Plastic Omnium Environment wins Europe’s biggest container contract

In September, Plastic Omnium Environment won a contract to supply and install 3,700 underground and semi-underground waste containers in Greater Rouen, France’s eighth largest metropolis, to serve the area’s 71 communities and 500,000 inhabitants. The contract is the largest of its type ever awarded in Europe. Plastic Omnium’s winning bid took into account a range of important criteria in such areas as sustainable development, design, accessibility, hygiene and safety. Another significant fact: the containers, designed by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, integrate harmoniously into their surroundings. Known around the world for his architectural achievements, Jean-Michel Wilmotte has been involved in a large number of urban development projects not only in France but also in South Korea, Ukraine, Russia, Montenegro and Jordan.

Extending until 2019, the contract responds to a need to collect glass, packaging and other recyclables as well as residual household waste. The 3,700 containers will be located mainly in housing projects, just outside apartment buildings. Highly resistant to weather, corrosion, fire and vandalism, the containers are intended to last a minimum of ten years, thereby reducing the community’s operating budget. Because of their large capacity, these underground and semi-underground containers will also make it possible to optimize collection routes, thereby reducing truck emissions.