Reducing Road Time by 50% and Staff Time by 80% for Recycling Center with an Online Solution
Xtreme Zero Waste
Case Study
Industry: Waste and Recycling
Region: Raglan
Area served: 80 businesses in Raglan
Client since: 2021
Project Duration: 4 months
Xtreme Zero Waste operates a resource recovery centre in Raglan. Xtreme runs a Business collection service, in Whaingaroa, for recycling, foodwaste and landfill. They pick up recycling, food scraps, as well as rubbish destined for the landfill — but they’re deeply committed to achieving zero waste and minimising what ends up in that last category. In addition to their environmental sustainability goals, they also strive to achieve positive social impact through providing employment, training, and community support.
The Challenge
Xtreme Zero Waste operates a kerbside pickup program for local businesses. But their systems were outdated and manual, meaning the program was not operating as efficiently as it could be. Specifically, they wanted to tackle two major issues:
1. Inefficient resource allocation
Trucks were making stops to find bins empty 50% of the time because was no system for businesses to schedule pickups at an appropriate time.
2. Manual systems
Invoices and new client registrations were based on paper run sheets, requiring manual input that was time-consuming and error-prone.
The Solution
Web Paste delivered an online solution with built-in booking system, accounting, and route-planning software. All managed from one place.
Key Features
On-demand Pickup
Businesses can notify when their bins are full, triggering a pickup only when needed.
Online Booking Portal
Businesses can register, manage their account, and schedule bookings themselves. The system allows for both recurring collections and one-off bookings, with pricing that can vary based on specific needs and frequency of service.
Automated invoicing
Automatic synchronization of booking data eliminates manual data entry, reducing the risk of errors and inconsistencies between booking and accounting records.
The Results
- The new booking system and route planning software has reduced on-road time by 50%.
- System improvements have reduced staff time by 80%.
- Even better for Xtreme Zero Waste’s ultimate goal: 12% less waste has headed to the landfill.
The solution has also proven to be highly scalable, meeting high demand during the summer months while ensuring continued efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Plus it’s versatile. Additional services such as garden waste collection and mini skip hire will soon be integrated, allowing customers to conveniently book multiple services through a single platform.
Most importantly, thanks to the operational efficiencies gained from the system — such as reduced travel time, streamlined processes for administrators and drivers, and immediate invoicing — Xtreme Zero Waste can now redirect its resources towards achieving its primary goal of educating and engaging the community to achieve zero waste.
Building Lasting Partnerships
Customer Testimonial
‘’This project was extremely complex in regard to the number of products available, type of truck to collect and days / areas of collections. The provided system has given us a fluid operation which allows admin control, an overview of bookings, has reduced carbon emissions and unnecessary staffing hours. Xtreme highly recommend Web Paste to provide a solutions-based service, with an out-of-the-box thinking approach, and wonderful customer service. Thanks Thomas!’’
Nenya Chapman – Collection Manager
Solution components
Integrated route planning
Collection routes are now optimised based on real-time data, minimising travel time and fuel costs. The software can easily adapt as operations grow or change, accommodating new routes, drivers, vehicles, additional collection points, or changes in scheduling. The intuitive interface requires no formal training and is very accessible for drivers. This component includes:
- Route Planning
- Route Optimisation
- Collection/Delivery
- Management
- Fleet Tracking
- Collection/Delivery Driver App
- Proof of Delivery
Administrator Module
This module provides administrators with an accurate overview of all bookings and collections — and alerts admins in the event any fail.
The system features two distinct admin user profiles: one for overall collection management and another for accounting purposes. Both profiles are securely protected with unique login credentials to ensure each area is only accessible by authorised personnel.
Waste Diversion Metrics
Information about the types and quantities of waste collected from individual businesses is monitored and recorded. This data is then presented in an easy-to-understand dashboard for stakeholders and management. Staff can also set targets to improve operational efficiency and achieve their sustainability goals.
