Municipality of Patras in Greece – Smart Waste Management as part of Open Mall Project

While the world’s cities occupy only 2% of the land, they contribute to a staggering 70% of greenhouse gas emissions, bearing a significant share of responsibility for global climate change. These facts underscore the necessity for the development of sustainable urban solutions and dictate various requirements for the cities of the future.

The Municipality of Patras, being the third-largest city in Greece by population, has embraced innovative technologies in several sectors as part of its efforts to combat climate change, particularly in waste management. To address the issue of increasing waste production and its consequent effects, the Municipality of Patras has participated in the Open Mall project. The primary goal of this project is to develop solutions for enhancing public spaces through the procurement and installation of smart city systems and sustainable mobility systems.

The municipality’s interventions primarily focus on the functional and aesthetic improvement of the public spaces within the Open Trade Center of Patras. The strategies include bioclimatic design, energy conservation, enhancing accessibility for the disabled, and the implementation of modern systems and applications for a smart city and sustainable mobility.

To tackle waste management issues, Scirocco committed to supplying and installing semi-underground waste containers and smart waste management systems, including sensors and smart waste management software, encapsulated in the motto “CONFIGURE – MONITOR – PLAN!” The installed Molok semi-underground waste systems have become functional “recycling islands” due to their flexibility and adaptability, allowing for efficient volume management based on waste type, which maximizes space efficiency. Additionally, smart sensors in these waste systems enable the municipality’s waste collection staff to remotely monitor the fill levels of each container throughout the city. The smart waste system administrator oversees all containers on a digital map, which displays capacity, waste type, last measurement, GPS location, and collection schedules or pick-up recognition.

Benefits for the Municipality of Patras:

1. Economic benefits

• Fewer emptying pick-ups
• Reduced fuel consumption
• Decreased personnel requirements for emptying

2. Environmental benefits

• Quieter emptying processes
• Aesthetically pleasing urban spaces that promote cleanliness
• Lower CO2 emissions

3. Smart decisions based on real-time data

Sensoneo’s smart sensors provide real-time data on the fill levels of each semi-underground container, enabling proactive decision-making. Along with a powerful cloud-based platform, the municipality’s personnel (cleaning and recycling department) can monitor fill levels in real-time, predict collection needs, plan collection routes in advance, target only full containers, and generate pick-up reports. “CONFIGURE – MONITOR – PLAN!” contributes to the reduction of CO2 emissions and pollution by minimizing the number of garbage trucks on the roads, thereby decreasing driving time, fuel consumption, and CO2 emissions.

4. Reduction of operation costs

Smart sensors significantly reduce municipal waste collection costs by up to 50% when utilized alongside the Smart Waste Management Software System, thanks to fewer required routes, which saves on drivers, fuel, and vehicle maintenance.

5. Sustainable cities – A healthy environment for all

In the spirit of circular economy and sustainability, an increasing number of cities and municipalities are incorporating waste management-related projects into their agendas.

Source of photos: Scirocco, news-ta.gr, politeianews.gr