Remondis Südwestfalen GmbH, a waste management company based in the Soest region in Germany, is opting for Continental’s Conti360° Solutions, commenting that “the package of services comprising tyres, digital solutions and ContiLifeCycle makes total sense for us”.
Remondis Südwestfalen GmbH Sees Sustainability Benefits with Continental
Remondis Südwestfalen GmbH has opted for Continental’s Conti360° Solution after an extensive search to find a programme that offered sustainable solutions through digital technologies.
“As part of their focus on environment-friendly fleet management, the company uses our Conti360° Solutions package of services. This includes premium tyres, ContiConnect digital tyre management and hot-retreaded tyres,” explains Annika Lorenz, Continental’s head of fleet management for the replacement tyre business in Germany. “A digitalised fleet enables you to plan ahead when it comes to maintenance and servicing, and that makes it an effective tool for cutting CO2 emissions and looking after resources.”
Gerhard Pomberg, Operations Manager Logistics at Remondis in Soest, commented: “We gain from greater fleet efficiency, a reduction in fuel consumption of up to ten per cent and an increase in tyre mileage. We are showing that cost-effectiveness and sustainability go together very well.” Noting that sustainability was part of the country’s remit in the 30 countries it operates in, he added, “At the same time as delivering our services to our customers, we are also helping them become more sustainable.”
The Oelde branch of the Remondis Group equipped its fleets with the tyre pressure monitoring system ContiConnect in March 2020. Pomberg noted this, adding that the branch’s manager Thomas Feldhaus “told me about ContiConnect and it didn’t take long to convince me of its potential for improving our tyre management. With our commercial vehicles serving waste management companies. In particular, we see puncture damage on an almost daily basis”.
Since May 2021, over 40 of the vehicles run by Remondis’s Soest location have been fitted with sensors from ContiConnect. Tyre damage is now identified before it can cause on-the-road punctures and vehicle downtime: “The system is really fast. I have the tyre data at my fingertips within 30 seconds and can get damaged tyres changed there and then in our workshop.”
Better Sustainability for Remondis Group with Continental
The digital tyre pressure monitoring system ContiConnect has helped to make Remondis’s waste management logistics more sustainable. “We have put in place a consistent pressure monitoring system for all tyres, including on our trailers,” says Pomberg. “This saves fuel and reduces CO2, eases the loads on the tyre, prevents punctures and helps to increase the mileage of the tyres.” Within the space of a year, around six on-the-road punctures were avoided. One-sided wear and spot wear in the tread are also a thing of the past. The casing remains intact and the tyre can still be retreaded. “ContiConnect is excellent. It is structured, intuitive to use and cost-neutral, and the sensors last a long time.” It took only 12 months to pay off the purchase costs through fuel savings and the reduction in puncture costs.
The Soest Remondis branch has also added ContiLifeCycle as part of the Conti360° Solutions an all-round fleet package. Tyre partner Vergölst supplies the fleet with both durable, fuel-saving new tyres and hot-retreaded tyres from the ContiRe range.
“We use the retreaded tyres on the drive axles and are very happy with their performance,” says Pomberg. On the recommendation of Vergölst, Remondis is currently testing the Bandwulc Wastemaster retreaded tyre created specifically for urban areas. The tyres come with reinforced sidewalls for protection against curbs – which is especially suitable for the exacting conditions in which waste management vehicles have to work daily. The use of hot-retreaded tyres with a recycling rate of up to 70 per cent of tyre material is in keeping with Remondis’s corporate philosophy and also serves its sustainability goals.
Sustainability is a key theme for Remondis. “We want to set a good example for our customers,” notes Pomberg. Digitalisation and transformation are central issues here. For example, the company recently decided to invest in an additional system, which automatically reports the fill level of containers. “The aim here is to better utilise the capacity of waste containers, to really only empty them when they are completely full and therefore to avoid unnecessary journeys.” The company also has a system in place on board which ensures the drivers use the vehicles more economically. Bonuses and driver training help to achieve a forward-looking, environment-friendly driving style.
Commenting on using greener fleet management systems, Pomberg concluded, “We see ourselves as helping to shed light on how circular economy measures can improve climate protection, and are keen to also assist our customers in growing their businesses more sustainably. The package of services from Continental comprising premium tyres, digital solutions and ContiLifeCycle makes total sense for us.”
