Reading-based waste management and recycling specialist Select Environmental Services has chosen c-trace to provide it with dynamic weighing and container identification technology.
C-trace will also provide Select with telemetry and mobile data solutions for its fleet of refuse collection vehicles.
Six Select RCVs have already been fitted with c-trace's fully certified digital dynamic weighing and radio frequency identification (RFID) technology enabling the company to offer pay-by-weight options to all its customers.
Each vehicle is able to record such information as time of collection, container type, the satellite-based location of each container and the accurate weight of its contents. The data is then transmitted via a standard mobile phone network to c-trace servers where it is securely stored for exclusive use by Select, right up to the point of invoice generation.
c-trace was set up in 2005 in Germany to develop top quality and reliable solutions for customers in the waste industry. It now operates in 12 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Australia, and its systems are already fitted to more than 1,600 vehicles in the waste and recycling industry.
Ian Martin, c-trace UK Sales Director, said: "This is our first step into the UK market and we're delighted to be partnering such a forward-thinking company as Select Environmental Services.
"Initially, we've fitted a digital dynamic weighing system which provides accurate and fully certified measurements but we're already planning with Select to implement other c-trace systems, from general fleet tracking to a fully traceable confidential waste system."
Philip Stone, Managing Director of Select, said: "We have been operating a certified pay-by-weight service for general waste and dry mixed recycling in Reading since 2007, using two vehicles fitted with a different company's weighing and reporting system.
"Last year we decided to extend our pay-by-weight offering to include every one of our customers. Upon thoroughly reviewing the latest technological advances in certified, dynamic weighing, we chose c-trace as our exclusive service provider, based on the functionality of their software, their expertise in this field and their commitment to helping us achieve our goal.
"The whole process, from placing our initial order to installation, was seamless as c-trace took care of every aspect including replacing the existing weighing system on our two older vehicles. This leaves us with a single 'Weights and Measures-approved' weighing system that is accurate, fully certified and cannot be manipulated which, in turn, provides our customers with complete peace of mind.
"From a financial perspective, as disposal charges continue to rise, it is increasingly important that we have complete and transparent control over our operating costs and margins; pay-by-weight will help us achieve that. And from our customers' perspective, choosing the pay-by-weight option could be more cost-effective for them."
Ian Martin added: "As well as dynamic weighing systems, c-trace specialises in developing top quality, reliable software to provide customers with the most efficient telemetry solutions for every aspect of the waste management cycle - from 'bin to bill'.
"No two customers' requirements are the same so we tailor our software to suit individual needs. The building blocks from which each system is produced are already widely used by c-trace customers throughout the world. They conform to the highest European standards and are fully supported.
"In the UK we have forged a partnership with Noblet Municipal Services who will provide mobile support throughout the UK from their nationwide network of depots. Their staff have already undergone extensive training and will continue to work closely with the c-trace service and hardware departments."