Rubicon Forms Latest Partnership with Columbus, Ga.

Rubicon Global announced a public-private partnership with the Columbus (Ga.) Consolidated Government aimed at helping to improve residential waste and recycling services through the use of new technology and data analytics.

Columbus will begin using Rubicon’s proprietary cloud-based platform, including its mobile app and desktop vendor software. The technology will provide data to Columbus and enable it to assess landfill diversion and recycling rates.

“Cities like Columbus are the backbone of our country – the places where a majority of Americans go to work, shop and increasingly live,” Michael Allegretti, head of public policy for Rubicon, said in a statement. “This Smart Cities partnership will mean a more responsive and connected government that better serves the taxpayer. We are thrilled to partner with one of Georgia’s largest cities to demonstrate that technology and data can improve the quality of life in every corner of America.”

“We are excited to partner with Georgia-based Rubicon Global and use their new technology to improve our waste and recycling services,” Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson said in a statement. “It will allow us to more closely monitor and manage our operations, improve customer service and enhance quality of life.”

Smartphones loaded with the Rubicon hauler mobile app will be placed in the Columbus Consolidated Government Waste Collection Division’s entire fleet of waste and recycling vehicles. The city currently has about 75 vehicles that service more than 56,500 households. The Waste Collection Division will also use Rubicon’s desktop vendor portal which works with the mobile app to create operational efficiency, improve customer service and will ultimately lead to savings for taxpayers.

The technology will also provide the Columbus Consolidated Government with planning data, most notably by enabling real-time information on current landfill diversion and recycling rates. The data will help the city understand how to better focus its recycling education efforts, measure the carbon avoidance from recycling activities and determine vehicle emission reduction targets in Columbus’s waste fleet through route optimization and other features.