Amit Salunke, CEO & Director, Sumeet Group Enterprises
Amit Salunke, CEO & Director, Sumeet Group Enterprises expounds on how using sensors, GPS and other technology helped his company streamline its waste management services at one of India’s biggest airports.
Background
When Sumeet Facilities Limited (SFL) took over the responsibility of waste management services at the GMR-managed Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad, we decided to run the operations using the WasTech software, which was developed in-house with the help of a technical expert. In December 2021, brainstorming was done and inputs were shared; by January 2022, SFL took charge of the operations, and a demo version was tested with regular operational activities. From February-March 2022, the live demo and Phase I sensor deployment was completed and the software was deployed at the actual site.
Route rationalisation
Earlier the collection crew was following route maps and collection timings as per data obtained by standard operational processes. The switch from traditional operational process to automation has resulted in obtaining real-time data about the filling of bins at any specific location. It also offers alternate routes for optimisation, ideal bin size suggestions, and other methods to enhance operational efficiency. All these activities can be checked at any time on a single web-based dashboard.
Bin sensors
Before the introduction of sensors in bins, the collection crews would check each and every trash bin, without having prior knowledge of the bin’s fill levels. This proved to be a taxing undertaking. Without the knowledge of what bins are full or empty, the task of collecting waste is unnecessarily long and tedious.
When it comes down to waste management, all we need is a reliable system of data exchange and analysis. Bin sensors, in most cases, have ultrasonic sensors that garner information such as the height of the bin. It then correlates that specific measurement with the percentage of waste estimated inside the receptacle. As the trash level increases, it simultaneously decreases the distance between the trash and the sensor.
Resource optimisation
The data traffic (i.e. sending and receiving of information) is real time via a mobile software, and is shared with the team. By introducing sensors in bins placed at critical locations, fill levels are readily and promptly available to collection crews. Determining the best times to collect trash, thereby optimising collection routes becomes routine with the use of data analysis.
Other features
The main objective of the software is to help in managing regular operational activities and enhance them with data analysis. The software is also incorporated with features like selfie-based attendance via geofencing, digital checklist via QR code scanning, GPS trackers for vehicle tracking and real-time reporting, which aims to boost efficiency and save money by reducing unnecessary collection trips.
