We are pleased to announce that Heyliot has joined the Coq Vert community.

What is the Coq Vert community ?

Launched in partnership with the ADEME and the Ministry of Ecological Transition, the Coq Vert community aims to create a collective emulation in favour of the ecological transition.

It is THE community of companies committed to the ecological transition. It brings together, federates, connects and trains managers who are convinced of the need to act and who have placed the climate issue at the heart of their strategy.

It offers its members a set of concrete tools to promote the exchange of best practices, to make visible the initiatives carried out within its members and accelerate their environmental and energy transition more globally.

Membership is certainly free but not automatic : to join, a company must either show that it has begun its ecological transition (via ADEME aid, Bpifrance support dedicated to ecological transition or a specific label identified by ADEME and the MTE) or that it provides a solution that accelerates the transition of the economic fabric (including the production of renewable energy).

Why did you choose the Coq Vert ?

Heyliot makes sure that we do something for the environment in a concrete way. Sorting your waste is essential to be able to recycle it, to protect our soil and our water and to preserve our natural resources. The environmental impact of these new reflexes is immediate and necessary.

This is why we have joined this great community of the Coq Vert, with the support of ADEME.

The Heyliot team

Masks, green waste, plastic bags and films, cans, tyres, cigarette butts, etc. 90% of municipalities are concerned by the problem of illegal dumping. It represents 21 kg per inhabitant and costs communities around €60,000, according to Ademe. Cans, cigarette packets and even fridges : in ten years, the amount of waste dumped on verges has tripled. Faced with this scourge, elected officials are looking for effective political solutions : human resources to clean up, mobilisation of the population, a mobile application, etc. The health crisis is leading to a slowdown in activity, but it is not leading to a reduction in illegal dumping, but rather to an increase.

Illegal dumping is omnipresent in all cities

Made up of objects and waste of all kinds (masks, cigarette butts, bin bags, paper, cardboard, etc.), illegal dumping is becoming more and more common in towns and cities. There are three types of illegal dumping : litter on roads, pavements, in ditches or on beaches, litter at the foot of containers or illegal dumps.

In some cities, there are surveillance cameras, specific signs or more regular collection rounds. These solutions make it possible to reduce them but they are still too present. With the arrival of the warm weather, we will be faced with an increase in waste, particularly food packaging, masks, cardboard boxes… but we can avoid leaving them on the ground !

Innovative solutions to avoid these deposits

2. Increasing and developing waste disposal points

Some municipalities have decided to review their waste disposal points by increasing the number of skips to make them more accessible to all. They have also put in place more precise signage concerning sorting.

3. Install sensor

Equipping containers with a remote reading sensor that measures the level of filling can provide you with several information. Be warned by sms/mail when your bin is full. No more uncontrolled dumping at the foot of your voluntary waste collection points because they are full. This also allows you to plan your rounds according to the frequency of use of the various locations (parks, squares, gathering places, etc.) and the seasonality.

5. Vegetation

It has been proven that heavily vegetated areas are less prone to littering. The presence of vegetation plays a regulating role on stress and therefore tends to reduce acts of vandalism, degradation and pollution.

You’ve probably heard of big data, datascience or open data, data is omnipresent in today’s connected world. The analysis of this data makes it possible to transform the data into new information. They help cities and companies in their decision-making or, when combined with other information, produce new knowledge.

A lot of data collected

Data is the result of a measurement, it can be collected in a computer program, by a sensor or digitised from a handwritten source. Data has no value in itself, its value derives from the interpretation that is made of it. It is therefore the analysis that enables this data to be transformed into information. It can then be used to make a decision or, when combined with other information, to produce new information.

In order to create tailor-made services for citizens, cities and private actors work together in a dynamic of collecting and sharing information. Indeed, it is interesting to couple data obtained by sensors (such as the Internet of Things) with a city’s open source data (weather, temperature, bus schedules, etc.). What is the purpose of this ? To be able to identify the dysfunctions of a city and improve its management.

The example of urban cleanliness

New provisions of the anti-waste law for a circular economy (AGEC law) came into force on 1 January 2022. Let’s discover together 8 major changes in the packaging, recycling and waste treatment sector.

Published on 10 February 2020, the AGEC law aims to move towards waste reduction through 5 concrete axes : the elimination of disposable plastic, better consumer information, the fight against waste and reuse, the fight against programmed obsolescence and the improvement of the production circuit (“better production”).

