CASE STUDY: Collection data enables First Mile to go that extra yard
After an initial trial, First Mile liked MOBA’s offering so much it has now ordered a further twelve bin weighing and RFID systems.
“Overall, we were very impressed with both MOBA’s hardware and software, and how well it integrated into our legacy systems".
Progressive waste management companies these days are not only focused on collecting rubbish, but also the valuable data that they can extract from every lift. This is now precisely the case for First Mile, the UK’s fastest growing recycling and circular economy business.
Now, thanks to extensive waste data collection and analysis, greater insights about the behaviour of its customers are now being revealed.
“Data is priceless”, says First Mile’s Transport Manager, Michal Szuminski.
“It gets to the very heart of what our customers are asking us to collect and will help us shape the way we operate going forward. However, to obtain this, we knew that we needed to invest in technology solutions that would both scale with our growth expectations and be flexible enough to adapt to how our collections crews operate”, added Michal.
Established in 2004 by Founder and CEO Bruce Batley, First Mile carved a niche in the recycling market after recognising that businesses in the London area were looking for a more environmentally responsible waste collector. Now, with more than 30,000 clients, the company offers 23 recycling services, reliable collections with flexible times, zero-to-landfill guarantee, 24/7 customer support and detailed recycling reports.
Although around ninety per cent of its customers rely on bagged collections, First Mile has been actively growing its wheeled bin business, and consequently is also expanding its fleet of refuse collection vehicles.
“We have around 80 vehicles in the fleet, with 60 of these being HGVs”, explains Michal. “Operating the most efficient fleet, that is equipped with the most up-to-date technology, has always been at the core at what we do at First Mile, and so it made sense for us to add bin weighing and RFID”, added Michal.
Waste disposal is, like for every other waste collection business, a major variable cost. Overfilled bins not only damage vehicle lifters but also the company’s bottom line, unless kept in check. Identifying the ownership of overweighed bins then enables the waste contractor to tackle the issue through education and the supply of additional bins for heavier items such as glass or food waste.
“We were very aware of MOBA, since they are a major force across Europe and come with a reputation for robust hardware and great user-interfaces,” says Michal.
Starting with two trucks, fitted with MOBA’s Dynamic weighing and RFID systems, and over 100 hundred MOBA-chipped bins, First Mile were able to experience at first hand the quality of the components, the effectiveness of the systems and the support back-up provided by MOBA.
“We’re typically cautious when beginning a relationship with any new supplier and so, in these early stages, we were very mindful how MOBA took care of us as well as its equipment fitted to our trucks”, explained Michal.
After a year of testing the equipment, analysing the data is was generating and observing how the crews worked with the technology, First Mile has now placed an order for a further set of mobile weighing and RFID systems for each of its twelve new trucks that will come off the production line later in 2022.
“Overall, we were very impressed with both MOBA’s hardware and software, and how well it integrated into our legacy systems”, says Michal. “Obviously, there were initial technical issues but we liked how MOBA were able to help us resolve these and support us through the first phase of our relationship. Moreover, the data that we’re now able to generate is providing us with a much greater insights into customer behaviour which will help us better shape new strategies for the future”, added Michal.