How to prepare a specification for an underground eco-island: what to define

A specification for an underground eco-island should not be limited to describing the container to be purchased.

It must define what the station must do, in which context it must operate, with which vehicles it will be emptied, which works must be carried out and which performance must be guaranteed during operation.

It is this distinction that allows a municipality or operator need to be turned into a technically verifiable supply and genuinely comparable offers.

Under the Public Contracts Code, the special specification defines the contents of the future contractual relationship and, for matters within its scope, also indicates technical specifications, certifications, test methods and other requirements. Annex II.5 to Legislative Decree 36/2023 also provides that specifications may be formulated in terms of performance or functional requirements and must not introduce unjustified obstacles to competition.

For an underground eco-island this principle is particularly important: the specification should describe verifiable performance and technical requirements, avoiding turning into a description of a single product.

The specification must start from the function of the station

The first information to define is not the container brand nor the platform model.

It is the function the island must perform.

A preliminary specification should answer at least these questions:

• how many accounts must be served;
• which waste streams must be collected;
• what capacity must be available;
• what emptying frequency is planned;
• which vehicle will carry out collection;
• where the station will be located;
• which works must be included;
• which safety conditions must be met;
• which digital systems are really necessary;
• who will manage maintenance and assistance.

Only after defining these elements does it make sense to describe the technical configuration.

A real tender can show how extensive the scope can become. In 2025 AMIU Puglia published in Bari a procedure for supply and installation of underground eco-islands, making available separately the tender documents, specification, container technical sheet, price list and bill of quantities.

This structure is significant because it shows that the island is not necessarily treated as a simple deliverable, but as an intervention composed of several technical and economic elements.

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What a good specification should contain

A complete specification can be organised in distinct blocks:

1. subject and scope of supply;
2. island configuration;
3. containers and volumes;
4. lifting and emptying modes;
5. emptying system;
6. compatibility with vehicles;
7. structure and tank;
8. civil works;
9. paving and finishes;
10. safety;
11. access and deposit;
12. access control;
13. sensors;
14. data management;
15. maintenance and assistance;
16. installation, commissioning and final documentation.

The level of detail must be proportionate to the intervention. A small supply can have simpler documentation; a municipal project with several stations normally requires a much stricter definition.

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1. Subject and scope of supply

The subject must immediately clarify what the authority is purchasing.

A generic formula such as:

“Supply of underground eco-islands”

leaves too many questions open.

It must be established whether the supply includes:

• containers;
• tanks;
• platforms;
• towers;
• lifting systems;
• deposit devices;
• access control;
• sensors;
• software;
• transport;
• installation;
• civil works;
• connections;
• paving restoration;
• commissioning;
• training;
• maintenance;
• assistance.

The AMIU Puglia Bari tender is a concrete example: the subject of the procedure was expressly supply and installation of underground eco-islands, with separate economic documentation for price list and bill of quantities.

This distinction must also appear in the request for quotation.

A supply of containers alone is not equivalent to a complete intervention ready for operation.

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2. Number of islands and number of containers

The specification must indicate how many stations are planned and, for each, what composition is required.

It is not enough to indicate:

“10 eco-islands”.

It must be possible to reconstruct at least:

Station	Waste stream	Number of containers	Capacity	Configuration
1	Paper	to be defined	to be defined	underground
1	Multi-material	to be defined	to be defined	underground
1	Organic	to be defined	to be defined	underground
1	Glass	to be defined	to be defined	underground
1	Residual	to be defined	to be defined	underground

Composition must be linked to service sizing.

In a public tender it is not unusual to find a true configuration technical sheet, separate from the rest of the specification. AMIU Bari published a specific annex relating to underground containers in addition to the general specification.

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3. Volume: define required volume, not only available volume

Capacity is one of the most important requirements, but it must be justified by the service.

Bunder Waste offers several configurations, including:

• bell underground systems of 3, 4 and 5 m³;
• platforms for bins of 1,100 and 1,700 litres;
• platforms for stationary bins of 2,400 and 3,200 litres;
• different semi-underground systems with capacity depending on configuration.

These data describe available product families; they do not constitute automatic project sizing.

The specification must indicate for each waste stream:

• required nominal volume;
• any number of containers;
• planned collection frequency;
• any maximum operating level;
• any design margins;
• any dimensional constraints.

The question to start from is:

how much volume must the station be able to absorb between two emptyings?

Not:

which container offers the greatest capacity?

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4. Waste stream type

The specification should clearly identify waste streams.

For example:

• paper and cardboard;
• multi-material;
• glass;
• organic;
• residual waste.

