The City of Atlanta, Ga., hopes to cut down on waste and boost its recycling efforts with data. The city's Public Works Department will begin a six-month pilot using a cloud-based technology platform from Rubicon Global that will improve waste operations and provide route optimization for its trucks.

Every residential solid waste, recycling, and yard waste truck in the city's fleet will be fitted with smartphones loaded with the Rubicon hauler mobile app. The Department of Public Works will also utilize Rubicon's desktop vendor portal to create operational efficiency, improve customer service, and lead to savings.

The data collected through this technology will help collect real-time information on current landfill diversion and recycling rates in support of the City's zero-waste efforts. It will also help the city determine how to better target its recycling education efforts, quantify the carbon avoidance from recycling activities, and determine vehicle emission reduction targets through route optimization and other features.