Since last summer, the partners are busy implementing their Action Plan to bring transformation at local level. Where do they currently stand? Are there already some visible improvements? Carla Frensen tells us more about the changes that started to appear in the municipality of Apeldoorn following the Smartwaste Action Plan.
Can you summarize your Action Plan in one or two sentences?
In order to avoid placements near the container for reasons of fullness or a stuck valve we introduced fill level sensors in almost all containers. The fullness of containers which don’t have a fill level sensor is identified by the number of times a citizens offers garbage by using their pass. With the information of fullness per container a dynamic route for emptying can be planned.
What have you already implemented?
After a successful pilot a fill level sensor was implemented in all containers. Dynamic route planning has been tested and some adaptations have been made. It is already successful, but still needs some changes in order to adopt it in the daily routine for everyone. The software will get an update making it possible to define:
- a specific timeslot in a specific area (e.g. school, inner city) for the truck driver to come and
- on which side of the road the containers are situated.
Both important items for a good route planning.
Do you already have some first evaluation? How are the changes brought by the Action Plan welcomed by the local actors?
The first evaluation is positive in terms of less equipment and personnel necessary to manage the job. The CO2-emission is also lower with the dynamic route planning. Some of the truck drivers weren’t that happy at first sight – change is not always easy. The comments were taken seriously in order to improve the planning process. One of the items was the timing – don’t come during school opening/closing and during (un)loading in the inner city for the entrepreneurs. But also that dynamic route planning based on the fullness of the container is not valuable in the rural areas. That causes inefficiency because of the low density of containers and long distances.
The project is finishing in a few months, do you already know if you will follow-up on the Action Plan? How?
We will continue improving the system and the experience will be used in the other cities that our waste collector Circulus is serving.