When the system must handle specific streams, the specification should also indicate any functional requirements linked to deposit.

Not all streams have the same production, collection frequency or operational needs.

A glass container, for example, can require a different configuration from one intended for organic waste.

Sizing must therefore be carried out per waste stream, not only on overall island volume.

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5. Lifting, emptying and emptying modes

This is one of the points where a generic specification risks creating problems.

The system must clarify:

• who lifts the container;
• with which vehicle;
• which lifting system is used;
• whether lifting is hydraulic or mechanical;
• how the container is brought to emptying level;
• how emptying takes place;
• how the container is repositioned.

Bunder Waste configurations follow different logics.

Bell underground systems are associated with dedicated lifting systems. Platforms for wheeled bins allow bins to be brought to road level before rear loading. Platforms for stationary bins are designed for side loading.

The specification must therefore describe the required operational sequence, not limit itself to the word “lifting”.

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6. Compatibility with collection vehicles

This is one of the requirements that should never be left implicit.

The specification should indicate at least:

• vehicle type;
• loading system;
• lifting system;
• any operational dimensions;
• vehicle position during emptying;
• any hydraulic connections;
• any control requirements;
• any accessibility limits.

Bunder Waste distinguishes, for example, platforms for bins of 1,100 and 1,700 litres associated with rear loading and platforms for stationary bins of 2,400 and 3,200 litres associated with side loading.

This relationship between infrastructure and vehicle should appear explicitly in tender documentation.

It should not be left to the phase after award.

The technical question to include

A well-built specification should allow verification of:

Is the offered system compatible with the collection vehicles indicated by the contracting authority and does it allow complete emptying operations under the planned conditions?

In this way the requirement becomes verifiable.

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7. Dimensions and footprints

An effective specification must indicate not only capacity.

When necessary it must define:

• structure footprint;
• tank dimensions;
• levels;
• depth;
• access spaces;
• tower position;
• area required for the vehicle;
• safety spaces;
• accessibility for maintenance.

Dimensions can depend on the number of containers and their volume.

For platforms described by Bunder Waste, for example, the underground structure varies according to the number and capacity of housed bins.

It is therefore often more useful to indicate dimensional constraints and required performance rather than impose an arbitrary geometry.

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8. Tank and underground structure

The tank is an integral part of the infrastructure.

The specification should clarify:

• construction type;
• structural characteristics;
• expected resistance;
• watertightness or water-related requirements, where relevant;
• access systems;
• installation mode;
• interface with paving;
• dimensions;
• compatibility with containers.

For bell underground systems on Bunder Waste a monolithic prefabricated reinforced concrete tank is indicated. Actual characteristics must nevertheless be those of the configuration subject to supply.

The specification should not turn this indication into an arbitrary requirement if the project allows technically equivalent solutions.

The correct principle is:

define the necessary performance and then allow technically equivalent solutions when compatible with the project.

This approach is consistent with Annex II.5 to the Public Contracts Code, which provides for specifications in performance or functional terms and recalls the principle of equal access for economic operators.

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9. Civil works

This is one of the most important points in a tender.

The specification must clarify who carries out:

• excavation;
• base preparation;
• foundations or sub-bases, when provided for;
• structures;
• any drainage;
• water management;
• connections;
• installation;
• backfill;
• restoration;
• finishes.

If civil works are excluded, it must be clear who assumes their execution.

If they are included, they must be adequately quantified and described.

AMIU Bari 2025 tender documentation shows this separation: in addition to specification and technical sheet there were a specific price list and bill of quantities.

A bill of quantities does not replace the technical specification, but allows the technical requirement to be linked to the economic item to be accounted for.

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10. Utilities and site conditions

The specification should clearly indicate which site information is provided to the procedure.

It is useful to define:

• plan;
• coordinates or station positions;
• levels;
• known utilities;
• existing paving;
• site accessibility;
• constraints;
• known subsoil conditions.

This point is not theoretical.

In the AMIU Bari tender, among questions published by bidders, there was also a request to know the precise location of underground islands because the specification did not define it sufficiently.

For a project with underground works, lack of site information can translate into:

• offers based on different assumptions;
• requests for clarification;
• variants;
• coordination difficulties;
• unforeseen costs.

Location must therefore be part of project documentation when already available.

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11. Paving and finishes

The station does not end at the tank edge.

The surface must be integrated into the context.

The specification should establish:

• finish material;
• finished level;
• any paving to be integrated;
• colour and finish of visible elements;
• tower characteristics;
• pedestrian accessibility;
• any architectural prescriptions.