2. Ban on plastic packaging around fresh fruit and vegetables weighing less than 1.5 kg

Some 30 fruit and vegetables will be sold without plastic. The aim is to reduce our consumption of packaging, especially single-use plastic. The sale of non-biodegradable plastic tea and herbal tea bags will also be banned.

3. Extension of the period of the legal guarantee of conformity

The legal guarantee of conformity for second-hand products is extended by 6 months. From now on, a lack of conformity that appears within 12 months on a product bought second-hand is presumed to have existed at the time of purchase, unless proven otherwise. An extension of 6 months is also applied to the legal guarantee of conformity for a repaired appliance.

4. Collection of new specific waste in shops

You can now drop off your used furniture, empty or full dangerous products (paints, glues, etc.) in the shops so that they can be reprocessed appropriately.

6. Information to consumers on the greenhouse gas emissions related to their internet and mobile phone use

Internet service providers and mobile operators will have to communicate to their subscribers the greenhouse gas emissions linked to their internet and mobile consumption. This information will make it possible to raise consumers’ awareness of the impact of their digital consumption on the environment and the climate.

7. Ban on plastic toys

Fast food outlets and restaurants will no longer be able to offer free plastic toys on their menus. Restaurants that wish to continue giving out free toys with their children’s menus will have to offer toys in other materials, such as wood or cardboard.

8. Mandatory water fountains in establishments open to the public

Establishments open to the public such as train stations, schools, universities, hospitals will have to be equipped with at least one drinking water fountain accessible to the public free of charge to avoid the purchase of plastic water bottles.

The festive season is the time when the most waste is produced. Between gifts, Christmas trees, decorations and meals, our waste production increases by 20%. Here are 8 practical tips to help you enjoy the festive season and limit your waste !

Tip 1 : Give a dematerialised gift

Give your loved ones a unique experience and not something that will end up in a cupboard.
There are a multitude of possibilities : restaurant, massage, night in an unusual accommodation, gift card, concert ticket… you can easily find an idea adapted to each person.

Tip 3 : Make your own gift wrap

To avoid using gift wrap that is not recyclable, buy a box or make a fabric wrap.
If you have the time, don’t hesitate to try “Furoshiki”. Furoshiki is an ancient Japanese technique of folding and tying fabrics. Objects are carefully wrapped in fabric squares for transport or gift giving. It is a very good alternative to gift wrap.

Tip 4 : Go for natural decoration

Plastic balls, artificial trees, garlands, fake snow… These are all non-recyclable materials! You can take advantage of this period to go for a walk in the forest, you can collect branches, bread apples, holly to make a natural decoration. Convivial and authentic, the plant decoration will dress your interior in a unique way.

Tip 5 : Avoid disposable items

Choose cloth tablecloths and napkins : you can avoid plastic cutlery and glasses or disposable straws. Why not bring out some old-fashioned crockery ?

Tip 6 : Reduce food waste

Picking up produce from local markets, delicatessens or farm shops can be a great way to reduce your waste, buying in good quantity and supporting local businesses. If you are shopping at the supermarket, opt for loose fruit and vegetables. This way you can also help reduce food waste.
Got lots of leftovers from your Christmas dinner ? Don’t worry, just put it in a box and take it home.

Tip 8 : Donate to a Christmas of solidarity

Christmas is a time for family gatherings, but it is also the ideal time to show your generosity. During this period, as throughout the year, you can deposit clothes that are no longer in use in special bins or donate books, CDs, DVDs, etc.

The Heyliot team wishes you a happy holiday season !

Heyliot was interviewed on BSMART in Thomas HUGUES’ Ecosystem show !

On October 29th, Loïc was the guest of Thomas HUGUES in the Ecosystem show on BSMART, the first daily RDV dedicated to companies and their partners. He was accompanied by Cécile SEMERIVA, innovation director at Citeo.

For Heyliot, this show was an opportunity to officially present our new sensor and to highlight our collaboration with Citeo since 2018.

▶️ Watch the replay of Loïc’s speech 👇

Many thanks to Cécile SEMERIVA for her presence and to Citeo for its support since 2018.

About Citeo

Citeo is a company with a mission created by companies in the consumer goods and distribution sector to reduce the environmental impact of their packaging and paper, by offering them solutions for reduction, reuse, sorting and recycling.

How did you get to Heyliot?

