Valeria Supranovich
The Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering has completed a research project on the use of pneumatic waste transport systems in residential complexes. The study was funded by a 2026 grant from SPbGASU's research and teaching staff.
The relevance of this topic stems from the objectives of the national project "Environmental well-being," enshrined in Decree No. 309 of the President of Russia dated 7 May, 2024. Within the framework of the federal project "Closed-Loop Economy," special attention is paid to improving the solid municipal waste management system and developing mechanisms for the recycling of resources.
Today, household waste in residential buildings is collected primarily through container sites and in-building waste disposal systems, with waste removal carried out by specialized vehicles. This system often results in lower quality recyclables due to insufficient initial sorting and long-term waste storage, and also increases the burden on the city's road network.
Research conducted at the SPbGASU Department of Architectural Design between 2020 and 2026, led by Valeria Supranovich, PhD of Architecture and Associate Professor, demonstrated that the design of solid municipal waste management facilities must be considered within a unified system of "residential development – waste sorting facility." According to the researchers, urban planning, functional planning, and technological solutions for such facilities directly depend on the surrounding context and the intended use of the area.
The research paper "Characteristics of the functional planning of residential complexes using pneumatic waste transportation systems in the Russian Federation" examined the current regulatory framework and approaches to waste collection in residential complexes across the country. The authors concluded that residential areas are a major source of waste generation, and the introduction of pneumatic transportation systems can improve the quality of primary MSW sorting, reduce waste storage time, and alleviate the transport burden on urban infrastructure.
The study's findings are supported by an analysis of domestic and international experience. The SberCity residential complex in Moscow, which includes the installation of solid municipal waste collection systems in the surrounding area, was considered as a Russian example. Among international examples, the researchers highlighted the Clichy-Batignolles district in Paris, which utilizes modern approaches to waste management.
The practical portion of the study was continued by first-year master's students from the SPbGASU Department of Architectural Design, under the supervision of Valeria Supranovich. As part of development concepts for the Utkina Zavod and Krasny Kirpichnik areas in St Petersburg, the students analyzed the feasibility of integrating pneumatic waste transportation systems into the structure of modern residential complexes.
The results obtained can be used in the design of new residential development projects and the improvement of urban infrastructure. The study highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to solid municipal waste management and demonstrates the potential of modern technologies for improving the environmental sustainability of urban environments.