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The Waste Collection System of the Principality of
Monaco provided by the Societe Monegasque D’
Assainissement (SMA) in the 1980’s – the mid
1990’s era’s
By Tim Byrne
In 1980, the Principality of Monaco had a population of 26, 746 people but by 1990,
the population had increased to 29, 438 people. The Principality stretches over an
area of 2.02 km2 (0.78 square miles) and is the second smallest and most densely
populated country in the world and is home to the most millionaires and
billionaires in the world per capita head. Monaco was well known for the supply of
luxury goods and services. The warm Mediterranean climate attracted tourists who
stayed in luxury hotels as well as those who visited the Principality from
neighbouring coastal resorts such as Nice. The Formula One Grand Prix, held
annually in the Principality since 1929, also added to visitor numbers and increased
the volume of waste to be collected.
Because of this, it was vital to maintain a high standard of cleanliness, so waste
collection was a very important task in the Principality, the responsibility for which
was carried out by the Societe Monegasque D’ Assainissement (SMA). This was a
private company with a history dating back to 1938 when it provided the first waste
collection and waste treatment systems in the Principality.
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In the 1980’s through to the mid 1990’s, the SMA provided services for the
collection of municipal, commercial and industrial wastes as well as dry recyclables
such as source separated paper, cardboard and glass; the collection of white goods
(fridges and freezers) which contained ozone depleting substances known as
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’S); as well as hazardous wastes – waste oil, batteries, gas
canisters, paints and solvents.
In 1980 a new incineration plant, commissioned by the SMA in the heart of the
Fontvieille district, was built with a capacity to process 80,000 tonnes of waste per
annum with energy recovery. The plant was built with three identical furnace
grates, giving the advantage that when one was shut for annual maintenance, the
other two would still be operational. The incinerator was the first continuously
operated plant using automatically controlled combustion grates. It replaced the
former incinerator plant, constructed on the same site in 1938, which was a batch
process system and used Redman Heenan Nicholls and Froude incinerator grates
from Worcester – England.
Waste Collection Service
SMA’s waste collection service in the Principality initially used white plastic sacks in
the early to mid 1980’s, supplied by the SMA for the deposit of municipal and
commercial wastes produced by the hotels, casinos, restaurants etc. The waste in
these sacks consisted of packaging wastes, such as paper and cardboard, plastics
such as (PET, HDPE and TETRAPAK) bottles and plastic packaging, glass wine, liquor
and beer bottles, broken wine and beer glasses and food wastes with a high liquid
content. The sacks were placed on the pavement for collection in piles or in a bin
store in the grounds of the hotels, casinos or restaurants to await collection by the
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SMA’S workforce. Any additional cardboard boxes which had contained supplies of
food e.g. fruit, vegetables, or detergents for washing - soap and washing powder
for linen as well as any wooden or plastic crates which had contained fruit,
vegetables and fish caught locally, were also placed on the pavement for collection
next to the pile of plastic white sacks or placed in the bin store in the grounds of
the hotels, casinos and restaurants.
Towards the end of the 1980’s, the SMA introduced the use of 120, 240, 360, 660
and 1100 litre containers for the deposit of the ever increasing volumes of food and
packaging wastes produced by the hotels, casinos, restaurants etc. The SMA
considered the use of containers for the storage of waste to be a more hygienic
system than sacks, boxes and crates. The containers prevented the leaking of
leachates produced by food waste. They also gave a larger volume for the density
of the wastes. The size of the waste containers supplied to the above
establishments was based on their own daily or weekly waste production. The
containers were placed outside these establishments for emptying or were stored
in a compound within the grounds of the hotels, casinos or restaurants to await
emptying by the SMA. Any additional waste produced and placed next to the full
containers in plastic refuse sacks, cardboard boxes, wooden or plastic food crates
would be collected by the SMA in order to eliminate any foul odours being
produced by the warm Mediterranean climate. Communal collection points to
house the 120, 240, 660 and 1100 litre containers were built near to villas for the
storage of their wastes. In some parts of the Principality, a door to door waste
collection system was still provided to residents using the white plastic sacks
provided by the SMA. The plastic sacks were placed outside the occupants’
premises for collection on a daily basis. Any cardboard boxes, wooden or plastic
food crates placed next to full containers at communal collection points or outside
residents’ properties were collected by the SMA with the other waste.
