Key Points
- End-to-end digital management of a new garden waste collection scheme
- Instant access online for residents to sign-up for the new sack scheme
- Successful implementation with 6,512 residents opted-in in the first 12 hours with 49,327 over first 12 months
- Future-proof digital solution fully supporting waste strategy and service
Background
Rhondda Cynon Taf County is located in South East Wales and includes the towns of Aberdare and Pontypridd.
Over the past eight years, Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council (RCTCBC) has transitioned to digital technology to support their waste collection services – to increase efficiency while at the same time enhancing their service to residents. This is the story of their most recent programme change, made easier through their ongoing partnership with Routeware.
How we helped
Last year, the RCTCBC decided to replace a key component of their green and garden waste programme. The single use plastic bags used for collection didn’t support the environmental aims of the programme, and residue plastic was mixing in with the green waste,
reducing the quality of the resulting compost.
Derek Jones, RCTCBC Logistics Officer, explained the change: “The alternative we found was re-usable sacks. This meant that the garden waste collected would be a higher quality; above the required standard.”
Simply replacing plastic with a re-usable sack, however, was easier said than done. The council was still managing their garden waste programme manually.
“The collection process was inefficient. We had drivers combing the area on the lookout for garden waste in plastic bags,” said Derek. They realised that the only way to implement a sustainable garden waste programme was to start from scratch and leverage technology to manage the service change.
Benefits
Using Digital Depot back office system the council asked residents to register for the new sack service online. This allowed them to pinpoint the location of every garden waste participant while at the same time updating resident information that had been collected manually over the years.
Marketing the service on the council website and in social media explained the new programme’s environmental benefits, from better quality compost to reducing waste management’s carbon footprint.
Residents were encouraged to help RCTCBC work toward a truly circular economy by signing up for two free re-usable sacks. Residents could return to the website as needed to request and pay for additional garden waste collection for a cost of £3 per sack, up to 20 sacks.
The Digital Depot garden waste collection workflow was used to manage the entire process change from end to end. In just under 12 months, 49,327 residents signed up. The data collected in Digital Depot makes it easier to manage and adjust the programme and make sure residents understand how to use their sacks.
Digital powers the programme
From the insight available the RCTCBC logistics team can now plan the most efficient collection routes instantly to incorporate new sign ups, anticipate staffing needs, and even modify schedules based on seasonal patterns or to futureproof the system based on growth from new residential developments.
6,512 residents signed up for the new garden waste programme within the first 12 hours of campaign launch. Initial subscribers were added to the council’s route optimisation software, with every sack located by a GPS tag. New subscribers, up to 40 per day, were added instantly and included in the next collection round.
About Routeware
Routeware is a leading technology company for the waste and environmental services sector. In the UK, our software and services have been used by over 200 local authorities and most of the leading waste and resource management companies, helping save an estimated £100M+ for UK local government.
