Digital Waste Management: The Municipality of Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni Sets a New Operational Standard in Greece and Europe

The Municipality of Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni is the first municipality in Greece to successfully digitise its waste collection process by combining advanced technology with human resources. The innovative system, which integrates smart bins with weighing during collection, is already operating across 1,000 bins and is being expanded to a further 2,000. In doing so, it is improving the quality of life in the city and setting a new benchmark for waste management across local government.

In partnership with TELEKOM Greece and technology company EmDoT, the Municipality of Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni is the first in Greece to implement one of Europe’s most advanced, fully operational smart waste management systems. The solution was presented at this year’s Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona as an internationally innovative example of a system already deployed in day-to-day operations. The project forms part of Mayor Grigoris Konstantellos’ strategy to transform the municipality into a Zero Waste City, treating cleanliness both as a social right and as a driver of development.

The system is currently being extended to an additional 2,000 bins, further enhancing the organisation of waste management operations. The project is underpinned by TELEKOM Greece’s modern telecommunications and IT infrastructure, which ensures continuous, reliable and secure connectivity between field operations and central systems, enabling real-time data collection and utilisation. The technology solution was developed entirely by EmDoT, a Greek technology company.

The system provides a holistic waste management solution, connecting field infrastructure with decision-making and the execution of collection operations. Smart bin sensors, RFID identification, dynamic weighing during collection and waste collection fleet management generate real-time data on waste volume and weight, collection times and routes. These data are processed by predictive and optimisation algorithms, allowing routes to be adjusted daily according to actual needs and operations to be managed using measurable cost and quality criteria.

The project’s value lies in the comprehensive transition from a static collection model to a dynamic, data-driven operating model. For the first time, field data, weighing, identification and algorithms work together under real-world conditions to support daily operational decisions. Close collaboration with the municipal sanitation services ensures that the system is meaningfully integrated into everyday operations.

The integration of weighing and collection identification enables waste generation to be recorded accurately and measurably, providing a robust foundation for circular economy policies and Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) models for large waste producers. This promotes fair and transparent pricing based on measurable data. Notably, the Municipality of Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni is pioneering the implementation of Pay-As-You-Throw, actively supporting the European Union’s circular economy policy.

Once fully deployed across as many as 3,000 smart bins, the system will rank among the largest projects of its kind in Europe.

The results are tangible and consistently reproducible: more than 50% of waste is being diverted from landfill, with a target of approaching 70%, while collection routes and times have been reduced by 25% to 30%.

“Digitalisation becomes meaningful when it serves quality of life, strengthens trust and supports a resilient economy. Cleanliness is a social right and, at the same time, a driver of development, founded on four clear pillars: putting citizens at the centre, building robust infrastructure and well-organised workflows, ensuring fair pricing, and using technology to measure and improve performance.”— Grigoris Konstantellos, Mayor of Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni.

“At EmDoT, we believe the future of cities is data-driven. We turn data into everyday operations, enabling municipalities to work more intelligently, efficiently and fairly.”— Dimitris Venizelos, CEO of EmDoT.

The solution is reshaping the everyday urban experience by making municipal cleaning services more consistent and improving both cleanliness and the quality of the urban environment. At the same time, it encourages active public participation and helps organise the work of collection crews through clear scheduling and improved working conditions. It also incorporates critical safety parameters, including compliance with the Greek Road Traffic Code and the prevention of overloaded vehicles.

The implementation in the Municipality of Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni is a Greek technology case study with international relevance. It demonstrates that innovation can be successfully integrated into day-to-day operations, delivering measurable results at scale, while creating a strong foundation for more efficient resource use, the continuous improvement of municipal services and substantial cost savings.

This project is implemented within the framework of the “Development of Digital Products and Services” program of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan Greece 2.0, funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU.