(Newswire.net — December 29, 2017) — 2018 looks set to be an exciting year for the waste management industry. Full of cutting-edge technology and global sustainable strategy, there are lots of ways the waste industry will evolve during the year.
Want to know more about this growth? The Waste Group have made their predictions of the top 3 trends in waste management. Read on to find out about this exciting time for a newly innovative industry!
Trend 1 – Technology advancements will be adopted and help the industry
The waste management industry is becoming innovative, and 2018 doesn’t see this changing. Machine learning and robotics seem to big trends for next year which will be adopted into the waste industry. David Rachelson, Rubicon’s VP of Sustainability states that:
“After years of resistance, the waste and recycling industry is beginning to embrace technological innovation as a driver for future success. The year 2018 will be a race to the finish line as old-world players scramble to catch up with innovations already underway.”
So how will these new technologies be implemented? The concept of smart cities could be where this type of technology comes into play. It is argued that a smart city is not a defined concept, and is rather a process rather than a concrete definition. The British Standards Institute (BSI) suggests a smart city is “the effective integration of physical, digital and human systems in the built environment to deliver sustainable, prosperous and inclusive future for its citizens”.
This is exactly what new technology is all about; aiming to help the world become more sustainable in an effective manner. 2018 will be all about how the waste industry embraces these new technologies and helps the world become more sustainable.
Trend 2 – Reducing plastic pollution in our oceans
You probably tuned in to at least one episode of the BBC’s Blue Planet 2 series this year, the nature documentary all about the wildlife in our oceans. Alongside the fantastic images of sea creatures, the documentary also highlighted a huge problem: the amount of plastic pollution in oceans across the world.
What can be done to tackle this massive issue? Greenpeace are encouraging the UK government to implement a deposit return scheme (DRS) for plastic bottles, meaning you will pay a bit extra when purchasing one but will have this money repaid to you once you return it to be recycled.
There will be no doubt a huge focus on this during 2018: it is even estimated that in 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans. The whole world needs to think about this on a global scale if this is predicted to become reality.
Trend 3 – Further adoption and implementation of the Circular Economy
You may have heard of the term Circular Economy – but what exactly does it mean?
The Circular Economy is all about implementing a cycle of reducing, reusing and recycling. Instead of a linear process that causes us to dispose of items once they are used, the Circular Economy is the idea of keeping resources for as long as possible.
So how will the Circular Economy become integrated during 2018? The Circle Economy believes there will be 7 key elements in order for the notion to work successfully. Imperative to this is the incorporation of digital technology, preserving & extending what we already use and how to prioritize regenerative resources.
Perhaps the most important element to take away is the ‘collaboration to create joint value’; the idea that in order for the Circular Economy to work, organisations need to work together to increase transparency and build an understanding of the Circular Economy in harmony.
What does the future hold for the waste industry?
We hope you agree with us that the future is bright for those in waste management. The technological advancements and improvements they will make to working towards a more sustainable society will help out a variety of sectors and people across the globe.
There is no doubt that the world can be more sustainable. With these exciting new ventures, we hope this can be made easier and get us looking towards a brighter, greener future.