Waste
management has always attracted ingenuity, though it seems probable that much of
this had more to do with practices for escaping from waste than doing anything
about it. However, since the 1930s, we’ve seen a steady stream of advances in
waste management focused principally on protecting human health and safety, not
just of the public at large but—particularly in the case of automation—of those
who handle it. So what’s next?
Well,
for sure, there are right here and now some truly exciting activities, such as
satellite-based locating and tracking systems; simultaneous voice and data
communications; automated sorting equipment able to distinguish between various
classes of metals, plastics, and glass; and scales, sniffers, and discrete
identification devices designed to manage the way we assess, clear, and direct
the transfer of material through its various stages of passage through the
system ... and, in the process, store, massage, post, and deliver a detailed
accounting of each and every transaction to all parties involved in the
effort.
Looming
on the horizon are even greater levels of communications and information
capabilities, giving rise to what will someday approximate the level of positive
control of all waste activities, seen today in aviation... ready and able to
bring us into the world of just-in-time that will be necessary if we are to
convince those on the supply side of the material equation that our recycling
efforts can fit into the real world of production. In response, we’ve overhauled
our regulatory framework, processes, facilities, training, and mindset to match
the evolving situation.
On
an accelerating basis, the materials we’re being asked to handle, as well as the
societal expectation of their disposition, are undergoing change, adding
challenge, complexity, and sometimes risk to our operations. In nearly every
case, it has been the adoption of new technology that has underlain our success.
Yet the creation of new chemical compounds on a never-ending basis and the
exploding growth in the use of materials whose potential for environmental
damage is a cause for concern are creating challenges that still force us to
adopt costly and, in many cases, very labor-intensive, low-tech responses. Add
to this the realization that today you can count on the fingers of one hand the
number of recyclable materials that enjoy truly developed markets, and you can
see there is much work to be done in the way of diversion
practices.
In
the future, we assume, technology will present us with the increased
possibilities for transforming materials currently fit only for disposal into
marketable commodities. The key to this lies in our ability to add enough value
to a larger portion of the wastestream to make these goods competitive with
traditional materials in the supply chain.
So,
yes, technology certainly has a role in dealing with trash, but that’s not all
there is to it. I’d like you to consider technology as an important recruiting
tool for attracting those who will fill our shoes tomorrow. While we know that
waste management offers more opportunities and challenges than many more
seemingly attractive careers, we face an uphill recruiting battle. So what can
we do to lure “the best and the brightest?”
Showing
that beneath the surface of a vibrant, vital, and challenging business,
technology plays a leading role is important, and while we need to present our
case in words, the most convincing approach lies in deeds.
There
are many areas in waste management that can profit from greater technological
efforts, but (are you ready for the editorial message?) none so visible as
converting organic residuals to useful commodities, be they feedstock for new
products or the production of energy.