fill level of the waste containers, transmitting the information to the company’s cloud servers.

This data is combined with historical project information to generate trends which the system analyses to generate the most efficient collection routes, based on fill level criteria, on a daily basis. These routes are directly communicated via the Enevo cloud service to provide that day’s collection route.

As part of the project, the City of Rotterdam set Enevo a target to increase the efficiency of collections by 20%, which it comfortably surpassed.

“The technology to monitor fill-levels in waste containers is well understood, however, key to our requirements was a dynamic route planning system,” explained Joost van Maaren, head of collection and reuse of waste at the municipality of Rotterdam. “Enevo offers one of the only systems that reliably offers both capabilities.”

He added that the development is helping the city eliminate static collection routes and bring a focus on only emptying containers which need servicing.

“During the pilot our working group, together with Enevo and TWS, have developed a system which meets Rotterdam’s requirements to achieve a highly effective and efficient waste collection system,” van Maaren continued.

Charbel Aoun, Enevo chief of sales and strategy added: “Not only is predictive waste management system an effective way to reduce the cost of waste handling, it can also help to incentivise reuse and recycling, and build the circular economy. We are very pleased to be on that journey with the municipality of Rotterdam.”

Phase two of the Paper and Cardboard collection and recycling project is anticipated to provide increased levels of data and on-route understanding for analysis, allowing well defined criteria to develop the project further towards its goals.

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