At Surge Ambiental, we use a platform called Sigolis, which facilitates the geolocation of our trucks at all times. “The software allows us to further automate the process, so clients themselves can create service requests online that are then incorporated into the collection vehicle’s route,” explains Juan Diego Berjon, Head of Service at Surge Ambiental. In this respect, our clients are included in the building sector for the collection of construction and demolition waste, as well as in the industrial and commercial sectors for the collection of industrial and urban solid waste.  

“This software [also] has the ability to issue all of the environmental documentation associated with waste conveyance, as a tool that improves the traceability of the process,” he explains.  

Urban sanitation services, waste collection, etc. are designed and programmed automatically. Routing algorithms then communicate with the trucks via the app to perform these services and optimize the sanitation/collection system.  

At times, citizens or users may use the app to add a collection to the platform; on other occasions, container-filling sensors may add the service to the system.

Surge is responsible for the comprehensive management of non-hazardous waste. “As for the application of sensors in the open container area and construction and demolition waste (CDW), there are difficulties given the abrasive nature of the waste, though we are making strides in this respect. In the RCD sector, we currently work manually in large part, changing out containers when they call us from the construction sites,” says Berjón.

By creating algorithms, we create an equation with a series of variables, calculating the best route and the collection points for the truck. We measure the type of vehicle, the type of container, the type of waste and, depending on the number of points, the type of container and truck, the program generates a proposal.

“Surge Ambiental is working with logistics managers to improve internal logistics management. The next step is to further automate the service and optimize routes using these algorithms,” Juan Berjón points out.

At Valoriza’s public services branch, David Redondo, from Valoriza Servicios Medioambientales’ R+D+i department, explains that they use a number of smart fleet management systems. In Barakaldo (Bilbao) and Arona (Canary Islands), for example, they use Distromel. “By installing a proprietary sensor on the vehicles, the data processing center (DPC) collects information from the fleet in real time, compiling data on position, speed, containers collected, and the weight removed from each. A history of routes and actions is generated for subsequent consultation on the siGEUS online management application.” In Tenerife, Albacete, and Melilla, they use the smart fleet management system, Movisat.