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Mapflow and Valpak launch unique UK recycling website
...It may be a load of rubbish but technology has a role to play"
In Dublin Ireland, technology, geography, and heaps of trash have been brought together.
The result is another innovative LBS application.
Dublin Ireland, 8 May 2001: Advanced Internet mapping technologies created
by a pioneering Irish company are driving a new web site which helps both
businesses and the public throughout the United Kingdom to recycle their
rubbish. A hi-tech internet facility developed by the Irish geographic and
data systems company, Mapflow, allows people to identify their nearest waste
recycling sites in the UK at www.recycle-more.co.uk.
The advanced system was commissioned by Valpak, the UK's largest compliance
scheme, established to ensure that businesses affected by UK packaging waste
regulations comply with all the requirements of this legislation. In
particular, the technology was deployed to help many of Valpak's member
companies conform to a new part of the packaging waste regulations, known as
the Consumer Information Obligation (CIO). This new law has yet to impact
Ireland, but will do so in due course.
The CIO requires businesses in the UK to provide the end users of their
products with specific information including how to reuse, recover and
recycle packaging waste. After careful consideration of the new legislation,
Valpak chose an internet-based initiative as the best means of getting the
information out to the public, and launched www.recycle-more.co.uk. A
nationwide billboard advertising campaign and sponsorship of taxis in London
and in major cities across the UK are being used to promote the site.
The project involved the complex task of designing and implementing the
systems to collect and continually update the locations of almost 30,000
recycling points across the UK, and then allow for it to be published to
consumers visiting the recycle-more.co.uk site, depending on the specific
type of waste that they wished to recycle and their geographical location.
Both commercial and public visitors to the site simply type in their address
and postcode and the website will indicate the nearest recycling point. A
map of the exact location of the recycling depot can also be downloaded from
the site.
Search results are displayed graphically. Users can easily find out what kind of recycling
facilities are in their region. The map scale can be adjusted accordingly.
New technologies which facilitate location-based services are starting to
provide real benefits in the day-to-day lives of consumers throughout the
world. They can also be used by the emergency services and by commercial
interests to make services more efficient and geographically suited to
specific areas. Only a handful of companies worldwide have developed
technologies which can facilitate location based services using the
Internet.
"We were delighted to have had the opportunity to be involved in such a
relevant and useful application of location based technologies. We are now
in a position where we can apply the same technology and project approach in
other countries that must also adhere to the same EU regulations on waste
management", said Mr Richard Bryce, CEO, Mapflow.
Mapflow is currently in discussions with Valpak about a number of other
initiatives.
About Mapflow
Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, Mapflow is a rapidly growing spatial
technology company.
The company's flagship product, LocationAgent is a carrier grade XML and
JAVA based infrastructure platform which supports wireless carriers and
portals in their delivery of location based services to their subscribers.
The product supports all Internet access modes and devices
(HTML,WAP,SMS,IVR,etc), and has modules to support local information,
routing and security. Modules in the product pipeline include offers in
mobile commerce and social/gaming.
Mapflow also builds and maintains unique content (maps, directories, road
networks), hosts a carrier grade ASP service, and has a professional
services division with deep experience in systems integration, data
preparation and project management.
With deep experience in GSM infrastructure, Mapflow have successfully
integrated their products within CMG, Nokia, Nortel, Logica, and Lucent
environments.
Clients include BT owned ESAT Digifone, ntl and Eircom. An integrated
partnership programme co-ordinates content (such as TeleAtlas), technology
and business partnerships.
With backers that include Trinity Venture Capital and Merrion Capital and a
team that includes the founders of Aldiscon (developed SMS software) and
Apion (developed WAP Browser), Mapflow is positioned well to take a leading
position in the expanding global Location Based Services market.
About Valpak
Valpak is a not for profit company which provides a service to businesses
affected by the UKšs packaging waste regulations. Valpak members can be
assured that they meet the requirements of the regulations that require them
to contribute to the recovery and recycling of packaging waste.
Valpak is the UK's largest compliance scheme with over 3,300 members ranging
from large to small companies in a variety of industry sectors. Valpak was
incorporated in 1997.
Does your company have a new solution that WDN should know about? Send details to editors@wirelessdevnet.com
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