For underground platforms described on Bunder Waste, the tread surface can be provided in galvanized and patterned steel or prepared for paving selected for the project.

In a historic square or a newly built residential complex this aspect can be as important as container capacity.

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12. Towers and deposit points

Towers are the user interface with the station.

The specification should indicate:

• number;
• associated waste stream;
• position;
• stream identification;
• opening dimensions;
• opening mode;
• accessibility;
• any safety devices;
• any access control.

AMIU Bari tender technical documentation shows how deposit openings can become complex devices, with controlled opening, user identification, inhibiting functions and other electronic elements.

Not all projects require the same level of technology.

The specification should therefore clearly distinguish between:

mandatory function

and

optional or enhancement function.

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13. Access control

If the island is computerised, the specification should not limit itself to the formula “access control”.

It must define the required behaviour.

For example:

• free or restricted access;
• user identification;
• credential used;
• authorisation per waste stream;
• user management;
• operator access;
• emergency mode;
• event logging;
• management of revoked authorisations.

In a public project it can be useful to define also procedures for:

• credential replacement;
• loss;
• blocking;
• maintenance;
• temporary access management.

Access control is a service function, not a simple hardware feature.

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14. Fill sensors

“Fill sensor” is also too generic a description for a specification.

The following must be defined:

• which status must be detected;
• with which technology, when necessary;
• how often it is updated;
• how it is transmitted;
• which thresholds must be managed;
• which alarms must be produced;
• where data must go;
• how data are used in the collection process.

If the objective is to optimise emptying, the specification should describe at least the link between:

It is not enough to request simple “smart readiness”.

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15. Data transmission and information system

When a computerised system is planned, the invisible part must also be defined.

A serious specification should specify:

• data produced;
• transmission frequency;
• unidirectional or bidirectional communication;
• protocol or interoperability requirements, where relevant;
• handling of loss of connectivity;
• local storage;
• synchronisation;
• security;
• authentication;
• event logging;
• data export.

The AMIU Bari tender offers a concrete example of complexity at this level. Clarifications published on the tender include the topic of real-time data availability, bidirectional communications, self-diagnosis and necessary connectivity.

It is a good example of a general principle:

if a digital function is required, the requirements necessary to make it truly operational must also be defined.

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16. Power and autonomy

An electronic system requires a power source.

The specification should define, according to configuration:

• primary power;
• any battery;
• minimum autonomy;
• recharge management;
• status signalling;
• behaviour when battery is low;
• replacement;
• any supplementary power systems.

In a real public tender questions also emerged on energy consumption, use of Bluetooth and possibility of using a photovoltaic panel to support the battery.

This type of problem should be addressed before award, not during operation.

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17. Safety

Safety must cover at least three phases:

Construction site

Excavation, handling, installation, laying and restoration.

Operation

Use by citizens, platform movement, lifting and collection operations.

Maintenance

Access to technical elements, interventions and shutdown conditions.

The UNI EN 13071 series includes specific requirements for stationary container systems; Part 2:2019 concerns in particular underground or semi-underground systems, top-lifted and bottom-emptied, for non-hazardous solid waste up to 5,000 litres. The standard is currently in force.

The specification should therefore refer to applicable technical standards without inventing requirements or citing superseded editions.

The correct requirement is not:

“safe product”.

It is necessary to indicate which safety, conformity, test and documentation requirements must be verified.

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18. Accessibility

The deposit area must be usable by the intended users.

Under the Public Contracts Code, Annex II.5 expressly recalls accessibility for people with disabilities and design suitable for all users in technical specifications intended for use by natural persons.

For an eco-island this means considering, in relation to the project:

• pedestrian routes;
• levels;
• surfaces;
• manoeuvring space;
• opening positions;
• opening modes;
• signage legibility;
• any interaction with access control systems.

Checking accessibility of the nearby building is not enough.

The deposit station must also be accessible.

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19. Maintenance

The specification must answer the question:

what happens after delivery?

It should specify:

• routine maintenance;
• extraordinary maintenance;
• wear components;
• spare parts;
• assistance;
• intervention times;
• availability;
• fault handling;
• maintenance of electronic systems;
• software updates, where relevant;
• any fees;
• reporting modes.

A hydraulic platform introduces different needs from a bell emptied by lifting.

A computerised island introduces further components compared with a traditional station.

These differences must be reflected in the contract.

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20. Service continuity in case of fault

This is one of the clauses most easily forgotten.

An island must be manageable even when:

• the sensor does not communicate;
• the reader fails;
• the battery is flat;
• the platform is out of service;
• the IT system is unreachable;
• the vehicle cannot temporarily perform the normal cycle.

