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.”

Ralph-Peter Gabriel

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.”

Ralph-Peter Gabriel

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.”

Ralph-Peter Gabriel

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.

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Full visibility of their fleet

Automated inventory management

Reduced the risk of losing containers

“We are pleased that tracking systems have reached market maturity today and that we have found a powerful IoT-based solution in Sensolus to be able to precisely locate our containers – even in the border area,”

Erwin Rießle
Head of Material Flow Management

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Tracking solution for waste containers

Planning the provision and transport processes of waste containers between recycling centres, customer locations and, for example, disposal facilities with flexibility and efficiency has long been a challenge for waste management. With the tracking solution from Sensolus, EGW has now created transparency and the best conditions for optimal processes.

Since its foundation in 1994, Entsorgungsgesellschaft Westmünsterland mbH (EGW) has been a municipal company in the district of Borken, Germany, that has been responsible for the recycling and disposal of various types of waste, such as municipal residual waste, bulky waste, organic waste, green waste, construction waste, scrap metals and e-waste.

On behalf of various cities and municipalities, EGW operates around a dozen recycling centres in the 153 square kilometre district of Borken on the Dutch border. A total of 160 roll-off containers are regularly on the move between the various recycling centres, the customer locations and the disposal and recycling facilities: The disposal and recycling of the waste is carried out partly according to fixed schedules, partly flexibly – according to the requirements and filling level of the containers.

It was extremely tedious to keep track of which waste container was where due to the high circulation. Often you had to make a lot of phone calls to colleagues or even visit the site directly.“About ten years ago, we wanted a solution that would allow us to precisely locate our containers in order to save us the effort of manually tracking the waste containers,” recalls Erwin Rießle, Head of Material Flow Management at EGW.

At that time, however, such solutions did not yet have the necessary market maturity despite high prices. In 2021, EGW repeated its market research and systematically compared the offers of five tracker providers.

Sensolus with the best hardware, network coverage and management platform for waste management

After extensive market research, the IoT-based tracking solution from Sensolus ultimately won the race because it best met all the criteria and was able to collect the following plus points compared to the competitors at the same price level.

Compact tracker size and optimal battery life:

Sensolus’ wireless trackers are robust and can withstand harsh outdoor conditions. Unlike some competitors, which were up to 20 centimetres long, the Sensolus trackers offer a compact external dimension of just under 8×12 centimetres with a long-term battery life of up to ten years. In this way, they can be attached to the EGW containers well and protected.

Best network coverage in the border area:

The district of Borken is located in the western Münsterland region directly on the German border. The Sensolus trackers were able to score points with NBIoT connectivity, with reliable localization near the border.

Easy-to-use asset management platform:

Sensolus also impressed EGW with its easy-to-use cloud-based platform for tracker management. It offers the most extensive functionality of the tested solutions and combines them with a high level of clarity and ease of use. Drivers can also conveniently use the mobile app to access all important container information at any time for their on-the-go planning.

Quick and easy installation to waste containers

After its market research and the fundamental decision in favour of Sensolus, EGW ordered ten Sensolus trackers in March 2022 to test their use in everyday work. As soon as the cloud-based Sensolus platform was activated for EGW users, the individual trackers could be mounted on the containers, easily logged into the management platform via NBIoT connectivity, and then located and displayed on a map at any time.

“Our goal was to be able to accurately record each individual container using a tracker, to know at any time how many containers are located at each location, and to be notified as soon as a container is in motion,” explains Rießle.

This worked smoothly with the Sensolus trackers, and EGW ordered an additional 150 trackers in the summer of 2022 to gradually equip all containers. Since the summer of 2023, the waste management company has enjoyed a full overview of its entire waste container inventory and the flow of these movable, non-powered assets.

Optimal planning of waste container journeys

Thanks to the Sensolus trackers, EGW can now precisely locate all 160 containers with just a glance at the map, and the corresponding disposal and transport processes can be managed and optimized with an overview.

“If the company needs containers, all we need to do is check our Sensolus dashboard to see the exact availability of containers in each geozone,” says Julia Kerkhoff as a key user. Of course, the truck drivers also benefit from this.

