ALBA Group sets up R&D laboratory

Germany-based ALBA Group has opened what it calls an InnovationLAB at its company headquarters in Berlin. ALBA Group CEO Axel Schweitzer says efforts in the new work space will focus on advancing the use of “modern technologies, networking in the ‘internet of things’ and the development of new business models,” potentially in collaboration with startup companies.

“We want to be an active driver of digitalization ourselves, just as we are the leader in Germany and Europe with our recycling technology,” says Schweitzer. “Our industry has some catching up to do here. Only a few companies in the waste management industry use digital technology as we do or are currently carrying out pilot projects.”

One example ALBA points to is its AMCS platform, which the company is launching nationwide in Germany. It has been designed to “optimize the [route] planning of refuse collectors so they become more customer-friendly, more transparent and environmentally friendly,” says ALBA. The driver receives an optimized route that takes the current traffic situation into account. “The result is less traffic [and] fewer CO₂ emissions,” says Eric Schweitzer, also with ALBA. “In the next step, this will also offer more transparency for our customers. They can follow the waste management service in real-time.”

ALBA says other project partners include Deutsche Telekom and the Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer Huawei.

The waste management and recycling industry is just beginning to explore digitalization, says ALBA. The company says a study by management consultancy Roland Berger conducted on behalf of Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment “established that the recycling industry is at only 30 percent on a scale of 0 to 100 on which readiness for the digital revolution is measured. By way of comparison, the energy sector is above 70 percent, while the mobility sector is at approximately 50 percent.”

ALBA Group and its two brands, ALBA and Interseroh, employ about 7,500 people conducting €1.8 billion ($2.1 billion) in recycling and waste management services each year.