The most modern recycling center in Europe

The future at the recycling center is digital

Waste management centers are among the most frequented and most important service facilities in municipalities and cities. For most full-time working people, visiting the recycling center is a time-consuming affair. All you have left are peak hours. When asked whether the management of customer flows could be more efficient in times of digitalization, the young Tyrolean startup Wiegon developed a fully automated answer. The project was now realized in Ischgl on around 2,600 m2 with the most digital waste management center in Europe. The recycling center in Ischgl handles waste volumes that vary between that of a village and a city. With around 1,600 residents and 1.6 million overnight stays per year, waste disposal in the community is a special case.

Can a recycling center be digital?

The answer is yes. With Ischgl, Wiegon shows what a modern, digitalized waste management can look like. The fully automated operating process contains two decades of experience - developed from practice for practice. There are advantages not only for residents, but also for companies, operators and waste management centers employees.

The waste management center of the future

In the fully automated waste management center in Ischgl, all waste-related processes are controlled digitally - this starts with license plate recognition at the gate, extends to information and customer self-service terminals with identification via RFID card or Wiegon app and all the way to traffic regulation. A total of 32 cameras were installed for video surveillance. The fill level of the containers is also recorded digitally. Wiegon has developed its own weighing stations for hazardous waste: During the weighing process, citizens find out what costs are incurred for disposal and can view their transactions via an app. “Mistakes” – i.e. disposal in the wrong place – can also be recorded manually and with the help of technology. In the future, system monitoring will take place via a central control center.

The queues at the gate are over

One of the biggest improvements of automation is that it can solve the traffic jams at the recycling center. Firstly, visitors have insight into the current number of visitors via an app, and secondly, automation makes longer opening times possible, including 24/7 operation. The head of the Ischgl municipality, Christian Schmid, sums up previous experiences: “Thanks to the extension of opening times, there are practically no busy periods anymore. Customers experience the trip to the recycling center now less stressful and more pleasant.”

Advantages of digital waste management

Ischgl's mayor Werner Kurz sees the fully digitalized recycling center primarily as a service for the residents. These benefit from transparency, extended opening hours and lack of previous peak times. There is also the possibility of regional cooperation between recycling centers, which gives customers the opportunity to dispose of their waste at recycling centers in other communities while on the move. This saves extra trips and therefore CO2. “With this technology, we want to ensure that residents will be able to hand in their waste more conveniently using their daily commutes and in environmentally friendly way,” explains Wiegon co-founder Bernhard Weiskopf. Ischgl's mayor Werner Kurz is convinced that this solution is also the future for other communities.

Companies also benefit from the digital waste management centers. The possibility of collecting waste around the clock means that temporary storage of waste until disposal can be minimized. This saves space, time and costs.

What will change for employees at recycling centers? Experience to date shows that automating processes facilitates and optimizes work processes. Jobs are upgraded and existing human resources can be better utilised. Especially since employees don't have to be on site all the time, there is more time to take care of tasks such as personal care or the distribution of grit, road salt, organic waste bins or organic waste bags as well as used clothing bags or rubbish bins. In addition, employees no longer have to stand next to containers, which can be a problem, especially in bad weather. In times of a general shortage of employees, these are significant improvements that make jobs at the recycling center more attractive.

Current experience

The opportunity this new system presents, has been received by Ischgl's public very well. Wiegon is pleased to have laid with this technology a foundation for future-oriented waste management. The young company is already attracting a lot of interest within the industry.

Do you want to digitize your waste management?

We will be happy to advise you on the implementation of your project, from converting small recycling centers to building new facilities, and will work with you to take the first step into the digital future.

Arrange a non-binding consultation