Simplify security checks & prevent theft

In addition to optimizing daily processes, the knowledge of the location of your containers also brings other advantages: The new transparency creates a clear basis for coordination and container management.“We can now see exactly if and where containers are still being hoarded,” explains Erwin Rießle. “Instead of buying new inventory, we can now put less used containers back into circulation. This saves costs and reduces new purchases.”

To ensure that the containers are maintained properly, they must also be regularly checked in accordance with the Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health (BetrSichV) to ensure, for example, that hooks are intact, doors are ok and sheet metal is thick enough. “We are now also using Sensolus to track the status of our containers,” Rießle continues. “This makes it easy for us to see when which containers are due for inspection and, above all, where our inspector can find them.”

In addition, waste containers are significantly more expensive today than they were a few years ago. This makes them attractive to theft, especially if their content is also valuable. Traceability is also helpful for the EGW in such cases.

“We are pleased that tracking systems have reached market maturity today and that we have found a powerful IoT-based solution in Sensolus to be able to precisely locate our containers – even in the border area,” says Erwin Rießle, summarizing the project. “This not only ensures significantly more efficiency in our daily transport and disposal processes, but also offers optimisation prospects for the future: for example, by integrating it into our ERP system.”

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“Sensolus offers the finest business intelligence at a competitive price point – the trackers are rugged, and the solution is easily scalable and compatible with most (planning) software.”

Ralph Burchartz
Sales Executive at Domat

In the ever-changing world of waste management, more and more companies are looking to track & trace solutions for instant visibility of containers and insights into how their operations can be optimized. By attaching trackers to waste containers, container management has become streamlined and more automated, all by using digital technology and the Internet of Things (IoT).

This modern approach has become well-known for its ability to make things more efficient, make operations smoother, and increase security. Let’s take a closer look at how the partnership between Sensolus and Domat has been helping companies in the waste management industry with their track and trace solution for container management.

Complete Geographical Insight into Waste Containers

With Sensolus tracking technology, businesses gain a comprehensive view of the geographical locations of their waste containers. This information is invaluable for optimizing routes, predicting collection needs, and ensuring the most efficient use of resources. By harnessing location data, companies can strategically allocate their container fleet and minimize unnecessary transportation.

Uncover Unused or Forgotten Containers

One of the standout advantages of track and trace for waste containers, is its ability to identify containers that are underutilized or inadvertently left unattended. This feature helps organizations make informed decisions about repositioning or repurposing containers, reducing wastage and enhancing resource allocation.

Define Significant Areas with geolocation

The integration of geolocation capabilities takes track and trace to the next level. Businesses can define specific zones of interest, such as recycling centers, high-demand areas, or restricted zones. When a container enters or exits these predefined areas, instant alerts are generated. This ensures prompt action can be taken, maximizing operational efficiency and minimizing delays.

Collaboration between Sensolus and Partner Domat

In the pursuit of further digitizing waste container asset management, Sensolus has joined forces with their partner, Domat, in the recycling industry. This collaboration aims to bring about the next wave of innovation, propelling the recycling sector towards a more connected and data-driven future. Their prominent clientele within the industry stand testament to the numerous advantages of track and trace technology.

Testimonials from Satisfied Users

Here’s a selection of comments from contented users who have reaped the benefits of track and trace:

A&M Recycling

We always know where our containers are located, and which ones are in stock and ready to be deployed. As soon as containers are picked up or if the tracker is removed, we receive a notification, allowing us to keep track of the outstanding fleet and movements.

The software is very user-friendly, and the ability to use geozones provides us with an additional advantage in capturing project locations in the system. This helps us control the turnover of container swaps and take necessary actions toward our clients when needed.

The investment costs and subscription fees are competitively priced. All in all, it is certainly an added value to equip our container fleet with Sensolus trackers, with our partner Domat in Schiedam playing an important role in this decision.

Rob den Heijer

Krommenhoek

Our experience: We have been working with Sensolus for some time now to monitor our container fleet. It has been a positive experience and is becoming more familiar to us. Searching for a specific container is efficient, allowing for quicker adjustments to our planning. Even handling challenging swap locations due to the lack of an address has been simplified through Sensolus, as you can see the container on the map (geozones). The notifications for movement outside of the set time blocks are helpful for theft prevention.

All in all, it’s been a good choice, both operationally and financially, considering the size of our container fleet and the investments made. When you have a large fleet of containers and have made significant investments, you want 100% visibility into whether you still own all the purchased containers and where they might be located.

