Sensoneo is a global enterprise-grade smart waste management solution provider that enables cities, businesses, and countries to manage their waste efficiently, lower their environmental footprint and improve the quality of services. Through their innovative smart waste management technologies, the company helps customers in more than 70 countries to cope with the biggest challenges in today’s world of waste management – lack of efficiency and transparency.
Interview with Magdalena Jurkemikova, Head of Communications in Sensoneo.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Magdalena Jurkemikova: Our activities in smart waste management can be divided into four areas of focus: municipal waste collection, industrial waste collection, deposit return schemas (DRS), and take back systems.
In municipal and industrial waste collection we focus on waste and collection monitoring, enabling the municipalities and businesses to optimize waste management.
Our take-back solutions are aimed at Extended Producer Responsibility programs, providing smart tools for all stakeholders in the system and making it more transparent.
Based on our extensive experience with waste management, we have developed one of the most advanced IT software for deposit return schema for beverage containers, which we are currently providing for two countries – Slovakia and Malta.
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
M.J: We offer a wide range of products for efficient waste management. Thanks to our in-house R&D we are able to combine hardware and software into complex solutions tailored to any size of city, business or country. The main solutions we offer are:
Waste monitoring
It combines smart sensors operating on IoT networks with Smart Waste Management Software System and Citizen App. Sensors can be installed in various types of bins and provide real-time data on how full the bins are. Thanks to the solution the customers can optimize the waste collection routes and frequencies, which results in cost savings and lower environmental footprint.
Route planning
The Introduction of the Route Planning solution results in fewer kilometers driven per kilogram of collected waste and the full utilization of vehicle capacity and time. It combines Smart Waste Management System, Driver Navigation App and it can incorporate data from Smart Sensors and/or Smart Tags. This service enables data-driven decision making, and optimization of waste collection routes, frequencies, and vehicle loads resulting in route reduction by at least 30%.
Collection monitoring
Sensoneo’s Waste Collection Service monitoring solution enables customers to automatically track and record all actions made during the waste collection process without the need for any manual handling. Instead of combining multiple devices and systems for fleet management, truck tracking, and service verification, Sensoneo includes everything in a single solution using highly innovative technologies to maximize data accuracy, ensure correct GPS tracking and guarantee secure data backup.
Take-back system
The solution was developed to digitize, optimize, and automate daily operations related to the management of complex logistics of post-consumer recycling and processing of waste of different kinds. The solution is tailor-made for the specific requirements of large-scale and nationwide take-back systems.
Deposit return scheme
Sensoneo is a DRS scheme integrator that uses the most advanced technologies to maximize its effects. We designed SW backbone which is enabling the stakeholders of the DRS to make the most out of the post-consumer recycling potential as it optimizes and automates operations, drives efficiency, facilitates transparency, and introduces an easy-to-use approach.
Factory waste management
This service minimizes disruptions of production by waste collection. Where production happens, waste is produced. We help our customers eliminate overflowing bins or unnecessary disruption by waste collection. The solution automates the management of waste collection based on the floorplan, precise pre-defined data about the fleet, schedules, depots, and discharges.
Bin access management
Besides ensuring that only authorized people can access the bins, the solution can also facilitate the introduction of PAYT for apartment buildings that otherwise must be done via door-to-door collection only.
Individual products can be combined into complex solutions, and one of the most innovative is called digitized eco-islands. It combines waste monitoring, route planning and waste access management and is intended for fully digitized waste management in apartment blocks.
E.E: What’s the news about new products?
M.J: All our products are regularly updated so that they remain state-of-the-art. In the world of sensors, this year we launched the ultrasonic Single Sensor 5.0, the newest generation of Sensoneo waste monitoring sensors.
When it comes to the deposit return scheme, we have launched a new service called pre-DRS. It is essentially a marketing mapping tool, which enables the future DRS operator to register retailers, producers and distributors and collect valuable data for planning the most efficient deposit return system. On top of that, it allows for automated digital contracting.
Another of the latest solutions aimed at municipalities or housing associations is smart Bin Access Management, which allows restricting access to bins and prevents so-called waste tourism. This solution can also facilitate the introduction of a pay-as-you-throw model that serves for fair waste fees and motivates people to recycle.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
M.J: Smart Waste Management Market size was valued at USD 1.74 Billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 5.39 Billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 15.18% from 2021 to 2028. This market has a lot of potential, since more and more waste is being produced every minute and we need to find a way to deal with it most efficiently. When it comes to smart waste management, countries, cities, and businesses are looking not only at the cost savings or data transparency, which are usually the main reasons to implement such solutions, but also at the positive environmental impact that our products bring.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
M.J: In the European Union, a significant driver for change is Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which is also the reason why member countries are implementing deposit return schemes. Such schemes have almost immediate impact on the increase of collection rates, and we are happy to be part of such success stories in already two countries.
Globally, we see the rising demand for smart waste solutions, in all regions of the world. Europe has long been the pioneer for change, but this trend is fortunately growing in other regions, which is backed up also by the fact that we are now active in more than 70 countries all around the world. One of the regions that has become very interested in smart waste solutions in recent years is the MENA region, which is implementing such solutions already in the planning stage of building new infrastructure.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
M.J: The flagship of our products are the Smart Sensors, which can be installed not only in various sizes of bins, but are also used for water monitoring. Paired with the software system, the waste monitoring solution is flexible and scalable for projects of any size. Sensors currently used are ultrasonic, but we are also working on radar technology for different environments and materials.
As already mentioned, we are very proud of our DRS software, which is one of the most modern ones globally.
E.E: What estimations do you have for the rest of 2022?
M.J: We are actively working on helping as many entities as possible to manage waste smarter. As the end of the year is approaching, we are concluding contracts for other bigger and smaller sensors or watchdog deployments, but also taking part in tenders for deposit return schemes in more countries. We are always thinking ahead, preparing for a strong year 2023, when we plan to introduce new products and expand our presence on the smart waste management market.