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Waste Collection by the SMA in the 1980s
The collection of municipal and commercial wastes was carried out in 1980 using a
fleet of late 1960’s Berliet GAK two axle chassis of 10,750 tonnes gross vehicle
weight with a day cab accommodating a driver and two crew members. A Semat
batch loading waste collection body of 6.3 cubic metres capacity was mounted
onto the Berliet GAK two axle chassis. The Semat batch loader used a forward
moving plate which was operated using a hydraulic ram placed outside and in the
centre at the rear of the tailgate housing. The moving plate would push any plastic
sacks, cardboard boxes and paper packaging wastes, wooden or plastic food crates
loaded inside the hopper to be compressed inside the 6.3 cubic metres of air space.
The batch loader could hold a legal payload of 5,980 tonnes. The Semat batch
loader had a front mounted tipping ram fitted centrally behind the Berliet GAK cab.
This was operated once the truck was full and had made its way to the Fontvieille
incinerator plant so that its load would be discharged by gravity. Since the batch
loader had no ejection ram for the wastes’ discharge, the Berliet’s tare weight was
4,770 tonnes.
This gave an advantage of an additional payload and airspace being available to
handle the larger volumes of waste being produced at this time in this Principality.
Because of the ever increasing volumes of waste arising in Monaco, the SMA
purchased a fleet of Comm SITA 6000 1200P and 1600P waste collection vehicles
mounted onto Iveco Magirus 14 and 16 tonne two axle chassis in 1981 and 1982.
The chassis had a day cab to accommodate a driver and two crew personnel. The
Comm SITA 6000 1200P body was of 12 cubic metres capacity while the 1600P
body was of 15 cubic metres capacity. The 1200P units were used to collect waste
in plastic sacks, cardboard boxes, wooden or plastic food crates from the narrow
streets while the 1600P units were used to collect the larger volumes of waste
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placed in plastic sacks, cardboard boxes, wooden or plastic food crates placed in
piles along the main streets. The packing mechanism consisted of a continuous
paddle blade, which rotated both clockwise and anti – clockwise, pushing the waste
from the left and right into the body of the Comm SITA 6000 superstructure. The
paddle blade had sharp, jagged teeth which would rip open the plastic sacks of
waste loaded into the hopper by the collection personnel, fragmentising and
breaking up any glass bottles, bulky plastic (PET, HDPE and TETRAPAK) bottles,
paper and cardboard packaging and food waste. Any cardboard boxes, wooden or
plastic food crates loaded into the Comm SITA 6000 1200P and 1600P would also
be broken up.
The plastic sacks, cardboard boxes, wooden or plastic food crates were initially
compressed and broken up by the paddle blade then compressed into the
superstructure which had a hydraulic ejector shield compressing the waste under
counter pressure. The superstructure would be full once the ejector shield had
reached the front bulk head.
In 1985, the SMA purchased a fleet of Berliet ‘K’ Series 14 and 16 tonne two axle
chassis complete with day cab to accommodate a driver and two loaders. The
chassis were fitted with 12 and 15 cubic metre Semat Superpac waste compression
bodies. The smaller 12 cubic metre units used for collecting waste in the narrow
streets, also had a closing rear door to prevent waste blowing out while on transit
to another collection point or the incinerator. The larger 15 cubic metre units were
used for collecting waste in the main streets in the Principality.
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The Semat Superpac 12 and 15 cubic metre units consisted of a continuous rake
type packing mechanism which split open the plastic sacks crushing any glass
bottles, breaking up any paper and cardboard packaging wastes (PET, HDPE and
TETRAPAK) plastic bottles thus turning the solid food waste matter into a liquid
paste. Any cardboard boxes, wooden or plastic food crates were compressed and
shredded. The rake pressed the shredded plastic sacks, glass, paper, cardboard
packaging, plastic bottles and food wastes, cardboard boxes, wooden or plastic
food crates through a fixed tine. The waste was further shredded and broken up by
the fixed tine before entering the Semat Superpac superstructure and then being
compressed by the Superpac’s ejector shield which was under counter pressure. As
more waste was loaded, the ejector shield moved towards the front of the
Superpac body until it reached the front bulk head.
The end of the 1980’s and the beginning of the 1990’s
Towards the end of the 1980’s and the beginning of the 1990’s, the SMA moved
away from the continuous packing Comm SITA 6000 1200P and 1600P and Semat
Superpac units to intermittent loading waste collection vehicles. This was due to
the modernisation of the waste collection system and the introduction of wheeled
120, 240, 360, 660 and 1100 litre wheeled containers for the storage of municipal
and commercial wastes.
The SMA purchased a mixture of Iveco Magirus, Renault ‘G’ Series, Renault Midlum
and Volvo FL two axle 14 and 16 tonne chassis with day cab to accommodate a
driver and two collection personnel. The Renault ‘G’ Series, Renault Midlum, Volvo
FL two axle 14 tonne chassis and the larger Iveco Magirus 16 tonne two axle chassis
were all fitted with front mounted crankshaft Power Take Off (PTO) to operate the
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hydraulics e.g. the bin lift, compaction mechanism and raising and lowering the
tailgate once fitted with either the Jumbo Grange – Jumbo 209 Variopress, SITA
Super SMV and Semat Cargopac intermittent loading waste collection equipment.
The Renault ‘G’ Series, Renault Midlum and Volvo FL 14 tonne two axle chassis
were all fitted with a 12 cubic metre Jumbo Grange - Jumbo 209 Variopress
equipment with aluminium cladded bodies while the Iveco Magirus 16 tonne
chassis was fitted with 15 cubic metres Jumbo Grange – Jumbo 209 Variopress
intermittent loading equipment with aluminium cladded bodies. These units had a
slide block packing mechanism and had a Jumbo Grange bar lifter fitted to lift 120 –
1100 litres capacity containers of DIN 30700 with trunnion pins and DIN 30740
containers with a comb bar.
The SMA also purchased some SITA Super SMV intermittent loading waste
collection vehicles which were mounted onto Renault ‘G’ Series and Renault
Midlum 14 tonne two axle chassis with day cab for a driver and two collection
personnel.
SITA supplied their 1407 units of 12 cubic metres capacity which had a ‘swing link’
packing mechanism complete with a SITA bar lift for handling DIN 30700 and DIN
30740 type wheeled containers from 120 – 1100 litre capacities.
Semat Cargopac waste collection vehicles were also purchased in 12 cubic metre
and 15 cubic metre capacities and mounted onto 14 tonne two axle Iveco Magirus,
Renault Midlum and 16 tonne Iveco Magirus cabbed two axle chassis complete
with day cab for accommodating a driver and two crew personnel. The Semat
Cargopac body had its ‘patented pivot link’ compaction mechanism and was fitted
with the Semat BS. 150 lifter for emptying DIN 30700 and DIN 30740 wheeled
containers from 120 – 1100 litres capacity.
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Smaller 3.5 tonne non compacting waste collection vehicles were also operated by
the SMA for collecting waste in areas which were remote or had too tight access for
the larger collection 14 and 16 tonne vehicles. These would either discharge into
one of the larger 12 or 15 cubic metre 14 and 16 tonne two axle waste collection
vehicles, which would act as a mothership vehicle, or would deliver their waste
directly to the incinerator plant at Fontvieille. The SMA also operated a 7.5 tonne
Renault Master two axle chassis with rear loading satellite compaction equipment
and comb lift for emptying DIN 30740 type 120, 240, 360, 660 and 1100 litre
containers from the central areas of Monaco where there was restricted access for
the larger 14 and 16 tonne two axle waste collection vehicles. This vehicle would
deliver its waste directly to the Fontvieille incinerator plant once it was fully loaded.
The advantages and disadvantages of waste collection vehicles used by the SMA
in the 1980’s and 1990’s era’s
The 1960’s Semat batch loader compaction system had many advantages. It would
deliver high productivity levels when collecting waste inside plastic sacks and when
compacting packaging wastes e.g. cardboard boxes, wooden or plastic food crates.
Because of it not having an ejector shield / ejector ram, the unladen weight was
4,770 tonnes giving a high payload of 5,980 tonnes. There was also the additional
air space for the waste to be compressed into which would not have existed if the
Semat batch loader had an ejector shield and ejector ram fitted.
The Comm SITA 6000 1200P and 1600P waste collection equipment also had many
advantages. The continuous operation of the paddle blade made the collection of
large volumes of plastic sacks, cardboard boxes, and wooden or plastic food crates
very efficient without interrupting the waste collection service. The teeth on the
paddle blade would break up the plastic sacks, break and crush any glass bottles,
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plastic bottles, paper, cardboard and food wastes as well as cardboard boxes,
wooden or plastic crates in the initial and primary stages of compaction. The waste
through secondary compaction would be compressed against the Comm SITA’S
1200P and 1600P ejection barrier which was under constant counter pressure. The
overall result would be a high compaction ratio of 6:1 being achieved and the
breaking up of the waste in the initial and primary stages of compaction by the
paddle blade’s teeth would help the incinerator at Fontvieille. This would give an
even distribution of calorific values when the waste was burnt on one of the three
incinerator furnace grates. Because of the use of minimum moving parts e.g. the
paddle blade and ejector barrier and ejector ram, maintenance costs were very low
when using the Comm SITA 1200P and 1600P waste collection vehicle product.
The Semat Superpac also had many advantages. The continuous operation of the
rake compaction mechanism split open the plastic sacks while any cardboard
boxes, wooden or plastic crates would also be broken up and shredded. The
continuous operation of the rake achieved high productivity rates in waste
collection. The rake would achieve initial and primary compaction and the fixed
tine would achieve the secondary compaction, breaking down and compressing the
waste before it entered into the main superstructure to be further compressed
under counter pressure by the Superpac’s ejection barrier. The continual forward
movement of the waste by the tine, passing the waste after secondary compaction
into the the Superpac’s superstructure prevented the rake from clogging up. All of
the hydraulics for the Superpac were external to the hopper and could be easily
serviced and maintained through opening the side access door on the outside of
the tailgate. The compaction ratio of the Superpac was 6:1 and once again
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prepared the waste for efficient incineration at the Fontvieille plant, because by the
time the waste was delivered to the incinerator, it was totally shredded and most
of the moisture from the food waste had dispersed or had been absorbed by the
shredded paper, cardboard and wooden crates. Any remaining food waste had
been solidified, reducing its original high water content thus achieving a higher
heating value to produce electricity.
When the intermittent loading waste collection vehicles were purchased by the
SMA towards the end of the 1980’s and 1990’s a new era of waste collection
began. This included a less labour intensive collection method with the introduction
of the use of wheeled collection containers as well as it being more hygienic for the
collection personnel. The intermittent loader was also far safer to use, because
with a continuous loading waste collection vehicle, there was always the prospect
of someone getting trapped or injured inside the compaction mechanism. With an
intermittent loading waste collection vehicle, the packer blade will complete one
cycle to compress the waste and the collection personnel have full control over the
operation of the compaction mechanism. It can be stopped with the press of the
emergency stop button whereas with a continual packing system it may take longer
for the packing mechanism to stop!
The loading rave of the intermittent waste collection vehicles was 1400mm for
safety as well as the loading height being low enough for any additional sacks of
refuse, cardboard boxes, wooden or plastic crates to be loaded into the hopper.
The three types of intermittent loading waste collection vehicles which the SMA
purchased had their advantages and disadvantages. The Jumbo Grange – Jumbo
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209 Variopress product had aluminium body panels which gave a huge weight
saving compared to the SITA Super SMV and Semat Cargopac waste collection
vehicle products. They were very compact in size and were excellent for use in both
areas with tight access and also the main streets because of their short tailgate
profile. They also achieved a 6:1 compaction ratio achieved by the intermittent
loading slide block packing mechanism completing the initial and primary
compaction and the ejector barrier completing the secondary compaction.
One disadvantage of the product was the packer could either run on slide blocks or
cast roller bearings. The slide blocks needed replacing every twelve months due to
wear caused by friction. However, if the packing mechanism was running on cast
roller bearings the maintenance would be slightly lower although the rollers will
need replacing over time.
The SITA Super SMV has many advantages, one of which is that it has a ‘swing link’
compaction mechanism which leads to lower maintenance costs as no slide blocks
or cast roller bearings will need to be replaced. However, it will still need its weekly
greasing to maintain its effectiveness. The SITA Super SMV has a short tailgate
profile which is good when using a body capacity of 12 cubic metres for gaining
access to areas with restricted access. The product achieves a 6:1 compaction ratio
with initial and primary compaction being achieved by the ‘swing link’ packer blade
and secondary compaction being achieved by the ejection barrier which is under
counter pressure.
The Semat Cargopac waste collection vehicle uses ‘pivot link’ compaction
alleviating the use of slide blocks which helps to reduce maintenance costs. The
tailgate, like the Jumbo Grange Jumbo – 209 Variopress and the SITA Super SMV
refuse collection vehicles, also has a short overhang, giving the collection vehicle
either of 12 or 15 cubic metres capacity, an excellent turning circle in areas which
may have restricted access. The Semat Cargopac also achieves a high level of
compaction 6:1, the initial and primary compaction being achieved by the ‘pivot
link’ compaction mechanism and secondary compaction being achieved by the
ejection barrier.
All of the bin lifting equipment to lift the DIN 30700 AND DIN 30740 wheeled
containers supplied by Jumbo Grange, SITA and Semat gave low maintenance costs
and only needed greasing on a weekly basis.
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In conclusion, the SMA has provided a highly efficient waste collection system for
the Principality of Monaco in the 1980’s and the early 1990’s era’s, incorporating
the most modern and innovative waste collection systems for their time. By the
SMA regularly updating its fleet of waste collection vehicles with the latest
available technology, the Principality will be self sufficient in delivering a
sustainable waste collection system for its residents and tourists well into the 21st
Century and beyond.