Trash Tracking at MIT
I can see it now, Trash Trackers, will be a new TV show on Discovery Channel. Ostensibly, It’ll be a half hour, but with all the foreshadoing and recap, it’ll actually be only 12 minutes of actual content. Those shows crack me up.
But the guys at MIT really are tracking trash. They say they want to educate people about consequences of their consumerism. But really, what good will come from knowing that your Starbucks cup takes 30 hours to reach the landfill?
On the other hand, putting GPS tags on trash is a great way to hold your waste management vendor’s feet to the fire. Here is what’s appealing. You can follow your roll off containers and compactors and see if your trash is is really going to where your hauler’s rep says it’s going. Some landfills are closer to your shop, others more distant, some have cheaper tipping fees than others. With this GPS tracking idea, you can “trust, but verify” that your trash is going to the closest and cheapest landfill so that your waste hauling invoices are as low as possible.
Don’t think this happens? It does. I have heard plenty of stories from my peers about the rolloff driver turning left out of the gate, instead of right and the client pays for that bigtime. I mean who you gonna have at your plant shadowing the garbage truck? Other than your waste consultant, that is.
Waste Consultant Service and Process Summary
Our waste consulting process is as follows:
1. Invoice Evaluation
Twelve months worth of trash and recycling invoices are analyzed and evaluated for trends, overages and shortages and available refunds.
2. Waste Stream Evaluation
An evaluation is conducted either using digital pictures or by an on-site visit. We do this without delays or interruptions to day to day operations.
3. Contract Evaluation
Current hauler contracts are compared to best practices and to ensure that proper service is being provided to the client.
4. Recommendation and Implementation
Recommendations are presented with a financial impact statement. We then implement striving to do 95% of the execution for the client.
5. Follow Up Monitoring
Invoices are reviewed monthly for accuracy, price increase notices are battled for the client and new opportunities are presented as they arise.
