https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automated_vacuum_collection

Basically it’s a system of big vacuum pipes under an urban area that brings trash to the processing location as opposed to collecting it with trucks. Envac is the biggest company in this space I think (In fact, the Wikipedia article for Envac redirects to the page on the technology itself), and they have installed systems in a lot of cities around the world. They also tout that it’s more sustainable compared to truck-based trash collection.

One issue I see is that in most of the images of installed systems, you only see two or three parallel chutes: trash, recycling, and maybe organics. Wouldn’t this be less efficient compared to sorting recyclables by material at the point of collection? Especially when you consider that plastic recycling performance is so low that people here say it’s a scam, while to my knowledge metal and glass recycling is a lot better. I also feel like glass containers would be thoroughly shattered by the time it gets to the collection facility.

  • riccardo
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    4
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    3 years ago

    Where I live, trash collection is home-based: everyone gets their trash bins (paper, organics, glass/aluminum/plastic, non-recyclable) and trash collection is operated door-by-door based on a weekly schedule (a small track will pick your trash at night-time). This a very common system in northern Italy and has been observed to greatly improve the quality of recycling. Italy is one of the virtuous European countries when it comes to recycling and this system often gets the credit for it. I live in the province which has the highest score when it comes to quality and quantity of recycling and I’ve basically been used to this system and to recycling my waste since I was a little kid (~88% of trash is recycled and the average individual annual waste is around 50 kg). The previous system was still based on recycling, but rather then everyone having their recycling bins, there were some public giant trash cans where everyone could throw their garbage - citizens responsibility greatly improved the quality of recycling

    I’ve always liked the idea of Automated Vacuum Collection, but it’s not compatible with a home-by-home system and would only be applied for dense areas and public small bins. It would make garbage collection way easier and lower the emissions impact of transportation (which is considerable), but doesn’t seem compatible with the current trend that aims at improving the quality of recycling, often by adopting a door-by-door pickup system

  • @linkert
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    33 years ago

    There’s the envac system accross rhe street from me and the neighbour next door works as a truck driver at envac.

    The rest of us walk over to centrally located collection of large bins which ironically is closest to those with access to the Envac system. Metal, plastic, cardboard packaging, colored glass, transparent glass, newspaper/magazine bin, a small box for batteries and a textile bin.

    I think their Envac system carries organic, plastic and cardboard packaging - but only small enough to fit the bag sized hatch. They then dump the rest at the neighborhood bins like the rest of us.

    I have no idea what the input of establishing and maintaining such a system is? The net gain environmentally speaking in our part of Stockholm might just be greater with more clean running trucks and zero-waste education.

    I could however see such systems being implemented at the get go for new developed city blocks as much more beneficial than having just one row of housing within an old city block have all the vacuum action like it is here.

    • @wabootiM
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      13 years ago

      I could however see such systems being implemented at the get go for new developed city blocks as much more beneficial than having just one row of housing within an old city block have all the vacuum action like it is here.

      Yes, a centralized system for a whole new city quarter might be viable for most waste. However, waste like big electrics or furniture still needs another way of collection.

      I think a system similar to the one described by @riccardo@lemmy.ml seems to be the best solution for most places.