The specification should define fault management modes.

For example:

• manual opening for authorised operators;
• alternative system;
• intervention procedure;
• deposit temporarily suspended;
• substitute collection;
• maximum restoration times.

The technical solution must not be evaluated only when it works normally.

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21. Documentation to be delivered

The specification should establish which documents must be delivered.

Depending on supply the following may be required:

• technical datasheets;
• user manuals;
• maintenance manuals;
• declarations of conformity;
• certifications or test reports provided for;
• drawings;
• diagrams;
• electrical documentation, when present;
• hydraulic documentation, when present;
• component register;
• software documentation;
• administrative credentials;
• data-related documentation;
• as-built;
• commissioning records.

This documentation must be defined before contract signature.

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22. Commissioning and performance verification

A good technical specification must allow establishment of when the station can be considered correctly delivered.

Commissioning can include, according to configuration:

Physical part

• dimensions;
• finishes;
• integrity;
• levels;
• positioning.

Mechanical part

• lifting;
• lowering;
• movement;
• safety locks.

Functional part

• opening of deposit points;
• deposit;
• emptying;
• repositioning.

Digital part

• identification;
• event logging;
• data transmission;
• sensors;
• alarms;
• dashboard.

Documentation part

• manuals;
• certifications;
• declarations;
• final documentation.

The specification should link each important requirement to the relevant verification method.

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23. Environmental requirements and CAM

For a public tender minimum environmental criteria (CAM) applicable must also be verified.

The Decree of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security of 7 April 2025 adopted CAM for awarding urban waste collection and transport service, cleaning and sweeping and for supply of containers and bags, as well as relevant vehicles and equipment. The decree was published in the Official Gazette on 19 April 2025.

This does not mean that every CAM clause automatically applies to any underground island.

It means that, in tender phase, the contracting officer and designer must verify which pertinent minimum environmental criteria must be incorporated in project and contract documentation.

The specification should therefore have a section dedicated to applicable environmental requirements, avoiding generic CAM references without specifying which criteria are actually required.

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24. How to avoid a specification built on a single product

This is one of the most delicate points.

A specification can become excessively prescriptive when it combines:

• a precise capacity;
• precise dimensions;
• precise materials;
• number and position of components;
• proprietary electronic system;
• characteristics not necessary to the result;
• a particular technology without project justification.

The result can be a requirement that practically describes an existing product instead of the required performance.

The Public Contracts Code provides that technical specifications allow equal access for economic operators and do not introduce unjustified obstacles to competition.

For this reason it is preferable to distinguish:

functional requirement: what the system must do;

performance requirement: what performance it must guarantee;

dimensional requirement: what physical limits it must respect;

test method: how to verify the requirement;

construction solution: only when really necessary.

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Example: turning a weak specification into a verifiable one

Weak wording

“Supply 5 m³ smart underground bin with advanced technology.”

The requirement does not allow one to know:

• which waste stream;
• which lifting system;
• which vehicle;
• which behaviour;
• which technology;
• which data;
• which performance;
• how to commission the system.

More useful wording

“The system shall provide nominal capacity of X litres for waste stream Y, be compatible with lifting system Z adopted by the authority, allow emptying operations without modification to the vehicle indicated in tender documents and, where access control is provided for, log the account identifier and deposit event according to the modes defined in this specification.”

The second wording describes a measurable requirement without necessarily becoming a description of a single product.

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25. How to describe the “smart” system without using a generic word

“Smart” is not a technical specification.

If the project requires access control and monitoring, these functions must be turned into requirements.

Access control

Define:

• who may deposit;
• how they are identified;
• which openings are controlled;
• which events are logged.

Monitoring

Define:

• which parameter is detected;
• how often;
• which threshold generates an event;
• where data are sent;
• who consults them.

Communication

Define:

• connection;
• transmission;
• offline behaviour;
• synchronisation.

Software

Define:

• dashboard;
• reports;
• users;
• export;
• any integrations.

AMIU Bari documentation is useful precisely because it shows how apparently simple requirements can become technical detail: bidirectional communications, real-time data, self-diagnosis and opening management were the subject of specific questions during the tender.

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26. The specification must also define the relationship between supplier and operator

When several parties are involved, responsibilities must be established.

For example:

Activity	Party
Island design	To be defined
Civil works	To be defined
Container supply	Supplier
Transport	To be defined
Installation	To be defined
Connections	To be defined
Commissioning	To be defined
Software	To be defined
Hardware maintenance	To be defined
Software maintenance	To be defined
Data management	To be defined
Assistance	To be defined

The specification should avoid overlaps or grey areas.

