ROANOKE CO., Va. – A partnership between Roanoke County and Virginia Tech engineering students has yielded significant cost savings in waste collection operations through innovative use of sensor technology and data analysis.
The collaboration, which began as a final project for VT engineering students eight months ago, has already demonstrated remarkable results in reducing operational costs and improving efficiency in the county’s waste collection fleet.
“A lot of the items we gave them were to reduce downtime, reduce towing, and reduce repair and maintenance costs,” said Ashley King, Director of General Services Department for Roanoke County. The results have exceeded expectations, with the county reporting a 30% reduction in downtime, a 27% decrease in towing incidents, and more than a 9% reduction in maintenance and repair costs…