Recycling company ALBA Niedersachsen-Anhalt had long been searching for a tracking solution for its containers. Utilizing IoT-based trackers from Sensolus, ALBA Niedersachsen-Anhalt now not only has access to the locations of its roll-off containers but can also plan the emptying of glass containers as needed thanks to connected fill-level measurement. This advantage offers enormous potential for further optimization in the large district of Stendal and beyond. Sensolus was supported with operational implementation by long-standing partner Multicomsystem.
Part of the nationwide ALBA Group, ALBA Niedersachsen-Anhalt GmbH provides waste disposal services for public and commercial customers. ALBA offers a selection of recycling containers for from relatively small options with a capacity of 3 to 10 cubic meters to roll-off containers that can hold 10 to 40 cubic meters of waste and classic glass containers.
The recycling company has approximately 1,000 containers in the district of Stendal, covering a large area of 2,400 square kilometers, distributed across 370 public and 10 commercial locations. Given the distance between locations, it is especially important for ALBA to organize its transport, using and emptying containers as efficiently as possible.
The challenge of container tracking
For years, a significant challenge was locating each container, accurately assessing its fill level and determining when it had most recently been technically inspected. Accordingly, the waste disposal company had been searching for an effective method for tracking its containers. Initially, ALBA looked at a solution that was being used by other companies in the group and worked with RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology.
“Scanning RFID chips make it possible to localize and record the containers as part of their emptying or transport processes,” explains ALBA Niedersachsen Anhalt Head of Scheduling, Transport and Storage Ralph-Peter Gabriel, who oversees the tracking project.
“We wanted a solution that would allow us to track the location of a container live with active reports on each container’s exact location. The ideal solution would provide an overview of locations, standing times, movement and the last technical inspection of our containers with just a glance at a map.”
“We wanted a solution that would allow us to track the location of a container live with active reports on each container’s exact location. The ideal solution would provide an overview of locations, standing times, movement and the last technical inspection of our containers with just a glance at a map.”
Sensolus trackers impress with their durability and NB-IoT connectivity.
To identify a more suitable solution, ALBA compared and tested platforms from various providers. After initial tests in the summer of 2022, the IoT-based trackers from Sensolus quickly proved to be the best option. Ultimately, the waste management company began rolling out the trackers with the support of Multicomsystem. “We have been working with Multicomsystem from Hilden in North Rhine-Westphalia since 2020.,” explains Philip Schürrle, Account Executive DACH at Sensolus. “They now support us with more than 35 of our customers from all over Germany.
The Sensolus solution at ALBA was particularly effective because of its long service life and high connectivity.
Specifically:
Robust design and long battery life
Sensolus wireless trackers from are robust and can withstand harsh outdoor conditions in waste management.
Unlike some competitors that barely lasted a year at ALBA Niedersachsen-Anhalt, the Sensolus trackers offer a battery life of up to 10 years, compact external dimensions and robust workmanship.
As a result, they can be safely and securely attached to or in the containers.
Optimum connectivity with NB-IoT
The Sensolus trackers utilize NB-IoT technology and ensure optimal connectivity in the large district of Stendal. NarrowBand IoT is a global standard that is recommended wherever low energy consumption and long battery life are essential.
“Strong connectivity was essential for us. We tried solutions with various networking concepts, including Sigfox and urban Wi-Fi – but none were very promising. The Sensolus trackers with NB-IoT technology work flawlessly, even in the most remote areas of the district of Stendal.”
Quick and easy installation
ALBA Niedersachsen-Anhalt began equipping its newly deployed roll-off containers with Sensolus trackers immediately after its decision in summer 2022. Introducing the solution and installing the trackers proved to be simple: as soon as the cloud-based Sensolus platform was activated for the ALBA users, individual trackers could be mounted on the containers and registered with the cloud-based management platform via NBIoT connectivity. This allows them to be localized and displayed on a map at any time.
Location and fill level at a glance
ALBA Niedersachsen-Anhalt has already equipped a large number of its roll-off containers with Sensolus trackers so they can now be digitally localized. “The Sensolus solution shows us exactly where the roll-off containers are and how long they have been at that location,” says Mr. Gabriel. “We can meticulously track their useful life, emptying and transport online on a map and plan our processes more precisely. We benefit by having fewer unused containers in our inventory. In addition, we can contact customers directly if a container has been forgotten somewhere. This makes our processes much more efficient.”
In addition to tracking its roll-off containers, ALBA is currently testing Sensolus tracking with fill level sensors on selected glass containers in Stendal.
“After comparing the solutions of various providers for fill level measurement, we found that Sensolus is again the most effective option. Its trackers measure the fill level most precisely while utilizing an interface that is easy to operate. Sensolus has further developed its trackers and sensors in direct dialogue with us, so they are ideally equipped for the real requirements of our everyday container work.”
Great potential for optimization
Rather than emptying glass containers on a typical weekly or bi-weekly schedule, routes for glass containers equipped with Sensolus fill level sensors are now planned based on actual needs. This not only enables routes to be reduced and optimized thanks to corresponding time and fuel savings, but also leads to more efficient utilization of container vehicles and drivers. “We can now see how these glass containers are filling up thanks to automatic daily reports and can schedule their emptying for the optimum time,” explains Mr. Gabriel. “If we were to do this for our entire stock of glass containers here in Stendal alone, the potential for further optimization and savings nationwide would be tremendous, most notably in rural areas.”
In addition to tracking its roll-off containers, ALBA is currently testing Sensolus tracking with fill level sensors on selected glass containers in Stendal.
ALBA Niedersachsen-Anhalt is positioned as a pioneer within the nationwide ALBA Group, given the optimization potential offered by the powerful IoT-based tracking solution. Having proven itself in scenarios with many thousands of trackers, Sensolus could also easily exchange its data bidirectionally with the group-wide SAP system via REST API. This paves the way for more comprehensive container digitalization.
