Efficient waste solutions for 70,000 new homes

Mickel Tilburg has been responsible for assessing new construction projects in Amsterdam for just under 2 years. He advises on the design of waste collection systems and checks whether the plans align with municipal policy. And that’s more than a full-time job, because no fewer than 70,000 new homes will be built in the coming years. “If you assume 2 people per home, Amsterdam will grow by 140,000 residents. We’re essentially building a new city,” Mickel explains.

He is involved in 3 phases of a new construction project: the preliminary design, the provisional design, and the final design. “My job is to recommend the right collection system and help design it together with the team. Ideally, I’m involved from the preliminary design phase. That way, you can collaborate with all parties to determine how best to design the available space. Everything is interconnected.”

From 11 regular containers to 3 compactors

He is involved in 3 phases of a new construction project: the preliminary design, the provisional design, and the final design. “My job is to recommend the right collection system and help design it together with the team. Ideally, I’m involved from the preliminary design phase. That way, you can collaborate with all parties to determine how best to design the available space. Everything is interconnected.”

The city’s ambitions shows that we are talking about serious numbers. From 2025 onwards, the municipality of Amsterdam aims to collect waste either indoors or underground for all new construction projects. For a development of 400 homes, you typically need 8 regular containers for residual waste, 3 for paper and cardboard, and another t3 for organic waste and glass. “We can use underground compactors for residual waste and paper and cardboard. Instead of 11 regular containers, we only need 3 underground compactors. This saves a lot of space, which is desperately needed in some projects.”

“Waste is a minor part of a high-rise project, but it can cause major problems.”

“This is especially important in a public space that is under a lot of pressure. There are more requirements now than 10 years ago: enough green areas, charging stations, accessible parking spaces, bicycle parking… Every square meter counts.”

Fortunately, Mickel doesn’t have to solve the puzzle alone. “Together with a team, we explore how to balance the interests of residents and the municipality. That’s what I love about my job. At some point, you really get to know your colleagues’ perspectives and you look for solutions that work for everyone.”

More space thanks to the compactor

The underground compactor is one such solution. “You have more capacity with fewer containers. This creates space for green areas, for example. Drivers are also happy: emptying multiple regular containers takes more time, especially if the vehicle has to be moved more often.”

One project Mickel fondly remembers is the Dreeftoren. “I was involved from an early stage. We aligned well on policy and had a great collaboration with the developer. That’s the kind of work that gives me energy.”