Achieving sustainability at fulfillment facilities with Smart Waste Solutions

Project and customer description:

The Smart Waste Management Project was initiated at European fulfillment center (to maintain confidentiality under our NDA, our client’s name will not be disclosed), a logistics hub well-known for its role in supporting supply chain operations for major enterprises. Facility is a key part of fulfillment network, which processes a significant volume of orders daily and requires efficient operations to maintain service quality.

Sensoneo provides innovative tools to improve waste collection efficiency, track environmental performance, and enable data-driven decisions. This partnership reflects our client’s broader commitment to sustainability and operational excellence.

The waste management system handles:

• 271 bins/containers across 16 areas of the facility
• 6 standard waste streams, including cardboard, plastics, and general waste
• 20 product-specific waste streams originating from customer and vendor returns

Challenge:

• Inefficient Waste Collection: The traditional waste collection processes lacked real-time tracking and optimization, leading to inefficiencies in labor and resources.
• Limited Data Control: Waste data was controlled by external contractors, leaving fufillment center without critical insights into waste production and contamination issues.
• Environmental Concerns: High contamination rates and limited waste separation reduced waste diversion rates, impacting sustainability goals.
• Scaling Issues: A need for a scalable waste management system that could be implemented across other fulfillment centers.

Solution:

The Smart Waste Management Project integrated Sensoneo’s advanced IoT hardware and software, enabling efficient waste tracking and collection processes:

• IoT and Software Integration

• • IoT Buttons and Gateways: Enabled real-time monitoring of bin fullness and contamination
  • Mobile and Web Applications: Provided tools for waste collection planning, tracking, and reporting
  • Bluetooth Scales: Measured bin weights accurately for automated reporting

• Infrastructure Setup

• • 271 bins equipped with IoT buttons across 16 areas and 72 PODs
  • Predefined collection routes optimized for efficiency

• Data and Reporting

• • The system collected and visualized data, including waste volumes, contamination rates, and collection frequencies

The picture is for illustration purposes only

Impact:

• Efficiency Gains

  • Reduced labor requirements from 7 to 4 Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs), resulting in significant cost savings
  • Yearly cost saving on personnel expenditures: 85 207€
  • Streamlined waste collection processes, reducing route times to an average of 6 minutes and 10 seconds

• Environmental Benefits

  • Achieved a 99.82% Waste Diversion Rate (WDR) and reduced contamination to just 1%
  • Realized 35 754 kg of CO2 savings over the pilot period (June–August 2024)

• Enhanced Data Control

  • Fulfillment center gained full control over waste data, previously managed by external contractors

Future outlook:

• Implement contamination monitoring and improved tracking
• Scale the solution using a standardized implementation template
• Extend the project to other fulfillment centers of our client for similar efficiency gains

Sensoneo’s waste management solution for factories and facilities: