Why waste professionals should put IoT in the trash this holiday season.
By Geoff Aardsma
It’s the holly jolly holidays, yet for haulers that could mean unreliable pickups as dumpsters are filling up more quickly, or possibly less, due to inconsistent fluctuations in waste generation this time of year. What happens when you go to collect a dumpster and find it’s overflowing? Or when the opposite happens and you collect a dumpster that did not yet need to be collected, wasting time, energy and resources?
During this winter season, there are many added variables to a hauler’s pickup route — from snowy or frozen weather conditions to unknown dumpster levels. This ambiguity can cause haulers and customers major headaches, but what if there was a way to know what’s inside a dumpster before it gets collected?
Winter Waste Woes
As the temperature drops, it can be harder to predict everything from road conditions, to the weather and to how full dumpsters will be. Weather often impacts routes with road closures, ice and snow. Physically driving the hauling truck to a dumpster becomes more difficult and adds time to haulers’ already busy pickup schedules.
Not only does Mother Nature play a role in the hauler’s job during this season, but so does the inconsistent waste stream of facilities across industries, including restaurants, retailers and commercial properties. Businesses might be receiving more packages during this season which can increase the amount of waste in their dumpsters, but when there are more customers purchasing items and more product used, the opposite might be true, resulting in less trash in their dumpsters. Monitoring waste levels is something that would traditionally be unknown until the hauler arrives and can see for themselves.
Additionally, as haulers utilize GPS geofencing to track pickups within an area, it doesn’t always make it clear if a dumpster was actually collected, leading to higher possibility of missed pickups and frustrations with waste generator customers. This type of inconsistency can lead to operational disruptions for both waste generators and haulers, and it could question the quality of service from their hauler partner.
Holiday Wish List: Waste Bin IoT
Inconsistency from waste generators can be expected this holiday season, but knowing exactly how full, or not full, a waste bin is and if it was collected or not can be challenging during an already busy time.
Waste technology eliminates these unknowns, saving haulers time and resources. With container sensors that can monitor waste levels, coupled with an informed services provider, haulers can be notified if a dumpster is overflowing to take proper action. These devices can also monitor if a dumpster isn’t quite full yet and doesn’t need to be collected that day. This type of IoT technology enables more efficient and accurate collections, and provides added value for haulers’ customers who can now expect transparency into their waste services and needs.
Businesses who don’t have exact data on how much extra waste is created during the holidays can unnecessarily increase services, placing additional strain on already loaded routes. A technology-enabled services provider can validate exactly when pickups are needed and can better inform hauling routes to ensure smooth operations throughout the chain. Haulers face challenges with staffing routes during the holidays, and with additional, unnecessary stops added, the chances of not completing routes as scheduled increases. An informed industry partner can use this technology and data to make certain each pickup and scheduled route is as efficient as possible.
The holidays are hectic, stressful but oh so fun. This year, keep the holiday season merry and bright by embracing data in a once difficult to measure industry. Waste industry professionals can place efficiency at the top of their wish lists this season to better predict waste needs and deliver consistent, quality service for customers.
Geoff Aardsma, VP of client services at Enevo, focuses his expertise on optimizing waste collection systems and empowering waste generators to reduce their environmental impact. A diverse background in several aspects of solid waste management gives Geoff a balanced perspective on the challenges facing the industry today. For more information, visit https://enevo.com.