Thirteen years of reliable waste collection at a World Heritage site

The Van Nelle Factory in Rotterdam is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Irado has been collecting and processing waste here for many years. After 13 years of reliable service, 2 Sidcon underground compactors at the site are now being replaced with 2 brand-new units.

“For 13 years, those compactors did their job,” says Dennis Rook, Sales Manager at Irado. “And in all that time, we only had 2 real incidents. Once, a tile supplier dumped all his demo tiles into the container. The other time, a contractor threw construction rubble into it. We even had to bring in a construction crane, because our own crane could no longer lift the compactor out of the pit. But honestly, those are the only 2 incidents I can remember in 13 years. That says a lot about the reliability.”

According to Rook, the compactors offer significant added value, both for Irado and for the Van Nelle Factory. “First and foremost, they really take the pressure off us. The compactor is robust, and Sidcon’s service department keeps a close eye on everything. Malfunctions are often resolved before we even notice them.

For the Van Nelle Factory, as a World Heritage site, appearance is extremely important. Waste collection needs to be as discreet and unobtrusive as possible: few containers, minimal traffic, and whatever is visible must blend into the surroundings. The compactors were supplied in a specific RAL colour, and the increased capacity results in fewer containers and fewer collection trips.”

Operationally, the benefits are significant as well. “We’ve gone from emptying 3 times a week to once every week and a half. That saves 121 collection trips per year. With the current labour shortage, that’s incredibly valuable. Drivers are already hard to find, and that will only become more difficult,” Rook continues. “It also gives the planner much more flexibility. Emptying a day earlier or later doesn’t really matter anymore, whereas with 3 collections a week everything has to be planned very tightly.”

Meanwhile, Irado is looking ahead. “We want to offer municipalities a higher level of service, more and better greenery, less traffic, and improved waste separation,” says Philip Troost, Policy Advisor at Irado. “The challenge is to approach this in an integrated way, because one aspect always affects another.”

According to Troost, the compactor fits well within that future vision. “Less staff and equipment, while being significantly more sustainable at the same time, that’s exactly the direction we want to move in.”

“We’ve gone from emptying 3 times a week to once every week and a half. That saves 121 collection trips per year. With the current labour shortage, that’s incredibly valuable.''