Pneumatic Urban Waste Collection Systems: A Review

Abstract

Due to the increasing need for a more sustainable environment, the study of waste management strategies is increasing worldwide. Pneumatic urban waste collection is an alternative to conventional truck collection, especially in urban areas where there is a need for reducing traffic and pollution. In this study, the scientific literature on such automated waste collection systems (AWCSs) (also known as automated vacuum waste collection (AVWC) systems) is evaluated through a bibliometric analysis. The available scientific literature is found to be scarce, while there are several patents on the topic. The keywords used in the literature are mainly related to energy use, gas emissions, and the cost–benefit analysis. Moreover, the market status is presented and a summary of the environmental studies is provided. The active companies in the field are identified and a complete list of AWCSs is provided. Most of the scientific literature related to the environmental aspects of AWCSs uses the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to evaluate the performance of different case studies.