The first underground compactor is being retired

After 11 years and 686,400 kg of waste, one of the first underground compactors ever delivered is being retired. The container was installed in 2008 in the center of the Dutch city of Deventer for the collection of residual waste. At the time, it was an innovative new product designed to make waste collection more efficient. Dutch Waste collector Circulus was eager to be among the first to test this innovation. Their positive experience led to a follow-up order of 7 additional compactors for the city center.

Proven success of the underground compactor

Over the years, detailed data has been collected, building up a solid usage history. The results show that the return on investment has far exceeded expectations. Operating costs are approximately 25% lower compared to using a standard underground container, and the environmental impact is even 75% lower. It’s no surprise that Circulus now also uses underground compactors to collect plastic waste. At some supermarkets, the drum is opened more than 1,000 times a day. Because the plastic is compressed, each operation collects up to 10 times more material.

Environmental impact of the compacting container

At Sidcon, we take our producer responsibility seriously. This starts with producing our containers as cleanly and sustainably as possible, but it doesn’t stop there. We also consider what happens at the end of a product’s life cycle. How can we further reduce environmental impact, even after a container has served faithfully for many years?

That’s why, together with the waste collector, we’ve agreed to evaluate reusability before replacing any old compactor with a new one. We take back the old container, dismantle it, and assess every component. Parts that are still in good condition are given a second life, either reused in new compactors or used for service and maintenance. This extends the life of components and reduces unnecessary material use. The replacement container is, of course, equipped with the latest technologies, such as a fill-level sensor and an ozone generator.

The costs are around 25% lower and the environmental impact is even 75% less than with a regular underground container.

Reducing CO₂ and particulate matter

Circulus was one of our first customers. The reasons they chose our compacting container back then were forward-thinking, and are even more relevant today. Reducing CO₂ emissions and particulate matter in cities, partly by reducing transport movements, remains one of the main motivations for using underground compactors.

Additionally, the large volume of waste from shops and restaurants posed a significant challenge. Since the Sidcon container collects up to 10 times more waste at a single location, the choice for our solution was clear.