Material Management is using software to solve one of Recycling's hardest problems

When Karen started Material Management 18 years ago, the term “recycling technology” was inextricably linked to recycling equipment. Today, recycling technology takes many forms — from IoT ultrasonic capacity sensors to GPS fleet tracking — software has become an important tool to monitor the various signals in your waste program. Material management has fully embraced our Industry’s technology revolution, but this shift is not without its challenges. Largest of these technology challenges is integrating these disparate technologies and their data into actionable signals in your waste program. Material Management’s strategic investment in software engineering represents one of our core competitive advantages and is one of our key differentiators among other waste managers. Our engineers are able to funnel any waste signal with an API into your organizations “waste intelligence”, where your equipment, reporting, collection, billing, compliance, marketing and management are all considered components of a cohesive, full-circle waste strategy.

Waste Tonnages/revenue data signals is just the first step

Waste tonnages and recycling revenue are largely the results of your waste program. However, other data signals within your program give context to these results. Understanding the data in aggregate allows you to perform complexed analysis and validate decisions within your waste program. Let’s take a look at other, important types of data produced by your organization and how it adds context of the performance of your waste program.

1. Haul/Pickup frequency data

Besides scheduling your pickups, Material Management uses additional signals such as bailing equipment and waste container sensors to proactively schedule waste and recycling hauls. Because we monitor the factors that contribute to your frequency and not just the pickup request, we are uniquely able to optimize inefficient waste/recycling producers. For example, simply adjusting the size of a bale produced by your baling equipment can drastically reduce container frequency.

2. Waste Program Carbon Footprint data

No other metric in your organization benefits from data interconnection like your carbon footprint data. Your carbon footprint is quite literally derived from various other waste signals within your organization. Material Management uses several data signals such as your hauling frequency, waste material quality, bailing equipment energy usage, trash/incineration tonnages as well as several other data-points to produce the most accurate carbon footprint possible.

3. Labor and Safety

Labor and safety data signals can be hard to calculate and are often an overlooked component in sustainability programs. Peter F. Drucker’s famous quote, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure” is a philosophy we take seriously at Material Management. We work with you to track safety violations and waste-related incidents in your organization. This is an important way to improve and validate the safety instructions Material Management provides as part of your customized Standard Operating Procedures (S.O.P.s).

Waste handling training and recycling equipment can significantly reduce the handling requirements of waste by your staff, and as a result can have a positive impact on your labor cost. As an added bonus, Material Management host your customized Safety and training documentation on your waste portal for convenient, easy retrieval.

4. Service and Warranty contract documents

A key advantage of our recycling program management platform is contract management. Even the simplest waste programs will incur a myriad of service contracts and warranty agreements — from equipment servicing and installation to hauling and recyclable purchase arrangements — it can be complicated to keep track of all your agreements. Material Management’s custom software allow us to keep track of all your waste program agreements and can intelligently provide reminders for servicing and notification of contract renewal dates.

5. Recyclable Material Quality

Using haul images, and data from our material partners, Material Management is able to monitor the consistency of recycling material and waste produced by your recycling program. Using software, we are able to determine if the quality of your material is improving, stable or degrading.

Sustainability and Zero Waste targets

For organizations that take sustainability seriously, a waste partner that simply reports recycling tonnages and waste diversion through recycling is not enough. Material Management uses software to combine the various signals throughout your recycling program to give you an accurate, complete reporting of your organization’s overall sustainability. Each of the previous points illustrates the significance of distinct data-signals throughout your waste program. We use the power and flexibility of our custom software to combine the data from these signals to produce more accurate sustainability reports.

Start making sense of all your waste data

Waste Technology data signals in your waste program have become an important tool for monitoring the performance of your waste program. However, this advantage is not fully realized without aggregation. Our software and engineering team gives us the unique ability to combine the disparate signals across your waste program in to cohesive, actionable reports. Let us take a look at your current Waste Program integrations. We are confident that through our recycling knowledge and understanding of technology, we can take your waste program to the next level. Request a free waste evaluation today!