The Abfallwirtschaft Rendsburg-Eckernförde GmbH (AWR) collects and recycles municipal waste in the Rendsburg-Eckernförde district, serving around 280,000 residents. To provide excellent service and achieve high recycling rates, AWR collects old electronic devices not only at recycling centers but also through over 25 neighborhood collection containers.
Given the vast area covered—Rendsburg-Eckernförde is the largest district in Schleswig-Holstein with 2,200 square kilometers—there are often significant distances to cover when emptying the containers.
“Currently, we visit the containers for old electronics at fixed intervals,” reports Boris Lütje, dispatcher in sales and commercial services at AWR. “This means we sometimes empty containers that are less than half full. For remote locations, this wastes time and resources that could be better utilized,” he continues.
For this reason, AWR has decided to equip containers at remote locations with sensor technology. Sensors from adhoc networks measure the fill levels of the containers and report them to a platform specially developed by adhoc. This platform is used by AWR's dispatch team, which includes a container in the collection route only if it is truly full.
To assist in deciding which containers to empty, the adhoc software calculates a due date for each container based on its past fill behavior. The platform can also send alerts when predefined fill levels are exceeded, helping to prevent overflows and the unwanted dumping of items beside containers.
Emptying the containers is carried out using a truck with a lift. Repurposed 1,100-liter large garbage bins (MGBs) are used for the old electronics containers, having been modified for this purpose. When reaching a container to be emptied, the full bin is simply swapped with an empty one.
The sensors themselves are maintenance-free and do not need to be handled at the collection. Initial installation of the sensors can be carried out in the field in less than five minutes. The sensor is scanned using the adhoc networks mobile app and linked to the container already set up in the system. The installation can be done by glueing, screwing, or using cable ties. Sensors are positioned in a way that prevents unauthorized removal and ensures an unobstructed view of the container's contents.
The sensor configuration needs to be done only once per container type, and this setup can be applied to other containers of the same type. The adhoc platform also features a powerful container management with a wide variety of preconfigured container types.
“We expect that the sensors will allow us to cut the number of trips to remote locations in half,” says Boris Lütje.
AWR already uses adhoc networks' innovative technology in other areas. For example, fill levels in more than 200 underground and semi-underground containers are monitored, and collections are scheduled based on actual needs. This saves valuable resources and prevents overfilling. “Overall, we see significantly cleaner container sites wherever we use fill-level monitoring,” confirms Lütje.
In addition to systems for monitoring fill levels in waste containers, adhoc networks also offers reporting systems for compactor containers and sensors for smaller bins. Want to learn more about how adhoc smart waste can optimize your waste management business? Feel free to reach out to us!
Share via Email Share via LinkedIn