Business cases

When household waste takes the train

Evacuating more than 120,000 tons of household waste per year from a community of 575 French municipalities while avoiding the steady traffic of dump trucks on area roads.

A NETWORK OF ROAD/RAIL TRANSFER PLATFORMS

The Villers-Saint-Paul energy recovery centre, which was connected to the rail network 20 years ago, has created a logistics circuit that is unique in France. There are several road/rail transfer platforms in the 16 départements, which allow refuse collection vehicles, after door-to-door collection and compacting of waste, to place their containers on dedicated rail wagons close to their collection points.

However, as this alternative to road transport requires considerable investment, the transfer platforms are being built only gradually.

Business cases

Our Solution

This transport plan, which is unique in France, called on all of our expertise. It required in-depth knowledge of design, engineering, innovation, management, training and information, etc. The "drop-off box", which we designed according to the specifics of our client's logistics plan, was, in our opinion, the most significant achievement, and our expertise contributed to the continued success of this sustainable development plan.

The innovative “drop-off box” solution

We have adapted a “drop-off box” based on a Swiss innovation. The new equipment optimises collection management by means of a robotic collection system with lateral collection using a high-performance compactor.

The container is then placed directly on the train. The reverse operation, i.e. the unloading of the containers at the sorting centre and their repositioning on the empty train, uses the same technology, thanks to a pivoting frame operated by a cable.

The results include time savings, an integrated compactor, saving of municipal resources, waste traceability, reduction of handling, sealing and increased cleanliness of the boxes.

A rail-based logistic solution

By improving the reliability of the rail-based logistics system, we help to improve CO2 emissions, even when a road supplement is used in the event of unforeseen circumstances.

The logistical organisation and monitoring of collection and transfer is managed by our dedicated on-site team. Our team is also responsible for coordinating activities with the service provider of the salvage centre, in particular with regard to support and technical training for rail/road transfers.