Envac partners with China to develop smart, eco-friendly cities

Stockholm-based waste collection company Envac has announced that it has established a long-term cooperation with China to develop smart and sustainable eco-cities in the region.

Joakim Karlsson, Envac president and chief executive officer, said China’s mission towards the development of green, circular and low-carbon cities also corresponds with the company’s mission.

“I think we are in the beginning of good opportunities, and if we increase the cooperation, it’s good for everyone,” said Karlsson in an interview.

He also underlined China’s ambition and drive to use smart waste collection technologies, its importance of turning words into actions and implementing these practices with “China speed”.

Envac is the creator of a pneumatic waste collection system that moves the waste retrieval procedure underground and replaces manual waste collection from personal chutes, decreasing waste-related heavy traffic and its carbon emissions in the process.

This system has been integrated into numerous smart cities and hospitals in China, like the Beijing Tongzhou New Town and Hainan Cancer Hospital.

Strong growth in China

Envac (formerly Centralsug AB), founded in 1953, is one of the leading companies in the global automated waste collection industry. Its proprietary pneumatic waste collection system, which is used by more than 30 countries, can decrease emissions from the transit of waste by up to 90 percent. It also reduces the risk of waste fire and prevents animals from accessing the waste.

The system works by transporting waste through underground pneumatic tubes to a station where it will be sealed in containers. When the container is full, it will be emptied immediately by transporting it to a landfill or composting plant.

Envac first established its presence in China in 2008, and since then, it has been part of more than 70 partnership projects in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. In 2022, the company’s projects in China increased by 70 percent, representing 20 percent of its total global revenue.

Karlsson said he has seen an increase in demand for the development of smart and sustainable cities and hospitals in China. “I strongly believe also in the healthcare segment, because this is actually our fastest growing business segment in China,” said Karlsson.