Rubicon has entered a five-year partnership with the City of Phoenix to help digitize and improve efficiency for the city’s solid waste collection programs.
Phoenix’s Public Works Department will now implement Rubicon’s smart city software while collecting waste and recycling from over 418,000 locations each week. Using Rubicon’s technology will support a transition away from manual, mostly paper-based processes, making collection more efficient and identifying areas where route improvements may be made.
The software, RUBICONSmartCity, allows cities and municipalities to monitor vehicle health, avoid unnecessary rerouting, and minimize missed pickups. The software has been used in multiple major cities already, including Houston, Miami, Atlanta, and Denver, where the system has contributed to fewer vehicle accidents, less road wear, and overall safer communities, according to Rubicon.
“We are proud to partner with the City of Phoenix to bring our innovative smart city technology to solid waste operations in America’s fifth largest city,” said Conor Riffle, senior vice president of smart cities at Rubicon. “Solid waste collection is one of the most critical services for cities, and our cutting-edge technology helps them deliver this service more efficiently, effectively, and sustainably. This collaboration reaffirms our commitment to supporting cities like Phoenix as they embrace technological advancements to build smarter and more sustainable communities.”
In 2017, Rubicon and Atlanta conducted a six-month pilot study of the RUBICONSmartCity technology, and the city's Department of Public Works recently adopted the system for its waste collection operations. Rubicon’s report of changes made after implementing its software revealed potential cost savings and an overall more sustainable waste collection system.
According to the report, nearly $750,000 in cost savings were identified in Atlanta’s fleet of 89 garbage, recycling, and yard waste trucks. The city was able to reduce the amount of recyclables entering the landfill by 83%, or about 355 tons worth of recyclable materials.
The software was also able to identify that only 10 of the fleet's trucks were responsible for two-thirds of its maintenance issues, so more effort could be focused on those vehicles. The platform also located cost savings that could be made by adjusting the city’s waste schedule from four days to five, decreasing daily trash routes, and balancing hours for drivers. Rubicon and the City of Atlanta were able to avoid about 4,752 metric tons of carbon emissions overall from the changes made.
Applying Rubicon’s technology to the even larger city of Phoenix should result in even greater emissions-avoiding practices and cost savings.
