As a result of outdated infrastructure, much of the country’s waste ends up in landfills, which are responsible for 15% of the United States’ total methane emissions. While many European countries recycle more than half of their total waste, the US recycles less than a third. Decades of disinvestment in green technology and poor recycling education leaves many recycling facilities unable to properly sort highly contaminated materials, ultimately diverting 30% of recyclable materials directly into landfills.
As one of the foremost innovators in the recycling and waste industry, Gates provided attendees with an overview on how Compology’s waste metering technology, powered by smart camera and artificial intelligence, mitigates this problem and helps ensure contaminants are identified and removed prior to waste collection, making sure more recyclables (and less waste) enter recycling facilities. He demonstrated how waste metering can help meet the five objectives the EPA outlined in their 2021 National Recycling Strategy. He also highlighted that similar to how the metering of water, gas, and electricity fundamentally overhauled how consumers, businesses and governments use and pay for these utilities, waste metering can deliver the same benefits for waste and recycling management.
Gates also shared exciting results from Compology’s recent launch with the City of Miami. The City implemented waste metering across its municipal dumpsters to reduce CO2 emissions, traffic congestion, noise pollution and illegal dumping, while improving code compliance and enhancing urban beautification efforts. Gates shared that initial results from the pilot predicted a 50% increase in recycling rates at dozens of municipal buildings and thousands of tons of C02 reduced.
“I greatly appreciated the opportunity to brief key congressional staff on the waste and recycling industry and opportunities for modernization. It’s encouraging to discuss the ways the federal government can partner with waste metering providers, like Compology, to generate $1-2 billion in taxpayer savings and drive our national recycling goals. We’re already helping businesses and local governments save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and more sustainably manage their waste and recycling and believe in the exponential impact waste metering can have at scale,” said Jason Gates. “We value the dedication of the Congressional Recycling Caucus in tackling these important issues in a bipartisan, bicameral way, and look forward to working with members of the caucus to advance smart, commonsense policies that promote increased recycling and smarter waste management.”
Gates went on to highlight how 1,300 brands including McDonald’s, Apple, and Google have already implemented waste metering technology to report on waste and recycling and reduce their organization’s environmental footprint, improve recycling rates, and rightsize their waste service, thereby eliminating unnecessary pickups and cutting costs. Gates highlighted how the impactful environmental and cost saving results experienced by the private sector can be replicated in the public sector.