

The Future of the Waste Industry
The past two posts have given some keen insight into what demands and circumstances have brought us to where we are today. The convergence of increased waste production and the desire to protect our environment has forced the Waste Industry to adopt new technologies and operational practices that have had mixed results for both haulers and municipalities.
So, what does the future hold? Firstly, I believe the industry as a whole agrees that individual consumers, manufacturers and municipalities must take responsibility for the problem. Changing packaging, investing in recycling, providing multi-stream drop off locations, and utilizing newer technologies are just a few things that need to be provided. Consumers must be incented to adopt recycling practices that support a future vision of zero waste. Without their adoption, all the resources in the world will not bring about change.
Secondly, while progressive technologies are not the only answer, they lie at the heart of the many solutions that have been proposed. More and more cities around the world are seeking to coordinate all their technological pieces into a unified, seamless unit. When this can be done, these “smart cities” can collect data, streamline operations, and provide data that can help them make better decisions for their residents and businesses. This is the wave of the future. With the internet, cloud technology and flexible applications smart cities now have the technological pieces to accomplish this.
Concepts like smart technology, machine learning, robotics, automation are just a few concepts that will govern the growth in the waste industry. The waste industry, unfortunately, has been accused in the past of being slow adopters of technology. However, if we are to overcome all the obstacles that have placed us where we are today, we need to leverage the technology that is currently available to make vast strides into the future.
Do you currently utilize solutions in your office and trucks that is flexible enough to integrate with other systems, thereby leveraging all the resources you can to grow your business? If you do not believe, so please contact Alpine Technology Corporation for a demo of how we can help your future.