What is the ideal location for an underground compactor?

In the right situation, the Sidcon waste compactor can provide a great deal of added value. Because of its high capacity, costs can be recouped quickly, less space is needed, which in turn means less nuisance from litter on the streets. This also results in fewer collections, fewer vehicles and fewer traffic movements around town. But what exactly is the right location for an underground compactor? Below we have listed examples of locations where the compactor comes into its own.

The container in town centres

Notorious for producing waste, town centres are places where every square metre is in high demand. An underground container or compactor takes up around four square metres of space. The underground compactor can replace between four and six standard underground containers. With an underground compactor therefore, big savings in space can be achieved. Under the streets of many (old) centres there is a maze of underground cables and pipes, making the installation of multiple concrete wells a complex issue. With that in mind, the underground compactor makes perfect sense. Read how the city of Utrecht has been using the underground compactor here.

High and mid-rise buildings

High and mid-rise locations require high-capacity waste-collection solutions. At the same time, there is frequent lack of space, making it both expensive and difficult to install multiple underground containers. Working with 1100-litre containers or bags creates an untidy and cluttered townscape. Underground compactors have a large capacity and as such, need less outdoor space and are also extremely cost-efficient when they are connected up to more than 100 households. In (old) neighbourhoods with mid-rise dwellings, the reduction in collection frequency provides an additional reason for choosing an underground compactor. In these areas, streets are often narrow and difficult to access: fewer journeys mean less congestion and greater traffic safety. Read here about how a Dutch waste company has been installing underground compactors in high-rise districts.

“We can use underground compactors for residual waste and paper and cardboard. Instead of 11 regular containers, we only need 3 underground compactors.''

Central collection points for plastic and paper waste

When local municipalities decide to set up central collection points for plastic, paper, metal and cardboard waste, they often require a high-capacity solution. Multiple on-street and underground containers take up more space and detract from the townscape. An underground compactor has a greater capacity and takes up less than four square metres of space. Due to its increased capacity, the compactor is less likely to get full and the possibility of waste being dumped next to the compactor is reduced. This results in a cleaner, tidier streetscape and more efficient collection. What’s more, all Sidcon underground compactors come with a fill-level monitoring system. This makes it easier to determine when compactors need to be emptied, so collection routes can be optimised. Read here how the municipality of Meerlanden is using the underground compactor for paper and cardboard waste.

Business and care homes

The underground compactor and Presstation Bin are both excellent solutions for care homes and business locations where lots of waste is generated. The most efficient way to do this is to create one central collection point, so that individual users no longer have their own container, or even their own waste-collection service. The great advantage of the Presstation Bin is the tilt function for wheelie-bins. Using this means of waste disposal, every business or department can now have its own 240-litre wheelie-bin. When the wheelie-bin is full, this can simply be emptied into a Presstation Pro at the central collection point. Read how the municipality of Steenwijkerland has been removing the wheelie-bin from its streets.

Remote locations

It is not just the frequency at which containers have to be emptied which determines the costs of ownership, the distance that collection vehicles have to travel also contributes to these costs. For remote locations therefore, such as rural villages and holiday parks, one interesting option to consider is the installation of a Sidcon underground compactor. Read the story of waste collection at Meerpaal campsite here.