Dynamic waste collection

Municipality of Utrecht

To correctly determine when and where waste should be collected from containers, we ensure that relatively little waste is visible in public spaces and contribute to a cleaner city.

Last change on 12th of July 2024, at 10:01 (CET) | Publication Standard 1.0

• Publication category: Impactful algorithms
• Impact assessment: DPIA, ...
• Status: In use

General information

Theme

Space and Infrastructure

Begin date

-

Contact information

[e-mail]

Responsible use

Goal and impact

Predicting the right time when rubbish containers can be emptied and setting up the rubbish truck route and schedule accordingly.

Considerations

Results Uthiek Assessment: with this approach, we encourage timely collection of waste from underground containers in the city. By doing so, we contribute to the Health value, as less waste leads to a cleaner city and living environment. In addition, waste truck employees still have the choice to deviate from the proposed driving route. By deciding for themselves where waste should be collected at a given time. This increases the employee's freedom of choice and contributes to the value Autonomy.

Human intervention

The algorithm (with direct impact on Utrecht residents and their living environment) only serves as a source of information for an employee, who takes the right follow-up step based on this information and the context of the situation. This principle is included in our Utrecht framework Internal Guidelines for Algorithm Application.

Risk management

The Utrecht data scientists, Information and Process Advisors (IPA) and Decentralised Information Security Officers (DISO) within the Utrecht municipality have a controlling and monitoring role in the application of the algorithm, in addition to the employees directly involved. By doing so, we want to prevent the following risks from occurring:

- data leak by making personal data of Utrecht residents publicly available

- algorithm takes a decision completely independently, without the intervention of an employee and without interpreting the relevant context of the situation

- 'function creep' regarding data in the application of the algorithm, causing the algorithm to give a distorted picture of what is going on. This can occur because the same type of data is used when applying the algorithm, and the algorithm uses that as confirmation for what comes out as information

Impact assessment

• Utrechts Uthiek Assessment
• Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)

Operations

Data

- location of underground waste containers

- sensor data underground waste containers

- number of waste vehicles

- Information on planning and scheduling of waste collection staff