Amsterdam trials electric ‘trash boats’ to clean up its streets
Smart waste
Amsterdam’s waste system also includes street-level containers with underground capacity, which are collected by the municipality on a regular basis. Some of the city’s bins are ‘smart’, sending automatic alerts when they are full.
A statement from the city said: “In parts of the city center it is not possible to install underground waste containers due to a lack of space on the street. In addition, there are cables underground and the canal walls are too weak to take the weight of heavy waste collection trucks on the streets along the canals. We are looking for alternatives and will be conducting various experiments over the coming year. This pilot with waste collection boats is one of them.”
E-cargo bikes
During the pilot, the city will be asking local residents about the results and their experiences.
“After six months, we will decide whether we can continue to collect residual household waste by boat in the de Wallen and Nieuwmarkt area, and whether the trial can be expanded to other areas,” the city said.
A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) project isdeveloping autonomous boatswhich could potentially be used in future to deliver goods, collect waste and even transport passengers in waterway-rich cities such as Amsterdam. A spokesperson for the City of Amsterdam toldCities Todaythat autonomous boats are not a priority for waste collection at the moment.
Amsterdam is also exploring a pilot to collect waste with electric cargo bikes in some areas of the city center, the spokesperson said.
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Story byCities Today
Cities Today is the leading news platform on urban mobility and innovation, reaching an international audience of city leaders.Cities Today is the leading news platform on urban mobility and innovation, reaching an international audience of city leaders.
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