4 fractions
paper, confidential paper, residual, and plastic
St Olavs Hospital
St. Olavs Hospital is a university hospital with a vision to provide excellent treatment to the population of Central Norway.
- Location
- Trondheim, Norway
- Client
- St Olav Hospital
- Segment
- Healthcare
Background & Overview
St. Olavs Hospital in Trondheim has a surface area of 206,600 square meters and more than 8,600 employees. Founded in 1901, the hospital initially had only seven buildings, but it has undergone significant upgrades and transformations over the last three decades. The hospital underwent a significant reconstruction project, which resulted in the construction of new buildings and facilities over a large area. The new hospital has over 900 beds and has implemented several innovative measures to ensure efficient and effective waste collection.
AUTOMATIC WASTE COLLECTION AT THE HOSPITAL
One of the most notable measures adopted by the hospital is the installation of Envac’s automatic waste collection system. The system is designed to collect four different waste streams: paper, confidential paper, residual, and plastic.
It requires only one disposal inlet for all four fractions, which is connected to an underground pipe network and automatically sorts the waste into separate containers. The system, also known as Sort-More, provides a high level of service while meeting the hospital’s strict requirements for hygiene, occupational health, and safety. Inlets with screens on every floor level have four different options. This helps to control the type of waste that goes into the corresponding container at the end of the pipe network.
Whenever a user selects an option for the selected type of waste, the system uses air pressure to transport the waste to the collection terminal. After that, it is diverted into the proper waste containers. The system also connects to Øya Helsehus, a 20,000 square metre care home for special needs and elderly. Read more about St Olav Hospital.
Automated Waste Collection: Transforming St Olavs Hospital
1800 tonnes
waste collected per year
120 inlets
with touchscreen and sensors
3000 meters
underground pipe network
About Sort-More
Sort-More is a mechanism developed by Envac for handling up to four different waste fractions in one single chute. Sort-More is installed at the bottom of a vertical waste chute and acts as a multi-diverter and an intermediate storage.
Main components:
- The waste management system has inlet doors with buttons mounted on a panel above them. These controls enable the user to select the type of waste material to be disposed of.
- There are four discharge valves, one for each type of waste material: paper, confidential paper, residual, and plastic.
- A pneumatic mechanism is activated by the controls situated on top of the inlet door.
- The system also comprises storage sections, which are emptied using air pressure once they are full. The activation of the system is sensor-based.
The hospital is easier to maintain, clean and tidy. The waste management system is designed to expose no bacteria associated with the waste throughout the facility, resulting in no unpleasant odour in the hospital wards, corridors, or collection stations. The system can handle large volumes of waste, requiring less workforce for waste collection.
Lars Nordvik Facility Manager, St Olavs Hospital, Norway
Modernisation Roadmap for the future Driven Hospital
The hospital system has a long way to go in its lifecycle, but in an ever-evolving and dynamic environment, Envac suggests modernization with the following improvements:
- Energy efficiency: Envac Automation Platform (EAP 4.0 or latest) can reduce electricity consumption by approximately 15%.
- System Improvement : Prepare the mechanical infrastructure to address future challenges and enhance cost-efficiency. Incorporating Artificial Intelligence and analyzing data will enable maximum efficiency in the collection process.
- Adding a new fraction: Food waste is a significant concern today. The hospital can significantly contribute to reducing food waste by adding an unknown fraction of food waste to its existing waste collection system.
- The automatic waste collection system works through a 40 km underground pipe network that transports waste using an air stream to a consolidation plant making the solution safe, resilient and hygienic.
St Olavs Hospital
Trondheim, Norway
Read the full case study here
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