Goods in, waste out: Renewi and partners explore more sustainable transport by water

Fewer transport movements by road and smarter use of Amsterdam’s canals. That is what Renewi is working towards together with public and private partners. By better combining the flow of goods into the city with waste streams moving out of the city, the partners aim to contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable and less congested Amsterdam. The collaboration is taking shape within the ‘Innovation Table for Transport by Water’, with the agreements formally documented on 5 November.

Building on experience

Renewi has many years of experience collecting commercial waste via Amsterdam’s canals. As part of the new collaboration, the company is working with other partners across the logistics chain to explore how transport by water can be further developed and applied on a larger scale.

To take this next step, collaboration across the entire logistics chain is essential. Within the ‘Innovation Table for Transport by Water’, Renewi is working with partners including logistics hub CTPark Amsterdam City, shipping operators Zoev City, City Barging and AORTA Logistics, the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and the City of Amsterdam. The partners are sharing knowledge, developing pilots and working on scalable solutions for transport by water.

First pilots get underway

One of the first pilots focuses on the return logistics of linen for Hotel Pulitzer. Zoev City and CTPark are responsible for transporting clean and used linen to and from the hotel. Laundry company Newasco delivers and collects the linen at CTPark’s logistics hub in Amsterdam’s Western Docklands. The partners are exploring how this logistics chain can be organised reliably using transport by water, while students from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences are studying its implementation and results. In a subsequent phase, Renewi will once again explore return logistics with the partners, including the possibility of taking waste streams back on the return journey.

Elise Moeskops, Alderman at the City of Amsterdam (Mobility): “The Amsterdam canals were originally built to move people and goods through the city. Centuries later, that extensive network is still there, while our streets are becoming increasingly busy. That creates opportunities. If we can move part of our logistics back onto the water, we can create more space on our streets. Through this collaboration, we are working with businesses, transport operators and knowledge partners to explore how we can make that shift and which solutions could also work on a larger scale.”

Naomi Landman, Chief Commercial Officer at Renewi: “Anyone walking, driving or cycling through Amsterdam can see how vibrant the city is. In the morning, hotels, restaurants, shops and businesses receive their deliveries. Not long afterwards, these same businesses generate waste streams that need to be collected. Every day, Renewi takes care of the collection and processing of these waste streams, helping to keep Amsterdam clean and liveable. At the same time, we see just how limited space in the city is. By working with partners across the logistics chain to better coordinate these transport flows, we can keep the city clean while reducing pressure on public space.”