ELWA Implements Bookings to Stop Misuse & Better Manage Traffic At Four HWRCs.

East London Waste Authority (ELWA) turn to technology to reduce costs and increase HWRC efficiency.

ELWA manages waste disposal for 425,000 households across the London Boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Newham, Havering, and Redbridge, collecting over 70,000 tonnes of domestic waste each year.

With rising cost pressures and changing legislation, ELWA has opted to implement a booking system to generate cost savings by reducing the number of commercial vans illicitly bringing household-like waste to sites.

As part of this, a fair usage policy has been devised, which will be governed by automated rules and limits configured within the booking system. These rules will:

1. Restrict the frequency that vehicles can access sites 
2. Specify which types of waste can be tipped

At this stage, booking is only required for vans, trailers and large cars modified to allow for greater load bearing. Smaller vehicles will not have to book to deposit waste. However, these vehicles will remain subject to challenge by site staff if they are deemed to be visiting sites at an unusual frequency.  

Neil Greenhalgh, Head of Waste and Support Services at ELWA, comments that:  

“In introducing a booking system for vans and trailers, we anticipate that we will see a reduction in the tipping of undeclared commercial waste, providing a saving to the taxpayer. We also envision that there will be fewer queues as we can spread traffic out across the day. We will keep the system under review, and bookinglab's flexibility allows us to make any necessary adjustments."

More on the booking system and its intended usage:  

Built by bookinglab, using JRNI technology, ELWA’s new booking system is designed to:

• Stop undeclared commercial waste disposal
• Reduce DIY waste inputs
• Stop non-residents from using the site
• Better manage traffic flows
• Improve the resident experience
• Increase site efficiency
• Reduce costs 
• Improve recycling rates

To achieve this, ELWA will use the system to govern a new set of rules and limits that residents should be aware of.

These include:

• A limit of 2 bookings per month per household 
• A limit of 12 bookings per year per household 
• A limit of 2 DIY waste bookings per year per household 
• The need to provide a valid postcode before booking (also checked on arrival)
• The need to state if any restricted or commercial waste will be disposed of 
• The need to state if hire vehicles are being used and present hire agreements
• The ability to book up to 3 months in advance

ELWA believes that by using booking technology to manage these new rules and better manage traffic flow, HWRC sites across East London will see an overall decrease in waste arisings, costs, and queuing, with a corresponding increase in recycled tonnage. 

Residents currently deposit over 30kt of unsorted waste per year across the four Reuse and Recycling Centres located within the region. However, with the booking system, ELWA believes these numbers will be reduced. This is down to site staff having the capacity to assist residents with correctly disposing of waste rather than having to manage traffic flows, access, and compliance.

Chad Duggan, Managing Director of bookinglab, comments that:    

“We're delighted to be working with East London Waste Authority to increase the efficiency of Household Waste Recycling Centres across Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham, and Redbridge.

This solution is another excellent example of how booking technology can simplify the implementation and management of strategic waste initiatives.

With the custom rules, limits and workflows configured within the system, ELWA will have all the tools they need to increase site efficiency and deliver a better tipping experience.”

Next steps:

ELWA will closely monitor tonnages, vehicle numbers, booking data, and customer satisfaction surveys to assess the effectiveness of the new policies with regular reviews to ensure they remain effective, fair, and equitable. The authority also anticipates that bookings will be integrated with on-site ANPR cameras in the coming months.

Learn more:

To learn more about the product ELWA is using to manage this strategic waste initiative, click here.

Alternatively, you can book a (free) demo here.