The waste collection and management industry is a constantly evolving one — sometimes making it a challenge to stay on top of the latest developments. But here at Wastequip® and Wastequip-backed brands Toter®, ContainerPros®, and wastewareTM, we’re always keeping our ears to the ground for the latest industry happenings and trends.
So what’s in store for the industry in 2022? Here are our predictions for five leading trends to look out for in waste collection and management in the coming year:
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Evolving tech solutions
- The growth of digital and other high-tech solutions to aid with a range of waste-industry challenges will pick up pace. The industry undertakings for which smartphone apps, cloud-based solutions and other computer-based tools will deliver added assistance will include sorting waste, separating recyclables from waste materials, recording and assessing household recycling trends, and requesting/scheduling curbside pickups, just to name a few.
One leading example of a digital solutions provider in the industry, Wastequip brand wastewareTM, offers a cloud-based solutions suite and a mobile app designed to help users in the waste and recycling industry stay informed and to support accurate decision-making based on transparent and reliable data. Its brand-agnostic, waste industry-focused software platform is designed not only for any company in the business, but also for cities and municipalities to help them provide essential business functions. These include inventory and asset management.
- The growth of digital and other high-tech solutions to aid with a range of waste-industry challenges will pick up pace. The industry undertakings for which smartphone apps, cloud-based solutions and other computer-based tools will deliver added assistance will include sorting waste, separating recyclables from waste materials, recording and assessing household recycling trends, and requesting/scheduling curbside pickups, just to name a few.
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More organics-derived energy
- California has long been a trendsetter in the nation’s eco-technology efforts, and the practice of deriving energy from organic waste is no exception.
Meanwhile, forward-thinking waste-industry suppliers are already gearing up for a broader utilization of collected organic wastes. For example, to help facilitate the separation of household organic waste from other waste types — as well as compliance with new industry standards such as California’s SB 1383 — Wastequip brands Toter and ConFab are creating solutions such as carts, bins and collection containers that make it easier than ever to collect and transport organic materials.
- California has long been a trendsetter in the nation’s eco-technology efforts, and the practice of deriving energy from organic waste is no exception.
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A rise in corporate responsibility
- In the 21st century, consumers are becoming more keenly aware of the need for businesses — and especially larger corporations — to consider the environmental impacts of their work. Businesses should also consider taking proactive steps toward limiting (and even eliminating) any negative impacts they may have on the planet. And as more consumers make their buying choices based on corporations’ eco-friendliness, growing numbers of businesses are making sincere efforts to adopt “green” practices, both to protect their bottom lines and to do their part in preserving the planet. As in most other segments of the economy, this trend is alive and well in the waste collection and management industry, where the very nature of the business is more directly connected to environmental concerns than in many other industries. And we don’t see the industry’s eco-momentum slowing anytime soon.
Great examples of this positive trend in the waste industry can be seen in Wastequip and its Toter brand, both of which are striving to lead the charge in sustainable waste-industry practices. Wastequip’s CORE (COrporate REsponsibility) program, for example, formalizes the industry leader’s commitment to preserving the planet for future generations, as well as to improving the lives of its employees and the communities it serves. And through its Project25 initiative, Toter is demonstrating its dedication to reducing the use of virgin resin in its cart manufacturing by 25% — a goal that will help reduce Toter’s carbon footprint by at least 9% per cart.
- In the 21st century, consumers are becoming more keenly aware of the need for businesses — and especially larger corporations — to consider the environmental impacts of their work. Businesses should also consider taking proactive steps toward limiting (and even eliminating) any negative impacts they may have on the planet. And as more consumers make their buying choices based on corporations’ eco-friendliness, growing numbers of businesses are making sincere efforts to adopt “green” practices, both to protect their bottom lines and to do their part in preserving the planet. As in most other segments of the economy, this trend is alive and well in the waste collection and management industry, where the very nature of the business is more directly connected to environmental concerns than in many other industries. And we don’t see the industry’s eco-momentum slowing anytime soon.
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A continuing phase-out of plastics
- Industries across the board are looking to use less plastic and/or to recycle more of it. After all, many plastics are never recycled, some single-use plastics are estimated to take 1,000 years or longer to degrade in a landfill, and plastics pose a recurring threat to wildlife and ecosystems — just to name a few of the material’s environmental shortfalls. We anticipate the move toward using less and recycling more plastics to continue gaining momentum in all industries, including the waste collection and management industry.
This also marks another area in which a member of the Wastequip family of brands is leading the waste industry’s sustainability charge. In addition to incorporating post-consumer (PCR) and post-industrial (PIR) sources of recycled material in its carts via the above-mentioned Project 25 initiative, Wastequip brand Toter recently introduced the EVR-Green, which features the waste and recycling industry’s first cart body made from 100% recycled material.
- Industries across the board are looking to use less plastic and/or to recycle more of it. After all, many plastics are never recycled, some single-use plastics are estimated to take 1,000 years or longer to degrade in a landfill, and plastics pose a recurring threat to wildlife and ecosystems — just to name a few of the material’s environmental shortfalls. We anticipate the move toward using less and recycling more plastics to continue gaining momentum in all industries, including the waste collection and management industry.
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A surge in sustainable innovation
- Recent sustainability-focused innovations related to waste collection and management include recyclables-sorting technology that employs AI and machine vision, the introduction of compostable single-use products and advances in the conversion of waste products to renewable energy. And here at Wastequip, we hold a strong belief that such industry innovations are just getting started — and that moves toward added sustainability will continue to be the leading driver of waste-industry innovations moving forward.
For our part, we’re committed to maintaining a relentless pursuit of eco-friendly innovations within our own family of brands — and to introducing innovative new products such as Toter’s above-mentioned 100% recycled cart body, the EVR-Green. With these and additional eco-focused efforts, we’ll strive to lead the way toward a more sustainable future for the entire waste and recycling industry.To learn more about Toter and its broad range of offerings for waste collection and disposal, visit toter.com.
And to learn more about Toter’s commitment to environmental sustainability, visit the webpage for the company’s Project 25 initiative.About Toter
Toter is the leading provider of waste and recycling carts to waste haulers and municipalities in North America. Additional products include specialty carts for document management, electronic waste, organics, medical waste and more. Manufactured using Advanced Rotational Molding, Toter carts offer a greater service life than injection-molded carts. Toter is also the only commercial-grade cart available to consumers at retailers nationwide. Toter is a division of Wastequip. Learn more on the web at www.toter.com.About Wastequip
Wastequip is the leading North American manufacturer of waste handling equipment, with an international network of manufacturing facilities and the most extensive dealer network in the industry. Wastequip’s broad range of waste and recycling equipment, trucks and systems is used to collect, process and transport recyclables, solid waste, liquid waste and organics. The company’s brands include Wastequip, Wastequip WRX™, Wastebuilt®, Toter®, Galbreath®, Pioneer™, Mountain Tarp®, ContainerPros®, wasteware™, ConFab®, and Accurate™. For more information, visit www.wastequip.com.
- Recent sustainability-focused innovations related to waste collection and management include recyclables-sorting technology that employs AI and machine vision, the introduction of compostable single-use products and advances in the conversion of waste products to renewable energy. And here at Wastequip, we hold a strong belief that such industry innovations are just getting started — and that moves toward added sustainability will continue to be the leading driver of waste-industry innovations moving forward.