Many communities are finding out that it takes more than new trucks and containers to experience the full benefits of the new collection system.

By Karen Luken and Susan Bush

More and more communities across the United States are replacing manual rearloaders with state-of-the-art collection systems comprising fully and semiautomated collection vehicles, wheeled refuse containers, and a promise of increased savings and worker productivity. Some communities reaped the benefits of these new collection technologies simply by purchasing new vehicles and containers. However, many communities are finding out that it takes more than new trucks and containers to experience the full benefits of the new collection system.

Management consulting and engineering firm R.W. Beck has assisted numerous communities in evaluating why new collection systems were not delivering the desired results. Through these experiences, we have developed guidelines to help communities receive the biggest bang for the buck when considering an automated refuse collection system.

Know What You Are Trying to Improve

Converting from manual to automated collection can decrease injuries, minutes per stop, trips to the landfill, and garbage-day—related litter. However, a community won’t be able to claim an improvement in these areas if it doesn’t have the data to support the claim.

At a minimum, a community should collect six months of data before and after implementing the automated collection system. If the garbage in a community substantially varies throughout the year (e.g., tourist season), then the data should be collected for at least one year.

Also, a community might be gathering data but failing to categorize them in a manner to be truly useful. For example, data might be available on the number of work compensation claims generated within a sanitation department. However, some of these claims might be for things that have nothing to do with collecting and processing garbage, such as injuries occurring in the filing room. The claims related to manually collecting refuse should be identified and tracked separately.

Identify the Goals of All Key Stakeholders

Some communities establish goals for the automated collection program only in areas that are directly related to the sanitation department, such as decreasing labor costs. However, departments outside of the sanitation department have goals that will be affected by implementing a new collection system, and sometimes these goals might conflict with one another. For example, the purchasing department most likely aims to acquire the least expensive vehicle on the market, and the fleet services department might aspire to minimize the amount of vehicle parts it must keep in inventory. If purchasing achieves their goal, the community might end up with a sanitation fleet comprising different vehicles from different manufacturers. This variety of vehicles will require fleet services to keep numerous parts from different manufacturers to ensure a quick turnaround time when repairing sanitation vehicles. If fleet services is successful in limiting the quantity of parts kept in stock, the result could be longer turnaround times and fewer vehicles available to sanitation. If an inadequate number of vehicles are available, drivers might have to collect from two routes on the same day, which results in overtime, and, consequently, higher labor costs.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Reading about the success of others is a great motivator for automating a solid waste collection system. However, just because a fully automated, dual collection system works in one community does not mean that it is right for another.

Currently in the US, communities use semiautomated, fully automated, and dual collection systems with success. To optimize the performance of automated collection, it is important to understand the differences between these levels of automation, as well as conditions that will facilitate a successful program.

Automated Collection

Automated collection has become more commonplace in recent years, and some communities have implemented the use of automated collection vehicles for the collection of commingled recyclable materials as well. Automated collection requires the following equipment:

• Specialized collection containers–The containers are generally approximately 60 or 90 gal. and designed to be used with the automated collection trucks. Containers usually are designed with wheels and lids to help control litter, odor, and vector problems and to keep materials dry.

• Special collection vehicles–Designed with automated "arms" that grab the collection containers and dump them into the hopper.

With automated collection, a collection crew, generally consisting only of a driver, positions the collection vehicle beside the refuse cart. Using controls inside the cab of the vehicle, the driver maneuvers the grabber arm to pick up the container and dump it into the hopper of the vehicle. Often these vehicles are equipped with dual controls to make it efficient for the driver to exit the vehicle if needed. Mirrors or video cameras help the driver watch the materials being tipped so that contaminated loads of recyclables can be identified and left at the curb.

Where fully automated collection works best:

• on routes without on-street parking; low-hanging wires; and narrow, one-way, or dead-end streets; however, manufacturers are designing smaller, fully automated vehicles that make collecting on routes with narrow, one-way, or dead-end streets more feasible;
• communities with policies limiting out-of-cart setouts, which are difficult to handle and might require the driver to leave the cab and manually place the material in the collection vehicle;
• communities that are committed to preventative maintenance programs; and
• communities that are committed to educating residents to place containers in accessible locations.

Semiautomated Collection

Semiautomated collection often is used for residential and commercial hand-stops (business customers that do not require Dumpster collection) and relies on vehicles equipped with mechanical lifting devices to minimize manual labor. System characteristics include the following:

• Specialized collection containers–Containers are approximately 60 or 90 gal. and designed to be used with mechanical lifting equipment. The containers usually are designed with wheels and lids to help control litter, odor, and vector problems and to keep materials dry.

• Special equipment or equipment modifications–"Flippers" (hydraulic lifting devices designed to tip the specialized collection containers) can be mounted on rear-load or side-load collection vehicles as a retrofit, or these hydraulic mechanisms can be purchased on a vehicle directly from the manufacturer, which often is considered to be more reliable. Modified front-load vehicles also can be used to collect semiautomated containers.