Businesses are able to access their own dashboard within the booking portal, giving them a clear overview of their waste practises. They can also set targets for reducing their plastic and landfill waste and thereby reduce their waste disposal fees. By clearly visualising this data, businesses are motivated and empowered to take control of their own waste reduction.
Our Process
UNDERSTAND >
DEFINE >
IDEATE >
PROTOTYPE >
TEST >
DELIVER
1. Understand & Define the Problem
Before designing a solution, we’re careful to ensure we thoroughly understand the problem at hand. With Xtreme Zero Waste, we held discussions with stakeholders so they could fully articulate their needs and expectations. This helped clarify requirements around how the system should function.
2. Ideate & Prototype
A mockup was created to provide stakeholders with a visual representation of how the system would work, and they gave feedback on user experience and functionality.
3. Test
The system underwent further tweaking and fine-tuning to address feedback on usability and functionality. Staff were actively involved in testing, creating user profiles in the system and simulating real scenarios to identify and resolve issues early in the development process.
4. Train & Deliver
In preparation for launch, training sessions were conducted to educate administrative staff, drivers, and runners on how to effectively use the admin portal and other system features.
Proper messaging to clients was another crucial element of a smooth transition. Clients were informed about new pricing structures, the recurring booking system, and any deadlines or cut-off times relevant to their service. There was some initial resistance to the new system as it required more of them than the previous model. However, clients now understand that their active participation is a crucial part of achieving their collective environmental goals.
Technical Specifications
User Management
- This solution uses a User Registration plugin that allows users to register with their business information and references. The site administrator is then notified that there is a new account to verify.
- Once verified, the user is notified that their account is active and they are provided a link to their dashboard where they can manage all business details.
- The website admin has a dashboard where they can search for businesses and manage their details.
Booking Portal
- Logged-in users can view a booking calendar that is customised to their collection zone. Calendars show remaining bookable slots and dates are blocked off when full.
- Users are able to book only for the products that they have registered. So for example, if a user has 3 plastic bins they can’t book a pickup for 4.
- Users are able to select one-off bookings or weekly, fortnightly and monthly recurring bookings. All bookings are able to be managed in their dashboard.
Waste Metrics
- Business are able to visualise their own waste metrics using a custom plugin built using chart.js. The administrator is shown collective data.
- Historical waste data was stored in spreadsheets. This was imported into the new database and combined with the data flow from WooCommerce to produce both live and historical metrics.
- Administrators are provided with a dashboard to add business targets and turn them on or off.
Booking Fulfillment
- Orders are automatically synced with the route planning and optimisation software. This includes user information, links to the original order in the backend of the website, links to customer profiles, and the details of the bins booked.
- The admin creates the route and assigns it to a driver who then uses an app to complete the collection route and mark bookings as complete or failed.
Invoicing & Accounting
- A scheduled script (cron job) runs at 8.30pm every night and updates the status of all orders. This allows the driver time to change order status if there was an issue.
- After this script runs, another custom script pushes all orders marked as completed through to Xero — in batches of five every minute, to comply with Xero’s API restrictions.
- All line items within these invoices are matched to product codes. PO numbers and customer details are also automatically populated based on customer profiles.
Booking Management
- Users have the ability to place multiple bookings for the same day if they wish — either by having monthly and weekly recurring bookings that fall on the same day, or because they place a one-off order that falls on a day that has been booked previously.
- Bookings can include multiple different products, which each need to be added to different routes. This means these bookings need to be separated out before going to the Route Planner.
- To allow for these two scenarios, a custom script combines all the orders a business has placed for each day into one invoice before sending through to Xero.
Software
CMS
The site is built on WordPress and leverages the WooCommerce platform for the eCommerce component.
Invoicing & Accounting Custom Integrations
User Registration
Bookings
Recurring Bookings
Xero Integration
Bulk Change Booking Date
Collection Fee Regulation
Business Metrics Charts
Business Diversion Targets
Server
Linux Litespeed Server
30GB SSD storage
500GB monthly bandwidth
Auckland data centre
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