How I became a waste management enthusiast

If you had told me 5 years ago I would be involved in the business of waste management, I would have never believed it. For one, I was working in Film & Advertising then, but also, what could an aesthete like me find attractive about waste management? (Now that I write about it, the look of clean surroundings is quite nice ??) Today, working with SnooCODE, the tech company that invented a global addressing system for smartphones, I am grateful and proud to have been involved in projects to improve transportation, waste management and disaster resilience systems of different places around the world.

At the start of 2020, before the world was thrown into hibernation, I came across an Open Call from Urban Links Africa, an initiative of the Connected Places Catapult. It was a competition to “support the best propositions (products and services) that are fit for purpose in African cities with … wide-ranging access to local and UK stakeholders to accelerate market roll-out.” It basically fostered and facilitated partnerships (urban links) between UK companies and companies from South Africa and Kenya to solve any of 4 identified pressing city challenges.

We found our partner in OPERO Services Ltd., a Kenyan-based engineering and business development firm that specializes in sustainable waste management solutions. We applied for the grant to solve the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Challenge by making local waste management companies more efficient with a product we would build using our SnooCODE technology.

In consultation with Nairobi stakeholders, we recognised that the SWM Challenge could largely be attributed to 3 significant barriers: High service costs; Absence of reporting mechanisms for poor Solid Waste Mgt.; Inability to verify waste workers’ compliance.

Thus, begun Project “Clean. Kenya”, where we set out to accomplish 3 main goals:

1. Reduce SWM enterprises’ logistics and environmental costs.

2. Ensure that work is done and done appropriately, i.e. waste actually collected and disposed of legally.

3. Capture relevant data for improved customer service and sustainability reporting.

Goal 1 is achieved with our Collector route optimisation app. The waste collector retrieves their day’s route information in the app from the company database, taps the Optimise button and immediately gets the most efficient way to go about their work. This reduces fuel costs and carbon footprint.

Goal 2 is achieved with a little citizen engagement. One simply has to use our Customer app to take a time- and location-tagged photo of the issue they want to be addressed. Collectors can also take time- and location-tagged photos to verify information. This data is automatically sent to the waste company Admin database for action.

Goal 3 is met when the data from the Customers and Collectors are accessed in the database by waste management administrators for viewing, analyses and action.

From our 2-month pilot with 2 Nairobi solid waste management companies, we have seen some interesting results: 

- route optimisation trials show an average 12% efficiency, cutting down carbon footprint by at least 10%;

- the system’s inbuilt functionality for reporting is highly valued by the companies. Communication between collectors and administrators has greatly improved, facilitating compliance.

We are yet to really harness the benefits of the Customer app, which will be rolled out soon.

According to the Operations Manager of one of the companies, “I particularly directed my field guy to send pictures from a certain source point for a week with the intention of renegotiating our agreement terms based on average quantity.” Certainly, verified images make a difference when it comes to matters of money and the like.

The 2 companies are looking at building the relationship we’ve started, and that makes me happy. With more time to really experience and study the dynamics of their operations – business expansion, customer growth, vehicle breakdowns, accidents – we can fine-tune our system to cut down inefficiencies by as much as 30%, reducing costs and freeing up time to improve the collectors’ quality of life. 

Thanks to the indefatigable team at SnooCODE, OPERO, the Connected Places Catapult and our 2 SWM enterprise partners.

In 2 years, we look forward to a portfolio of companies using our system for a truly clean Kenya and beyond.

#WasteManagement #Logistics #Sustainability #UrbanLinksAfrica #ULAPartners #SnooCODE