I was looking for an internship, I was sending requests without ever getting an answer until one day I was told about Heyliot, what they were doing and their innovation. Whether it was in terms of ideas or working methods, the Heyliot concept immediately appealed to me and I decided to contact one of the founders Cyril Pradel. After two interviews they agreed to host me for 2 months and I thank them for that !

How did your internship go ?

I really had a great internship, whether it was the atmosphere or the missions I was given, I was able to discover and learn many things about the internet of things, smartcities and everything that encompasses waste such as collection or recovery, this knowledge will undoubtedly be very useful in the future. This was not my first experience in a company, so I thought I had a little idea of how it was going to be, but I was clearly mistaken, I had a completely different experience. I first learned how to use and understand the different tools Heyliot uses and then I was given more important tasks that contributed to the smooth running of the start-up.

What were your assignments during your internship ?

At the beginning, I had communication missions which consisted for a lot of following the news of waste, I kept myself informed thanks to my news watch, the competitive watch and the prospect watch on illegal dumping, collection and recovery of bio-waste, composting, smartcities, manufacturers of RRP (Voluntary Waste Collection Points), the competitive market as well as IoT. The missions I was then given were halfway between assisting the project manager in the follow-up of customers, assisting the installation technician in its deployment, and assisting the embedded systems engineer in the assembly of the sensors.

As far as customer follow-up is concerned, I was able to check the collection, quantity and quality of the data processed with Excel, send out after-sales services with inventory, and write emails for various customer questions via the helpdesk.

With the installation technician I was able to assist him in his pre-deployment work to locate the points, name them and adjust the configuration of the various sensors to be installed. I also accompanied him after his installations in the analysis of the data from these sensors to ensure on the one hand the satisfaction of the customers but also the good functioning of these new points. In this rich experience I also had the chance to participate in the assembly of Heyliot’s innovative solution, which allowed me to better understand the product we sell.

What were your objectives and did you achieve them ?

My personal goal was first of all to see and understand how Heyliot and a start-up in general works, to be interested in every subject, to be curious, to understand every new word I heard (there were a lot of them), I think I succeeded in reaching this first goal.

What did you learn about the world of waste? About the smartcity ?

I had very little knowledge about these subjects but during my first days of internship, everyone took their time to show me, explain to me and help me (a big thank you to all of you) to get the necessary information to understand what was expected of me during these two months. The waste industry is huge and has very few limits at the moment because it is the future. I was able to discover the different waste collection companies, the big companies that deal with the recovery of these collections, the many manufacturers of these famous voluntary drop-off points that choose our solution, all these companies were unknown to me as well as their working methods and their organisations. Heyliot succeeded in showing me the path of our waste through the many companies, associations, groups … I also learned a lot about smartcities such as Lyon, which is a model, Lyon has managed to combine the digital transition, sustainable development and human evolution, which allows it to assert itself as a smart city. The smartcities were born thanks to the IoT, in other words the Internet of Things, which can be found more and more in all the innovative solutions and connected objects in the environmental sector but not only.

What advice/fun fact would you give to the next trainee joining our team?

I don’t know if I’m the best person to give advice, but to you, future trainee Heyliot, practice pool, don’t forget your badge, nor your computer. But if I can give a more serious advice it would be to be curious because for me it is what allowed me to discover as much as possible.

And after your internship at Heyliot, what do you do ?

After my internship, my objective is to validate my school year so that I can go on holiday.

How can we help the planet with a small gesture? Let’s find out together! Do you know the clean walk? It’s a green walk that consists in collecting and sorting a maximum of waste. Running, walking, alone or with a group, there is something for everyone.

Clean walk and Plogging : on your way, collect the waste !

In the street we find everything: tissues, plastic cigarette butts, leaflets, glass bottles… The “Clean Walker” movement consists in federating all the energies around a project that affects everyone and generate a collective awareness of the waste problem. The goal is to clean everything, to depollute a site cluttered with waste and to leave the place where you are even cleaner than it was when you arrived. Participating in a clean walk is : making a concrete gesture for the environment, sharing a moment of conviviality, participating in a solidarity and citizen initiative. You don’t need to have a lot of means, you just need a pair of gloves and a bag. The most present waste : cigarette butts. Some bars or restaurants even offer a coffee or a pancake in exchange for a bottle filled with cigarette butts!