Vincent Deurloo

Metaalrecylcing Hoofddorp

Due to significant growth in our company, it became challenging to keep up with our container service. Sensolus provides us with an excellent overview of where our containers are located throughout the Netherlands. With just one press of a button in the app, you have the overview at your fingertips. It’s a fantastic system for us and also serves as a deterrent against theft.

Dennis van Groningen

In conclusion

The incorporation of track and trace technology marks a pivotal step forward for the recycling industry. Sensolus, in collaboration with Domat, continues to drive this transformation, offering businesses comprehensive insights, operational efficiency, and enhanced security. As the industry embraces these innovations, the future of waste container management looks promising, promising a greener and more connected world.

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Easily locates waste containers when needed

Purchases containers only when there’s a business need

Replaced manual logging with reliable location data

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GPS trackers for waste containers

Founded in 2021 by two industry experts, Jérôme Lafourcade and Christophe Delas, Ecofield is making a difference in the waste management sector around Western Europe. With their modern approach to recycling in the construction sector, coupled with their virtuous contribution to social welfare, this fast-growing organization is reaching new heights with the help of Sensolus’ connected asset management solution.

Ecofield’s journey towards waste management optimization began when they decided to join forces with Connectic, a French-based agency that offers powerful, scalable, and competitive tools to improve the management of resource fleets (vehicles, equipment, tools, personnel, premises, etc.).

“We have chosen not to develop a range of hardware or software solutions in-house. We collaborate with technology companies, each of which specializes in the design and production of specific components and make them available to integrative distributors,” explains the representative of Connectic.

Optimizing waste management and gaining insights

During the three-month project, Ecofield’s goal was to achieve a clear cartographic view of the 100 waste skips in circulation with their customers.

Along with this, was the mandate to reconcile differences in data inputs between their ERP system and the Sensolus platform; ensuring sound reporting and maximized utility.

Powered by Sensolus, Connectic was able to help Ecofield streamline their operational processes by integrating their custom ERP with Sensolus’ innovative cloud-based solution; giving them the capability to:

• Have full visibility over the entire fleet to facilitate operations (planning, routing, etc.)
• Receive alerts in case of abnormal movement
• Receive alerts in case of prolonged immobilization
• Easily analyze usage statistics to optimize the configuration of the fleet
• Guarantee transparency between partners

Why did Ecofield choose Sensolus and Connectic?

For companies in the waste management industry, the idea of autonomous industrial-grade GPS trackers with 5-year battery life is an appealing solution for monitoring waste containers and optimizing their use.

Coupled with Sensolus’ mobile-friendly web platform, tailored and scalable to the unique needs of each project, Connectic was quickly able to provide Ecofield with the value that they needed:

• Accurate data for invoicing purposes based on usage, type of waste, and average time duration.
• Geographical representation of time spent in each geozone, and whether the skips are at the customer’s premises or depots.
• Detailed inputs that indicate the best type of skip to send to customers, for example, tonnage and type of waste.
• The power to automatically pull the address of every skip in the system.
• An automated inventory management system that can be filtered by type of skip according to volume.

Sensolus is proud to partner with Connectic, as they support Ecofield with their impressive work in the waste management sector. Their modern approach to recycling, coupled with their dedication to social welfare, makes them a valuable ally in our mission of making the world a more sustainable place.

Do you want to reap the benefits of this partnership? Get in touch and let us show you how we can help your organization grow and make an impactful difference in the waste management industry.

About Connectic

Since 2017, Connectic and its network of regional agencies specialize in the implementation of solutions that allow small and medium-sized businesses to benefit from powerful, scalable, and competitive tools to improve the management of their resource base.

Connectic has established expertise in a wide range of solutions to efficiently help businesses in their remote data transmission initiatives, whether they are moving goods, field personnel, or buildings.

About Sensolus

Industrial companies typically have hundreds or thousands of valuable assets such as containers, trailers, boxes, equipment or dollies. Often, you have very little data on these non-powered assets… where they are, how they are used or even how they can be utilized better. That’s where Sensolus comes in.

Connecting these assets to the internet enables you to know where specific assets are, detect issues in your processes and ensure full visibility. You access the collected data on our powerful analytical platform, which is ready to use from day 1.

