Large-Scale Smart Waste Project in Bratislava, Slovakia

85 000

Digitized bins & containers

1 753

Smart sensors

600,000

Population

Exact data

Goal

Smart waste management in Bratislava

Project and customer description

Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia with over 600,000 inhabitants, has partnered with Sensoneo and its city-owned waste collection company, OLO a.s., to implement one of the largest smart waste management projects in the world. The initiative is supported by a prestigious grant from the European Innovation Council (EIC), awarded in 2020 to demonstrate the environmental and economic benefits of large-scale smart waste management.

The project aligns with the city’s Strategy for Municipal Waste Management 2021–2026, aiming to support the transition to a circular economy. The city expects to achieve significant savings on waste collection mileage and emissions while improving operational transparency and service quality.

Challenge

Bratislava’s waste management system required modernization to address inefficiencies, reduce unnecessary vehicle mileage, and improve collection transparency. The city sought a solution that would digitalize its waste infrastructure, enable dynamic route planning, and provide data to optimize both bin collection and vehicle operations.

The city’s expectations included:

Cleaner public spaces
More efficient waste collection services
Reduced mileage and emissions from waste operations

“For the citizens of Bratislava, this would mean cleaner public spaces and more efficient waste collection services.”

Katarína Rajčanová, Spokeswoman, City of Bratislava

Solution

The large-scale deployment includes two major components:

Digitalization of 85,000 bins and containers
Each bin is permanently tagged with an RFID code, enabling identification, tracking, and full digital inventory management. Sensoneo’s Inventory App allows operators to register bins with detailed specifications, GPS location, accessibility, and misplacement notifications.
1,753 Smart sensors for dynamic route planning
Sensors monitor fill levels up to 12 times a day, with a focus on glass and semi-underground containers, which present the greatest potential for optimization. Real-time data supports predictive collection, preventing overflowing bins and avoiding unnecessary pickups. The data is integrated into Sensoneo’s Driver Navigation app, allowing optimized route planning and easier onboarding of new drivers.

Impact

The Bratislava project demonstrates the transformative potential of digitalization in waste management. By combining RFID-tagged assets, real-time fill-level sensors, and advanced fleet management, the city has built a comprehensive system that optimizes collection routes, increases efficiency, and enhances transparency.

The solution reduces unnecessary mileage, lowers fuel consumption and emissions, and prevents overflowing bins, resulting in cleaner public spaces. Operators benefit from real-time insights into operations, while citizens enjoy improved service quality and reduced environmental impact.