The city of Hattiesburg, MS implemented an RFID waste collection system to automate their manual waste collection process. By tagging waste carts with RFID tags and equipping collection trucks with RFID readers, the city was able to track truck routes, validate work completion, and collect customer waste data. This led to reduced costs from needing fewer collection trucks and staff after automating their waste collection process with RFID technology.

1. HOW THE CITY OF HATTIESBURG, MS
CUT WASTE COLLECTION COSTS
WITH RFID TECHNOLOGY
CARRIE ANGELICO
SR. RFID CHANNEL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

3. THE NEED FOR TRACEABILITY
• Manual Operations
• No automated data collection
• No customer waste collection data, analysis, or
reporting
• Manual truck and route management
•
• No Validation of work performed or waste
collected
TODAY’S WASTE MANAGEMENT FIRMS ARE OPERATING THE
SAME WAY THEY DID 50 YEARS AGO!

4. A NEW WAY TO TRACK TRASH
• Think EZ Pass for Waste Haulers
• Like an Electronic Bar Code
• No Line of Sight Required
• “Automated” Reading
• Reads Multiple Items Simultaneously
• Read & Read/Write
RFID - RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION

5. HOW IT WORKS
Radio command signal issued from reader
Modified signal containing data returned
164B28F34
Host Computer Reader Antennas RFID Tag

6. RFID BENEFITS FOR WASTE COLLECTION
RFID TAGGED WASTE CARTS
• Automated recording of customer waste collection
• Track truck/route movements and effectiveness
• Track recyclables compliance
• Align pickup data with billing data

7. RFID SYSTEM COMPONENTS
RFID TAGS
MOLDED INTO
CARTS
RFID ANTENNAS
ON OUTSIDE OF
TRUCK
ON-BOARD
COMPUTER WITH
APPLICATION
SOFTWARE
RFID READER
INSIDE TRUCK

9. Kirsti Nelson
Director of Marketing

10. HATTIESBURG CART
ROLLOUT WORK
FLOW• Otto conducted pre-rollout exploratory meeting
– 22,000 carts – half trash, half yard waste
– Extras for inventory
– Hang tag on cart to educate residents
• Hattiesburg sent Otto address file
– 10,732 addresses
– Otto validated address against government database
• RFID tag installed in cart at Otto plant
– Scanned as it comes off machine to associate with cart serial number
– Information downloaded into master database
• Carts delivered to homes over 4-week period
– Carts scanned at curb to associate with address in database
– End of day, data is synched with master file
– Delivery Report and Exception Report generated each evening
• Master file to customer at end of rollout
– Cart tag # associated to cart serial number,
– Cart associated to residence address

11. ZEBRA SOLUTION PROVIDER

12. TRUCK
OPERATIONS
FIELD
OPERATIONS
OFFICE
OPERATIONS
THE HATTIESBURG SOLUTION

13. Zebra FX9500
Fixed RFID Reader
GPS Antenna
Power Inverters DC-AC –
400 Watt Dual Outlet
Zebra In-Vehicle
Computer
TRUCK OPERATIONS
Zebra AN480
RFID Antennas
Zebra MC9190-Z
Handheld RFID Reader

14. Truck / Route
Management
Work Order
Management
Address / Collection
Data Management
Reporting
Container
Data Management
Automated Data
Uploads
OFFICE OPERATIONS

15. Work Order Management
Built Upon Rugged Handhelds
Automates the cart assignment
and distribution process
Real Time or Batch
Data Transfer
FIELD OPERATIONS

16. Russell Davis
Sherry Brown
Director of Public Services
Information Systems Analyst

17. HATTIESBURG – CASE STUDY
DEPARTMENT OF SANITATION
• Situation
• Goals for the Program
• Research / Cost Analysis
• Selection Process
• Implementation
• Current Benefits & Future Considerations
HATTIESBURG IS THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN MISSISSIPPI, WITH A
POPULATION OF ABOUT 50,000.

18. BACKGROUND SITUATION
• Manual waste collection system
• Liabilities for injuries and worker’s compensation
were a rising concern
• No customer waste collection data, analysis, or
reporting No validation
• Manual truck and route management
• No Validation

19. GOALS FOR THE PROGRAM
• Automated Waste Collection System
• Customer Waste Collection
– Validation
– Track Exception
• Automated Truck /
• Route Management Validation
• Reduce personnel injuries
• Reduce the number of trucks and gain the ability to re-assign staff

20. MAYOR
JOHNNY
DUPREE
CITY
COUNCIL
RESEARCH / COST ANALYSIS
• Established Cross Functional Team
• City considering automating its collection system for 10 years
• District Field Trial
• Mobile, AL Site Visit
• Advanced Mobile Group Consultation
• Otto Solution Recommendation and Cart Deployments
• Cost Analysis (Staff / Trucks / Trucks Maintenance)

21. • Driven by Sanitation Department
• Consulted with the City of Mobile, AL
• Consulted with Advanced Mobile
Group
• RFID Experts
• Received Proposals
• Cost
• Requirements vs. Features
• References
SELECTION PROCESS

22. IMPLEMENTATION
• 12 Trucks over 9 Routes
• 10,732 Addresses
• 26,000 Carts
• Green Carts – Household Garbage
• Brown Carts – Yard Trash
• Truck Installations (5 Days)
• Cart Deployment (1 Month)
• System Deployment (1 Month)

23. MAP PLOT OF CONTAINERS

24. READS BY DATE

25. CURRENT BENEFITS AND FUTURE
CONSIDERATIONS
• Verification of Route
Completion / Times
• Verification of Customer
Pickups (GPS / Time)
• Reduced Number of Trucks
• Re-assignment of Resources
• Future – Recycling Incentives
• Future – Integration with
Billing

26. WASTE MANAGEMENT RFID SOLUTION RESOURCES
PLEASE CALL FOR PARTNER CONTACT INFORMATION
• ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES
Carrie Angelico,
Sr. RFID Business Development Manager
– (631) 406-7219
– carrie.angelico@zebra.com
• ADVANCED MOBILE GROUP
ZEBRA PARTNER
SOLUTION PROVIDER
• XTREME RFID
TAG PROVIDER

27. THANK YOU