A phrase such as “the supplier shall guarantee correct operation of the island” is too generic if what “operation” concretely includes is not established.

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27. Technical checklist for the contracting officer

Before publishing a procedure, it is useful to verify at least these points.

Service

• Accounts defined
• Waste streams defined
• Capacity sized
• Frequencies defined
• Vehicles identified
• Emptying mode defined

Station

• Number of islands defined
• Number of containers per island defined
• Volumes defined
• Towers defined
• Footprints verified
• Depth verified

Site

• Position available
• Plan attached
• Vehicle access verified
• Utilities verified
• Paving defined
• Any constraints identified

Works

• Excavation defined
• Structures defined
• Water management verified
• Restoration defined
• Installation included or explicitly excluded

Safety

• Regulatory requirements verified
• Emptying operations defined
• Maintenance accessible
• Pedestrian interference considered
• Emergency procedures defined

Smart

• Access control required or excluded
• User identification defined
• Sensors defined
• Required data defined
• Transmission defined
• Offline behaviour defined
• Software and integrations defined

Contract

• Maintenance defined
• Assistance defined
• Spare parts defined
• Intervention times defined
• Commissioning defined
• Final documentation defined
• Applicable CAM verified

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28. Errors that weaken a specification

“Supply of underground eco-islands”

Too generic.

“Containers of X litres”

Does not define the service they must perform.

“System compatible with vehicles”

Does not indicate which vehicles nor how compatibility must be guaranteed.

“Smart system”

Does not define functions.

“Fill sensor”

Does not define data, frequency, threshold, transmission and use.

“Including civil works”

Does not clarify which works are included.

“Compliant with applicable regulations”

Too generic without indicating applicable references and required documentation.

“Turnkey”

Must be accompanied by precise definition of what it includes.

No reference to maintenance

Leaves open one of the most important aspects of cost and operational continuity.

No commissioning criteria

A non-verifiable requirement is difficult to manage on delivery.

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Specification, technical sheet, bill of quantities: they are not the same thing

In a complex project it is advisable to keep different documents separate.

Special specification

Defines the contractual relationship and supply or intervention requirements.

Technical sheet

Describes in detail configurations and required performance.

Bill of quantities

Quantifies works and planned economic quantities.

Price list

Assigns economic items to individual elements.

Graphic documents

Show position, dimensions, levels, interference and station configuration.

The AMIU Bari tender is a concrete example of this documentary structure: the portal makes available separately tender documents, specification, technical sheet, price list and bill of quantities.

This separation also facilitates verification of offers.

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An example specification structure

For a tender intended to build several islands, a possible structure is:

1. Subject of contract
2. Scope of supply
3. Regulatory and technical references
4. Service description
5. Accounts and waste streams
6. Sizing
7. Configuration of individual islands
8. Containers
9. Lifting and emptying systems
10. Emptying systems
11. Compatibility with vehicles
12. Tanks and structures
13. Towers and deposit interfaces
14. Paving and finishes
15. Civil works
16. Utilities and interference
17. Safety
18. Accessibility
19. Access control
20. Sensors
21. Transmission and data management
22. Software and integrations
23. Power supply
24. Maintenance
25. Assistance
26. Spare parts
27. Installation
28. Commissioning
29. Training
30. Final documentation
31. Performance verification criteria
32. Warranty
33. Bill of quantities and price list
34. Applicable environmental criteria

The structure must be adapted to the subject of the contract. Not all sections are necessary for every supply.

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The most important part: writing requirements that can be verified

The specification must allow unambiguous passage from:

“I want it”

to

“I can verify it”.

For each important requirement it is therefore advisable to ask:

1. What is the required performance?
2. What is the minimum value or condition?
3. How must it be demonstrated?
4. When is it verified?
5. What happens if it is not met?

This applies to everything:

capacity, dimensions, lifting, emptying, safety, accessibility, sensors, software and maintenance.

It is the step that turns a technical description into a true contractual specification.

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The specification must be built on the system, not the bin

An underground eco-island works only if all its components are compatible:

A specification that describes only the container leaves uncovered elements that can determine failure of the intervention.

Design must instead link physically and operationally:

• container;
• tank;
• platform or lifting system;
• towers;
• vehicle;
• road;
• civil works;
• operator;
• user;
• any digital platform.

It is precisely this relationship that must emerge from tender documentation.

From municipality need to technical specification

The correct path can be summarised as follows:

At that point the specification is no longer a list of product features.

It is the technical translation of the service the authority wants to deliver.