Optimize the collection of waste produced by professionals

On 3 October 2018, the launch of the “Smart Waste Collection Systems” SWAM project, financed by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) and undertaken together with Polygone, took place at the premises of the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST). With SWAM, the Luxembourgish company Polygone has joined together with LIST to optimize its waste collection process, thanks to a connected decision-making platform that they will have to build together from scratch, using sensor network technologies and data analysis platforms. To achieve this, LIST digital innovation researchers, working specifically on the transformation of information flows into useful information for targeted applications, will work together with Polygone for 24 months.

Manage data and optimize business processes

Throughout this time, the partners will, in particular, design and co-build an intelligent waste collection platform based on optimization processes, which combines business, client and operational criteria with data generated by sensor technology, and is directly integrated into waste containers. To do this, they will combine two systems focusing on data management and the optimization of business processes. 

Drivers of waste collection vehicles who travel all over Luxembourg to collect waste produced by professionals will be equipped with a control centre or even a mobile assistant. This is a brand new way of working, which, if proven relevant and efficient at the end of the project, will be implemented at the heart of the company, thus allowing it to develop new services.

A long-term cooperation

With SWAM, Polygone once again calls on LIST’s expertise for its activities in the area of waste management. In May 2018, both parties committed to optimizing and automating the design process for the management of sorting centres, something currently done in a non-automated way by Polygone. This partnership falls within the framework of the project “Optimization of waste sorting centres for Polygone" (OCTogone)", for which the perceived gains in working time, competitiveness and clarification of the offer at the halfway point will be confirmed at the beginning of 2019.