Meerlanden, responsible for waste collection services in eight local authorities in the provinces of North and South Holland, came into being following the merger of several municipal services at the turn of the century. The company operates across a large geographical area which covers the towns of Diemen, Noordwijk and Bloemendaal. Performing waste collection services in so many municipalities and across such large distances requires a degree of flexibility, but this is exactly what Meerlanden excels in. “We are a service-oriented waste collector,” explains Paul Hulsbosch, contract manager at Meerlanden. “We consult with the municipalities as to what best suits their situation and we match our organisational efforts accordingly.”.
Increase of volume paper/cardboard
“The quality of the public environment is an increasing concern for municipalities,” adds Stephan Dreijer, project coordinator at Meerlanden. “That means more green spaces, fewer waste containers and a tidier appearance. To achieve this, we are seeking out alternatives for bin bags, fixed recycling bins and wheelie-bins, preferably high-capacity solutions with give an uncluttered appearance. For paper and cardboard it’s not quite as easy as you might think. Nowadays, partly as a result of the Covid pandemic, waste tends to come in greater volumes which are lighter in weight. Due to the increased number of parcel deliveries, more cardboard packaging is being thrown away. The volume of waste has rapidly expanded. What needs to be avoided of course, is more waste collections or more bins.
Stephan Dreijer continues: “For us, this increase in paper and cardboard provided us with a reason to look for an underground compactor. By a stroke of luck, in 2021 Sidcon launched a compactor on the market for paper and cardboard waste. The compactor compresses the cardboard in an underground container and reduces the amount of air being collected.
Fewer complaints and no more emptying in the weekends
We installed our first waste paper compactor in Heemstede, in a neighbourhood which was causing us real headaches. Before it was installed, we were emptying containers once a day. And on Saturdays twice! We were being overtaken by events. People started dumping packaging alongside full containers, which was unsightly and led to complaints. This was especially so at weekends, when staffing was low: it proved quite a challenge to empty containers within the time constraints. Since installing the underground compactor, we now only need to make 2 or 3 collections per week. Due to the increased capacity, emptying at the weekends is no longer necessary.”
Almost no more constrictions
Meerlanden has since installed 75 underground compactors, 19 of which are for paper and cardboard waste. “Our drivers are happier, the containers are easier to empty and collections have decreased fourfold,” Stephan is eager to report. “The underground compactor means that we can carry out our work more easily and efficiently,” Paul adds. “In rural areas in particular we can reduce our labour and transport costs. What’s more, containers get jammed less easily and less packaging gets dumped. The two are related. But we also think the compactor mechanism itself plays a big part. The cardboard kind of gets pulled downwards by the compactor. This can be heard and sometimes seen, which might actually make it more attractive for residents to dispose of their packaging!”
“At Meerlanden we believe the underground compactors give an added value. They are in keeping with a waste management service that has its eye on the future. It means we can use our vehicles more efficiently and reduce our footprint on the environment. Waste collections are smarter and costs lower. It’s a clear win-win.”
