As 2022 comes to a close and we welcome 2023, it’s a perfect time to map out a few resolutions and things you want to accomplish. It’s a new year, and that might mean it’s time for a new waste management program. Here are a few of our New Year’s resolutions for waste management that you can adopt for your own business.

Sustainability and ESG  

Sustainability and ESG will continue to be hot topics in 2023. Consumers are demanding sustainable business practices because they’re critical to the environment we live in. In the waste management industry, it’s no different. Companies must think about sustainability-focused solid waste programs. It’s imperative to work with a managed waste service provider that has sustainability embedded in everything they do and is ready to help their customers and communities understand and reduce their environmental impact.

Create goals

Create a vision of what you want your company’s future recycling program to look like by establishing SMART goals: goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound. The key is to start small. Don’t make extensive changes all at once. Establish small, attainable goals that you can implement over time while outlining accountability touchpoints to ensure that your program is functioning as it should and whether any adjustments need to be made to ensure success.

Many businesses already have specific corporate sustainability initiatives in place. If your business does, now is a great time to assess how your recycling program will ladder up to specific goals. If not, establishing recycling goals could be a whole new area of expansion in your sustainability initiatives.

Integrate technology and data

The world we live in is being transformed by technology and data. Many times, waste programs are, in a way, autonomous after initial setup and equipment delivery. You and your staff dispose of waste and recycling materials, and the haulers come on a regular basis to take away the output. But what if you’re not regularly filling the disposal equipment you have?

Many waste monitoring solutions today offer a real-time glimpse into your waste program via a cloud-based dashboard. By logging on, you can view key data, including equipment fullness status, pickup and return status, pickup history, upcoming scheduled hauls and activity logs. Detailed reports and insights show a variety of key data buckets that will help keep you informed. These can include waste spend, service insights, statistics on tonnage, number of hauls and historical program data. Consistent data will allow you to make any pertinent updates or improvements over time, especially for the new year.

Prioritize equipment health

The reality of having any type of equipment is that there are going to be instances when problems will need to be addressed or machines will need to be serviced. Waste monitoring technology helps you reduce downtime by allowing you to monitor equipment controls to make sure everything is functioning properly.

The technology can show a variety of key indicators specific to the equipment’s overall operating performance. Depending on the problem at hand, oftentimes a technician can remotely patch in to solve the issue. And if support is needed, the system can flag a technician to stop out to fix the issue in a timely manner. Taking control of the health of your equipment will pay off in the long run and set you up for a successful new year and new waste management program.