Some people also practice “Plogging“, this term is a mix between plocka up which means to pick up and the word jogging. It consists in maintaining yourself while doing something for the environment. Collecting waste found on the ground while running, nothing better to act on the planet while doing sports. These citizen initiatives are spreading more and more on social networks. Indeed, to raise awareness and mobilize a maximum of people, pictures are posted showing places before and after cleaning. These photos spread very quickly and encourage the creation of new “Clean Walk” around the world.

Understanding the Clean Walk in 3 minutes

World clean up day : a day to serve the planet

The World CleanUp Day was founded in 2008 by Let’s Do It Foundation. This movement consists in collecting the waste of a country during one day. It has now spread to 156 countries and has mobilized 17.7 million citizens ten years later. The goal of this day: to avoid the proliferation of litter and to awaken a sense of responsibility towards the impact of the nuisance it causes.

France had its first edition in 2018. During this day, 200,000 people were mobilized and 3,000 clean ups were organized. Result of the day: 600T of waste collected, including 220T of reusable waste and 10 million cigarette butts. For its second edition, which took place on September 21, 2019, 265,000 people participated in a total of 400 operations on the French territory.

Clean Up dive : the sea is also polluted !

It is not only on the roads that we can act… The sea is also polluted by everyday waste. Marine debris is not only unsightly, it is also dangerous for marine life and very dangerous for human health. Marine animals become entangled in debris and even mistake it for food, often with fatal results. In addition, divers, swimmers and beachgoers can be directly injured by encounters with marine debris or its toxins. The environmental damage caused by plastic debris alone is estimated at $13 billion per year. To solve this problem, it is possible to go scuba diving, which is called “CleanUp Dive”. To protect the underwater environment, the association Project Aware was created at the end of the 80s. Since the launch of its program, more than 50,000 divers have participated and collected more than one million pieces of waste.

The data is collected by sensors, but it must then be analyzed and made to speak. To do this, we call on a data scientist. Let’s discover this job through the portrait of Dylan, datascientist at Heyliot!

How did you get to Heyliot?

In the summer of 2020 and in the midst of looking for a company for a work-study program, I got in touch with one of the co-founders of Heyliot, Cyril Pradel. It so happened that Heyliot was looking for a profile as a data scientist, and I liked the company’s profile very much: a sensor applied in an ecological smart-city framework below any greenwashing, it was a very interesting opportunity for someone like me who is interested in the ecological issue from an engineering point of view, so love at first sight did the trick.

What is your educational background ?

I entered an engineering school in Toulouse, the INSA of Toulouse, with the initial idea of doing a biological engineering course. Once there, my heart leaned towards mathematics. So I continued in this direction and integrated a double degree between INSA Toulouse and ENSEEIHT, another engineering school in Toulouse. The double degree allows me to approach data science with artificial intelligence tools, it mixes mathematical and computer tools.

What are the main tasks?

I think that one of the mandatory steps is to “clean” the data, to denoise it. This is an essential step because data that is too noisy is difficult to explain and exploit. The second mission is the task of explaining and exploiting the data as I mentioned before. Finally, as an engineer, the data scientist also has to keep an eye on technology: on the tools used to explain and exploit the data, but also on the data sources themselves. For example, one of my roles at Heyliot is to find data that can influence the level of filling of containers: weather, traffic in a place, surrounding transportation.

What types of data do you handle?

The data that is mainly handled is the container fill level. It is simply a large table where each line contains a date and the level of filling of the container at this date. Other quantitative data such as weather data, but also potential qualitative data such as the day and month of a container measurement are added. All these data can impact the measurement and more or less explain it.

What tools do you use? And for what needs?

On the mathematical level, the tools used are mainly statistical tools: regression, modeling, classification, which can be used to exploit and explain the data. There are also other mathematical tools of analysis used in particular to denoise the data. On the computer side: the preferred tool is the Python programming language. The R programming language can be added to it, which allows easy exploration of the data. Python being a full-fledged programming language, it allows to receive the data, to manipulate it and to send back what is interesting to the developers so that they can make it available to the clients.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to do this job?

I’m not sure I’m in a good position to give advice, but I would say that being curious about math and computer science is essential. I also think that a good data scientist takes moments of reflection to address the ethics of the job. A lot of technologies are going in the direction of big data, to name a few: autonomous cars, search engines, smart-city. In my opinion, it is essential to have a well-developed ethic on these issues.

A last word?

Thank you Heyliot for sharing with me this beautiful adventure that is data science!