EC Bonner Scholar Studies the Efficiency of City Trash Routes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 26, 2009

RICHMOND, Ind. — The typical college student’s résumé may include work experience gained by checking out library materials, working at a fast food restaurant, or waiting tables, but not so for Earlham College junior Gustavo Espinoza.

Through his work for the Bonner Scholars program, Espinoza carried out an extensive year-long efficiency study of Richmond’s sanitation routes.

“Towns and cities hire waste management consultants, literally teams of people, to carry out this kind of work,” Espinoza says. “I am very fortunate that this worked out for me.

“I was really excited that I was able to combine my interests in computer science and environmental science. Once I got into this project, I found it was something I did not want to let go of at the end of the day.”

Sam Lahanis, sanitation director for the city of Richmond, discussed the project with Earlham professors Charlie Peck and Mic Jackson.

“We needed to assess how we are completing our daily trash routes to determine if we are operating in the most cost-effective manner with the best equipment for our needs,” Lahanis says. “The results of this study will help us determine what type of equipment we need to purchase and also help us develop our routes for the most economical use of the funds we have available.”

Initially, Espinoza spent a lot of time researching similar projects in other cities and reading lots of literature to determine the materials he would need. Work included gathering data using GPS units mounted on the sanitation trucks which took readings every 10 seconds. Espinoza researched and selected the GPS units and the software to read, manipulate and display the data.

“We had to take into account all the variables of a route to reach the desired outcome,” he says. Variables included type of truck and truck capacity, length of route and length of time for each stop including pickup stops as well as stop signs and lights, distance from landfill, driver tendencies, and if the route was an alley or street pickup.

“When things would get really tough or just overwhelming, Charlie Peck and I would sit and boil everything down,” Espinoza says. “A lot of it was figuring out the most useful way to gather the data and refine the project as it went along.”

Preliminary data was collected using a stopwatch. Some of the data came from the drivers themselves.

Data Gathering and Trash Collection
“The human aspect of the actual work has given me a lot of insight into the world of the drivers, he says.” They begin at 6:30 a.m. and the work is very hard. By 10:00 a.m., the drivers are usually tired. There’s not a lot of turnover, and a lot of the guys are really dedicated to the job they do. You get a real sense that they understand the necessity of their jobs. Riding with the drivers has been a very enjoyable part of this for me.”

Elijah Welch, assistant district engineer, says Espinoza was a great addition to the team during the summer.

“Gustavo was a very hard worker and spent a great deal of time not only gathering data, but also spending time working with different individuals on the actual routes,” Lahanis says. “My people had him loading trash and gaining the hands-on experience of dealing with issues they face daily. I believe he has gained a perspective that he could not have gotten by spending time behind a desk reading data or just interviewing our staff. This can only help the accuracy of the information gathered to complete the study.”

Fellow Bonner Scholar Katie Marshall joined Espinoza this semester on the project and is using a GPS system to layer Richmond’s streets complete with an attribute table that includes street name, speed limit, direction, whether a one-way or two-way, locations and length of stop lights and signs, etc. 

“Once we have interpreted all the data, we will look to find ways the city can cut costs while keeping the same services running,” Espinoza says. “The idea is to reduce costs by using less fuel, which is where we come in. Our route optimization work shows that we will waste less fuel by stopping less, and making fewer trips to the landfill will save time and gas. In the end, I do think there are some changes that we will recommend that will help the City save money.”

This semester Espinoza is formulating his proposals.

“I will make my recommendation to Sam Lahanis, and it will help him to decide what he proposes to the council for change,” Espinoza says. “I’m just a college student working on this huge project. I can’t tell them what to do.”

Espinoza began the project as his Bonner Scholar service during the spring semester and continued working during the summer with the title of Environmental Engineer Intern for the Richmond Sanitation District.

“I underestimated the project when I first started,” Espinoza says. “It has taken a lot longer than what I anticipated.” Creating graphs and proposals may spread into next semester.

“When this project is all wrapped up, we can take what we’ve learned and give it to others,” Espinoza says. “We will be helping others to save money, save fuel, and we’ll be helping to save the environment.”

-EC-