The battery-powered trackers are easy to install and will work anywhere for five years. They don’t require any infrastructure. You can easily scale from small proof of concept to a full-sized project.

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Easily locates waste containers when needed

Purchases containers only when there’s a business need

Replaced manual logging with reliable location data

*This success story features the Belgian branch of SUEZ, which merged with Veolia in 2021.

“Sensolus gives us reliable data about the usage of our waste containers. We allocate waste containers to a new project faster and correctly size new investments.“

Interview with Wim Neckebroeck
Data Management Analyst at Veolia

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Optimizing ROI for waste container usage

All over the world, Veolia is known for intelligent waste and water management solutions. The Belgian Recycling & recovery branch uses our trackers for their trailers and special waste containers. In this customer story, Wim explains how they’ve seen their efficiency increase in the past year. Both in terms of allocating waste containers to projects and investing only in new waste containers when needed.

In April 2019, Veolia starts using our trackers. The initial project covers their trailer fleet but is soon extended to waste containers in August 2019.

Both projects essentially want to solve the same questions:

Where are my trailers and waste containers? How many of them do we have and are in use? And in what way can they be deployed in the most optimal way to reach our business goals?

Currently, around 1200 of their waste containers are equipped with our trackers. The waste container project involves two types of containers.

First of all compactors, containers you often see to squeeze waste like paper and cardboard boxes to smaller volumes. These compactors, installed at customers of Veolia, are valuable and need a regular check.

So do the second type of containers in this project, containers containing hazardous waste. For this type of container water tightness must be guaranteed. Therefore, regular checks and maintenance are a must.

To get a full visibility on their waste containers, Wim decided to create a link between their existing fleet management system and Sensolus.

Where are our waste containers

Wim explains, the compactors were already available in our fleet management system. We linked it with Sensolus to always have the last known location of a waste container in our fleet management system. In our case, this is an API integration that exchanges the data we need two times a day.

Nowadays, every technician in the field knows which compactor needs maintenance and can immediately go to the right location or send someone over in case of issues. In the past, we were never a 100% sure if a waste container was still at its registered location.

“In the past, we were not 100% sure if a compactor still was at its registered location. Now every technician in the field can immediately see where the waste containers that need maintenance are located.”

– Wim Neckebroeck, Data Management Analyst at Veolia

Besides the last known location, we also check the amount of waste container movements, Wim explains. If a waste container remains at a customer, you can check if it’s used intensively or not and how much time there is between the different movements.

Correctly estimating fleet investments

Besides knowing how the waste containers are used, Veolia now knows how many waste containers of a certain type they have in their fleet.

Wim adds, the implementation of Sensolus is crucial to get a better view on our fleet. These insights are needed to create transparency on the amount of waste containers available, how they are used and whether new investments are needed or not.

“The amount of movements and time within movements of waste containers is very interesting. If we see waste containers are standing still at our own site, we won’t invest in new ones. These insights are crucial for future investments.”

– Wim Neckebroeck, Data Management Analyst at Veolia

Overall, Veolia acquired more control over their waste container fleet. An aspect that’s crucial in terms of future investments.

Putting all pieces of the puzzle together

Furthermore, the API integration between Sensolus and Veolia Belgium’s fleet management system provides Veolia with high-quality, reliable data.

In the past, the transfer of a container from one customer to another was logged manually. If an employee forgot to log the change in location, it could take months before they realised this and could start the search for the new location of the container.

“The API integration between Sensolus and our fleet management system helped us get high-quality data about waste container availability. We allocate freed up waste containers to a new project faster.”

– Wim Neckebroeck, Data Management Analyst at Veolia

Wim adds, if there is a discrepancy or something that looks odd, we notice it immediately. This means you can solve it in a quick way and allocate the freed up container to another project. Therefore we avoid superfluous investments in containers. You know what you have and can allocate it in the best way possible, all because of better visibility.

By tracking their waste containers and integrating their existing fleet management system with Sensolus, Wim opened up the full potential of their fleet. Making it easy to maximize the potential of their waste containers and having full visibility in the field, based on reliable data.

Do you struggle with the same challenges as Wim did? Request a demo today and our experts will get in touch to uncover the potential of tracking for your business as well.

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