With semiautomated collection, crews wheel carts to the collection vehicle, line carts up with the lifting device, and activate the lifter. The hydraulic device tips the cart, dumping the contents into the hopper of the collection vehicle.

Situations where semiautomated collection is most suitable:

• communities that do not have the capital to purchase fully automated vehicles,
• communities where existing policies require two- or three-person crews,
• communities that want to containerize garbage but collect garbage using existing vehicles,
• communities that do no have enough routes without on-street parking and low-hanging wires to maximize the benefits of fully automated collection.

Dual Collection

Dual collection is the simultaneous collection of two materials using a split-body vehicle. Some communities/haulers choose to collect two materials using two separate carts while others utilize split-body carts. System characteristics include the following:

• Specialized vehicles–Split-body vehicles are required for dual or "one-pass" collection systems. Most have separate compaction units. These vehicles are available fully or semiautomated. The "split" of the vehicle is usually 60%/40%; however, some vehicle-body manufacturers will work with the customer to make split-body vehicles suit their specifications. Special hoppers or diverters ensure that materials are directed to the proper portion of the vehicle.
• Specialized carts–Carts are either single- or split-body. Some single-body carts can be retrofitted later with a divider. Split-body carts are available in 65-, 95- and 110-gal. capacities.

Situations in which dual collection is most suitable:

• low generation rates for residential solid waste,
• low housing density,
• high driver/crew wages,
• high off-route time,
• high mileage to unload,
• high participation in recycling program,
• wide variety of materials accepted in recycling program, and
• processing facilities for recyclables and refuse disposal locations are close (typically within 10 mi.).

You Are Not Just Purchasing Equipment, You Are Implementing a System

Increasing the level of automation in your collection system might require you to change long-standing policies. One such policy that generates significant controversy is the "task system" policy. Under a task system, workers are permitted to go home when they complete their assigned task and still earn a full day’s wage. This policy can result in operating the fully automated vehicles much more aggressively than recommended by the manufacturer and skipping pre- and post-trip preventative maintenance. Even when existing packers are retrofitted with flippers for semiautomated systems, the task system results in tippers being damaged because the crew does not take the time to retract them.

In some cases, crews avoid using the flippers altogether because they perceive that the process of manually lifting and tipping is quicker. Ideally the solution to these problems is to eliminate the task system; however, it might be a long time before that will happen in your community. Thus, be realistic and consider the possibility that your vehicles are not going to be "treated with tender loving care," and communicate this with your vendor.

Some vendors can preset the hydraulic arms to reduce aggressive lifting and include "breakaway" kits on tippers. While these requests might result in higher capital costs, they will reduce long-term repair and replacement costs.

Many communities also implement a volume-based fee schedule when they automate a refuse and/or recycling collection system. This is designed, of course, to maximize participation in recycling programs. Some residents, however, will complain that they feel they are losing some level of service when this change occurs.

Beyond policies, it is important to assess whether all the components of a system are compatible. Some communities automate the collection of recyclables when they automate garbage collection. An automated recycling program uses 60- or 90-gal. collection carts, rather than two separate 18-gal. bins for fibers and containers. Because residents are provided with larger containers for recyclables, collection frequency often is reduced to twice per month (once every other week), for example, instead of weekly.

Collecting the recyclables is only one part of the recycling system. Single-stream collection of recyclables requires processing technology to separate the materials at the facility. Some material recovery facilities successfully have converted to single-stream processing simply by adding more employees for sorting. This works well in communities that have access to inexpensive labor through public institutions, such as jails.

Other processing facilities might need to install new equipment to manage single-stream recyclables. In this case, the cost of purchasing new equipment has to be compared to the benefits of increased collection efficiencies and reducing the frequency of recyclables collection.

Prepare Elected Officials for an Initial Bumpy Ride

As previously discussed, drivers getting out of the vehicle to manually collect out-of-cart setouts defeat the whole purpose of a fully automated collection system. In response, almost every community that implements a fully automated collection program also institutes a policy requiring customers to containerize all garbage in carts and to place carts properly so that they are accessible. If those communities were surveyed five years later, however, a substantial number would not be enforcing that policy. Why? Because of the dreaded call from the mayor’s office requesting that drivers collect out-of-cart setouts as a result of constituents’ complaints.

With any new requirements, some residents will complain initially. However, complaints typically subside after two to four months of the new requirements. Thus, it is essential that elected officials, residents, and others be educated on the challenges of automated collection and commit to supporting the policies that are instituted to address them. Implementing a pilot program can be beneficial in educating elected officials on both the strengths and challenges of the new system and how the challenges can be resolved.

Be Prepared to Make Changes

When implementing a new system, there always will be room for improvement. Rather than ignoring problems, recognize and learn from them. And most important, remember the words of John Foster Dulles: "The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with but whether it’s the same problem you had last year."

Karen Luken is a senior analyst for R.W. Beck in Cincinnati, OH, and Susan Bush is a senior analyst for R.W. Beck in Narragansett, RI.

MSW - September/October 2002