Case Study: North East UK achieves major waste collection cost savings and service improvements with RouteSmart Technologies

How RouteSmart Delivered Significant Waste Efficiencies in the North East UK

North East UK — a region comprising 12 independent waste authorities — faced shrinking budgets and rising service expectations. To drive efficiencies across the region, 11 authorities joined a regional initiative using RouteSmart Technologies’ RouteSmart routing software to reconfigure collection routes, maximize vehicle payloads and reduce vehicle and fuel usage.

RouteSmart Technologies implemented route optimization, zonal working, four‑day weeks and integration of commercial and household collections, plus fuel‑smart measures. The results were substantial: Durham saved close to £900,000 after vehicle reductions, Stockton‑on‑Tees saved about £200,000 annually, North Tynesdale saved £250,000 and saw customer satisfaction rise from 70% to 90%, Gateshead saved £400,000, Sunderland £260,000, Hartlepool cut fuel costs by £25–30,000, and Northumberland secured additional savings of £65,000 and £105,000 in staged reviews—alongside wider productivity gains and reinvestment in services.

North East UK