Valencia will make container recycling more efficient

A Smartcity VLCi project will ensure the optimization of service vehicle routes

Authorities in the city of Valencia have announced today the start of a new Smartcity VLCi pilot project which will transform the way glass and light packaging containers are serviced. Sensors will be installed on 262 of these containers with the aim of providing real-time feed on their fill levels and other parameters.

The idea is to avoid overflowing recycling bins

The pilot project is planned to affect the peripheral districts of Pobles del Nord and Pobles del Sud because these happen to be located at the furthest distance from the recycling plants. That means that route optimization of the service vehicles there would result in the best environmental impact.

135 of the containers that will receive the sensors contain glass and the other 127 bins contain light packaging from domestic products.

These ultrasound sensors, placed in the interior of each container, are expected to have a durability of 10 years. Apart from the fill level, they will also inform the Smartcity platform about their battery life and the temperature inside the bins.

“Ultimately, what this system allows us is to fine-tune the frequency of collection of the different residuals and, in addition, to have information in real time about possible overflows from the containers, an image that would diminish the positive perception of the neighbours and residents of the city and its districts,” said Sergi Campillo, Vice-Mayor of Valencia and Councillor for Urban Ecology.

It was explained that, for example, the emptying of glass containers is carried out in two different steps. One route makes sure that every six weeks all the bins are emptied out, however, every three weeks there is an additional route that takes care of one-third of the bins which fill out faster.

The sensors will allow identifying which of the bins belong to which category and adjust the vehicle routes accordingly. As for the packaging containers, the emptying is performed every two days, however, for slow-filling bins, this can be extended to four days.