Sensoneo provides enterprise-grade smart waste management solutions that support the digital transformation of waste management to achieve efficiency, transparency, and sustainability.
Interview with Martina Susova, PR & Communications Manager at Sensoneo.
Easy Engineering: Tell us a short story of the origin of the company.
Martina Susova: Sensoneo is a global provider of innovative waste management solutions set up in Slovakia, EU, in 2017. The pilot waste monitoring sensor was designed by Co-Founders Martin Basila and Andrea Basilova in 2014. Since then, the company went through an impressive transformation from a local startup into a global leader in smart waste management solutions. Sensoneo has installations in over 80 countries across five continents and recently expanded into the APAC region. Our goal from the beginning has been to help countries, cities, and businesses to tackle the biggest challenges of waste management – lack of efficiency and transparency. We started with one product: a waste monitoring solution that consisted of sensors measuring waste levels in bins and a smart waste management software system. Over the years we have been expanding and perfecting our portfolio of services, which now range from waste and collection monitoring, route planning software, factory waste management, to take-back systems and deposit return scheme integration.
E.E: Which are the fields of activity where you are operating?
M.S: Sensoneo is a global leader in smart waste management. We operate on a national level with our unique software for Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) that can be adapted to the specific needs of different countries; on a municipality level with comprehensive smart waste management solutions such as waste and collection monitoring, route planning software or bin access management; and on a business/factory level, where we use special hardware and software to help private customers manage their waste effectively and with full transparency. We are currently the only DRS integrator that operates in three countries: Slovakia, Malta, and the first phase of the DRS in Romania. Sensoneo is currently also implementing DRS in another Central European Country, and in its first Western European Country. Further, our intelligent waste monitoring using our own sensors is used by cities such as Buenos Aires, Reykjavik, Trieste and Prague.
E.E: Which are the most significant projects in the history of the company?
M.S: One of the most significant projects is the recent installation in Madrid, the Capital of Spain. At this moment, more than 11 000 sensors are being installed in bins with light packaging, textile, glass, organic and general waste, with data being sent to the Smart Waste Management Software System and utilized also in optimized route planning. This is the largest smart waste installation in Europe. The main reason behind utilizing smart sensors is to bring more efficiency into waste collection services, while also reducing emissions, traffic, and noise. Other benefits of smart waste monitoring are fuel and cost savings and reduced time necessary for waste collection.
Another impressive example, that defines the way we work, is the implementation of Deposit Return System (DRS) in Slovakia, the project we have delivered in just 10 months in 2021. Since the launch of the DRS on the 1st of January 2022, Slovak citizens (5,5 Mio people) returned over 1 billion plastic bottles and cans (data from 29.03.2023). The Deposit Return System in Slovakia processes on average 3,2 million returns per day, seasonally this number is near to 5 million returns per day. Sensoneo’s DRS system works as a backbone of the entire system as it integrates all stakeholders and gathers data from all sources within the process chain. This unique software for Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) is ready to use for any country, yet can be adapted to any specific needs.
E.E: What are the ranges of products and what types of services do you offer?
M.S: Our portfolio consists of hardware, software, as well as consultancies, enabling us to provide our customers with comprehensive end-to-end solutions in smart waste management. All hardware products are manufactured in the EU & all Sensoneo solutions are scalable and can be customized to any size of business, city, or country. As a result, customers can achieve a 30-63% reduction in waste collection routes and 97% accuracy in actual waste production.
Our portfolio consists of four divisions:
Municipal Waste Collection, that can be adapted to any specific needs of a city or municipality. This includes comprehensive smart waste collection solutions, such as Waste Monitoring with our own waste monitoring sensors & software, Sensoneo Bin Access Management solution that ensures only authorized people can access the bins, Route Planning & Driver App, and Waste Asset Management. Sensoneo offers a comprehensive and ready-to-use solution for Digitized ecological islands for waste management also. This data-driven solution for container stands serving apartment blocks areas inside localities follows the green objectives of the European Union.
Industrial Waste Collection for factories and businesses, designed to automate waste collection in a factory, facility, or fulfillment center, enables factories to achieve sustainability KPIs and obtain valuable information on the type, amount, and location of waste generated. By tracking information about the waste generated with the help of our sensors, waste can be less contaminated. This has a positive impact on the waste diversion rate – which means how much waste is being recycled and how much waste goes to landfills. The goal is of course to recycle as much as possible.
See how it works:
Deposit Refund Schemes solutions that consist of pre-DRS solution and Deposit Refund System. Sensoneo’s unique and ready-to-use DRS system enables DRS scheme stakeholders to make the most out of the post-consumer recycling potential as it optimizes and automates operations.
Take-Back System and Extended Producer Responsibility
E.E: What was the research behind the products/solutions and how important is R&D?
M.S: R&D is crucial for our business as we work in a field where innovation defines our success. More than 70% of our team works in R&D or is partly involved in further development of our hardware and software that we conduct directly in our headquarters in Slovakia.
E.E: What products/solutions are you going to launch in the future?
M.S: Among the continuous development of all our products, we are focusing now on scaling up our products for factories. Every factory has a special demand, that we want to address, to help factories achieve increased efficiency, cost savings, and most of all increase the positive impact on the environment.
E.E: How important are the after-sales services?
M.S: Our service desk is available daily and works with our customers to help in resolving any problems or issues that customers may encounter with the product. Additionally, the feedback of our customers is crucial for us, to continuously develop our products and service. By prioritizing after-sales services and actively seeking customer feedback, we not only demonstrate our dedication to customer satisfaction but also foster a culture of continuous improvement. Ultimately, this approach strengthens our products, enhances customer loyalty, and positions us as a trusted partner in the eyes of our customers.
E.E: Tell us about social responsibility and what part does it play in the company?
M.S: Social responsibility is an important topic, as a leading company in smart waste management, Sensoneo understands the significance of sustainable practices and actively contributes to creating a positive impact on society. The company collaborates with various NGOs, including Circular Slovakia, to share its expertise and promote the transition towards a circular economy in Slovakia. By participating in projects like “Buducnost inak” (Different Future) under the Foundation Nadacia Pontis, Sensoneo also empowers children to develop their own environmental initiatives and projects.