Industry Profile: Solid Waste Management
In this feature:
- Insights on the solid waste industry
- Interview with David Biderman, general counsel of NSWMA and WASTEC
- Preview of WasteExpo
- New DriveCam customer Waste Connections
This month, the editors of In The Driver’s Seat are taking a closer look at the waste management industry, and in particular, solid waste, in light of WasteExpo, North America’s largest solid waste and recycling trade show serving both the private and public sectors. We’re also pleased to announce our newest customer in this industry, Waste Connections.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency reports that in 2005, Americans generated approximately 245.7 million tons of municipal solid waste. In 2001, the solid waste industry in the United States generated $43.3 billion in revenues, directly employed 367,800 people and used approximately 206,000 pieces of motorized equipment, including 148,000 vehicles dedicated to the collection and transfer of solid waste (National Solid Wastes Management Association).
Every day, thousands of waste haulers across the country perform the crucial task of collecting solid waste from our homes and businesses and transporting it to landfills, processing centers and recycling facilities. The vehicles they operate are heavy and dangerous.
In The Driver’s Seat recently caught up with David Biderman, general counsel for the National Solid Waste Management Association and Waste Equipment Technology Association, and spoke with him about the solid waste industry. Following are excerpts from our discussion with David.
Editor: Tell us about yourself and your background.
DB: I am the General Counsel for the National Solid Waste Management Association (NSWMA) and Waste Equipment Technology Association (WASTEC), but an increasing percentage of my time is spent on safety-related activities, including developing safety training materials, providing safety training, writing the associations’ weekly Safety Monday newsletter, helping members with OSHA and safety issues and coordinating the activities of the associations’ Safety Committee. Prior to joining the associations, I was a lawyer at a large Washington, D.C., law firm specializing in environmental and safety issues.
Editor: How did you become involved with DriveCam?
DB: I became aware of DriveCam in early 2007, when a few of NSWMA’s members mentioned they were testing the company’s products. DriveCam is a member of WASTEC and is a member of the association’s Safety Committee. As the person responsible for safety at NSWMA and WASTEC, if there are companies like DriveCam that reduce the frequency of accidents and injuries involving solid waste vehicles and employees, I want to know about them and help them succeed.
Editor: What are the fleet safety concerns of waste haulers and waste management companies? Are there safety challenges unique to this industry?
DB: Solid waste vehicles collect trash in a wide variety of urban, suburban and rural environments during both the day and night. Unless there is a snowstorm or hurricane, the trash needs to be collected. Therefore, solid waste drivers do their job in challenging weather – rain, snow, ice, and during the hottest days of summer in the desert Southwest as well as the coldest days of winter in the upper Midwest. Also, hauling companies do not control the amount, size or weight of trash, or often, where the customer places it.
Some of the most common fleet safety concerns for solid waste companies are backing, rear-end collisions with other vehicles, entering / crossing intersections and striking pedestrians. To be honest, the wide variety of accidents involving solid waste vehicles is amazing. Last year, a pig escaped from a tractor-trailer in Indiana. A garbage truck swerved to avoid hitting the pig and overturned. You can’t make this stuff up! And things like this happen all the time.
Editor: What have fleets in the waste industry typically done, if anything, to curb risky driving?
DB: Many solid waste companies are focusing on changing driver behavior through training and route observation. One of the obstacles is that after someone has acquired decades of experience driving a garbage truck in a certain manner, it can be difficult to get him to change his behavior. Some companies are providing safety incentives on either a group or individual basis to encourage safe driving behavior. Some companies have focused on specific risky activities, such as backing up, and focused training resources on those activities. Companies are now starting to take a serious look at technologies such as DriveCam to assist them in reducing the frequency of fatalities, accidents and injuries involving solid waste collection vehicles. Editor’s Note: Click here to learn more about DriveCam’s work with new customer Waste Connections Inc.
Editor: Tell us about WasteExpo. Who will be there? What can we expect to see and hear from leaders in the waste management industry?
DB: WasteExpo is the national trade show and exhibition for the solid waste industry. This year’s event is taking place May 5-8, 2008, at Chicago’s McCormick Convention Center. It is a unique and unparalleled opportunity to learn, network and have fun in the solid waste industry. More than 10,000 solid waste employees are expected to attend Waste Expo in Chicago, including the CEOs and CFOs of many of the national solid waste companies. Companies of all sizes send managers and supervisors to Waste Expo – from a one truck hauler to the large national companies. Also, hundreds of local governments that provide waste services to their communities attend. One of the highlights of the show is the educational program which includes a number of safety-related sessions.
Editor: Please tell our readers something about yourself that they are unlikely to know or may be surprised to learn about you.
DB: I am a sports and hiking fanatic! Nothing makes me happier than playing softball or tennis or hiking with my family – safely, of course.