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The Future of Waste Collection Trucks: Designing the Next Generation
Thinking about what’s possible and what’s next is crucial to innovating. To help us design the waste-collection truck of the future, we enlisted the help of students at Arizona State University and the University of Southern California. Read on to learn more about these projects and the truck of the future.Byline: BTB Editor
February 27, 2020 / Time to read: 3 minutesDid you know that each person in the United States throws out nearly
With that many tons, waste collection trucks are crucial to maintaining clean, sustainable communities. And thinking about what’s possible and what’s next is equally critical to innovation — especially when it comes to designing those trucks.
To help us design the waste collection truck of the future, we enlisted the help of students at Arizona State University (ASU) and the University of Southern California (USC). Read on to learn more about these projects and the truck of the future.
Redefining Innovation and Sustainability
There are many paths to innovation, especially when it comes to technology. Partnering with customers to create a more sustainable world is our vision, and to do this, innovation is not a nice-to-have — it’s a must.
When we innovate sustainable waste collection trucks for the future we consider several factors: cost, safety, performance, climate and terrain. One key consideration, of course, is the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. We benchmark our sustainability success against the
Powerful Partnerships Breed Excellence
With a fleet of 17,000 trucks, we frequently partner with leading manufacturers like Mack, Peterbilt, Dover and McNeilus on innovation. We also know that designing the waste collection truck of the future requires learning from those who aren’t close to the waste and recycling industry — people who can think differently about our business and what we do.
Enter
The Challenge: Designing Tomorrow’s Waste Collection Truck
We partnered with MBA students at both universities as well as students in ASU’s industrial design school. We gave the students a set of criteria and tasked them with designing the waste collection truck of the future.
Their ideas needed to address specific challenges, such as work automation. Does it drive efficiency? How safe is it? How can it improve the trash collection process and be profitable? All questions to address when designing the truck of the future.
Futuristic Waste Collection: The Student's Vision
Fourteen teams of four students worked on the project for an entire semester, ultimately delivering 25 original designs. The results were impressive. From self-driving trucks to advanced safety features that allow drivers to maneuver in tight spaces, the students delivered thought-provoking designs and business plans to present to Republic Services’ leaders.
“Enlisting the creative student minds at these schools was very enlightening. The teams definitely thought about the design and functionality in a completely different way,” explains Javara Perrilliat, Republic Services’ senior vice president of operations support.
Bridging Design, Business and Academia
These student projects brought the power of industrial design together with real-world business challenges. It gave the students a glimpse into how the design and business processes work in a unique industry and created a strong relationship between Republic Services and two of the best schools in the country.
While the concepts weren’t feasible to produce immediately, it was an exciting opportunity to work with the students and see their innovative ideas.
Want to see some of ASU’s design concepts? Check out this
