In this blog post I wanted to give kudos to some service providers that have given great service over the past month. In the past month I’ve had the pleasure of dealing with two companies that went above and beyond to support their customers and a few that fell far short (don’t worry, I’m not naming the two that didn’t, we all about positivity here at Keystone!).

For the  honour roll…..

Eco-Safe: A few of our customers have been having difficulty with bag liners on their organic bins that don’t stay put. This means the liner falls into the bin and food waste goes all over the bin. As you can imagine this leads to a smelly, disgusting mess after a few weeks. As the hauler is the one putting the bag liners on we raised this issue with them and they turned to the the supplier, in this case EcoSafe. Ric Mallett from EcoSafe was quick to get in touch with Keystone and immediately starting working to solve the problem. The thing that really impressed me about Ric was his attitude of “We’ll do whatever it takes to solve this problem”. He agreed to meet on site with Keystone the same day to review the issues we were having and started working immediately to find a bin liner that would work. There was no blaming the bin manufacturer, blaming the hauler or blaming anyone, his attitude was “Let’s Solve The Problem”. The icing on the cake was he even came back on a Saturday morning during the Grey Cup parade to do additional measurements and go over the correct way to install the bin liners. That’s customer service and we’ll be using EcoSafe again in the future.

The other shout out for excellent customer service goes to our stellar IT partners that created our RecycleSmart reporting system. Johnathan Briggs at Roebank Publishing/Target Dashboard gives amazing customer service. They have customized feature, made new features, helped us day and night with locked out accounts, data problems and anything we threw their way. The fact that we’re across the ocean (Roebank is based in Scotland) hasn’t hampered the ability of their team to deliver great service. I was blown away when Johnathan was going on vacation he emailed us to say he was going to be away and introduced us to his replacement while he was gone! That’s proactive customer service.

On a bad note in the last month I’ve had the pleasure of dealing with companies who don’t discontinue previous employees email accounts so you email into oblivion for days wondering why you’re geting no response. When you finally figure out that John/Jane no longer works there and get a hold of the right person they berate you for asking for a rush on the information you requested. Wow, ever heard of email forwarding or even the old email bounceback feature? And then there is the equipment suppliers that can’t, won’t and don’t give customer service. It’s not their machine, it’s operator error, we don’t cover that, your warranty just expired, prove it to me first. Guess what, if I have to go through all that hassle I’m likely going to go with a equipment supplier that has a Ric or a Johnathan that steps up to the plate and makes my life easy. When you give poor service you undo the thousands of dollars spent on marketing, sales reps, flashy brochures, the new website and everything else you did to get my business in the first place.

At Keystone our customers problems are our problems. Due to the nature of our shared savings, performance based business model we can’t pass the buck or leave the client with equipment or services that aren’t working. Our success is your success. Our bottom line is your bottom line.

I wanted to discuss an item that often comes up when speaking to companies with multiple locations across a large geographic area. Often a company has contracted with one of the 3 major waste hauling companies to provide waste and recycling services at all their locations. They are given a so called “preferred rate” in exchange for volume of business that they are giving to one vendor. Makes sense right, buy in bulk and save money? Anyone who has shopped at Costco or bought wholesale knows how this basic business principle works.

Well, not so fast. While it’s true that by consolidating vendors and using purchasing leverage a company can drive down procurement costs. But the waste industry is unique in that the local characteristics in each market largely determine the how competitive a particular hauler can be in any given market. And often the large hauling companies don’t serve the smaller towns and villages so they end up sub contracting the service to the local hauler anyway, while making mark up on the service at the expense of their customer.

Download our whitepaper to learn more:

National or Corporate Hauling Contracts: Fact or Fiction??

A service provider such as Keystone can ensure you are receiving the best value in every market with complete transparency. No markup, no hidden fees, and with responsive 24/7 customer service.

Here they are!

Creative Images

In our information age where we are bombarded with all kinds of information, it is important to make your message stand out. The right visual impressions can actually be stronger than words.

• Use a catchy logo and slogan for your program.
• Create pictures and graphics to jazz up written materials, recycling containers, and coffee mugs.
• Show people how much waste they generate using photos, videos, displays, clip art, or posters.
• Present a short video to employees.
• Use clip art or posters

Motivating Messages

Facts should be put in terms people can relate to and the message should be easy to understand. A startling fact can help motivate a person to seek change.

• Explain why it is important to stop wasting resources. Where possible, present benefits in terms of cost savings, resources saved, customer satisfaction, corporate and personal responsibility towards future generations.
• Present information so it stands out; avoid being redundant or boring.
• Use startling facts.
• Personalize information and relate it to what a person already knows.
• Don’t assume employees and managers are very familiar with key waste reduction words or concepts.
• Avoid giving too much information at once; give information in manageable pieces.

Person-to-Person Communication

In addition to distributing or posting written educational materials, where feasible, present information person-to-person. It is more influential than written materials alone.

• Seek volunteers in each work area who are willing to be trained as “waste reduction pros.” The pros provide a friendly and knowledgeable source of information throughout the organization. And they can provide feedback on how you are doing.
• Train new employees. Let them know they are expected to use resources carefully and fully participate in waste reduction programs. Explain how to prevent waste and recycle materials.
• Use all-employee gatherings to promote waste reduction. Show what is being done well and what areas need improvement.

Incentives

There are lots of great ways to motivate employees. Here are just a few:

• Graph progress and show people how they are doing by division, floor or other unit.
• Create a contest and award prizes or trophies (reused, of course).
• Financially reward employees for ideas that generate significant cost savings and waste reduction.
• Offer discounts to employees who purchase coffee using their own washable mug.
• Recognize employee’s waste reduction efforts in front of others.

Involve Employees

Employees best know how operations work and are critical to the success of any program.

• Solicit ideas from employees involve them so they have ownership in the program.
• Let employees be part of the decision-making process; invite employees to participate in a waste reduction team that is responsible for implementing waste reduction practices.
• Ask employees to make a waste reduction pledge.

Set a Good Example

To help make new practices mainstream be sure to practice what you preach.

• If using promotional giveaways or prizes, make sure they exemplify waste reduction (e.g., a coffee mug with your program’s slogan, a refillable pen made from recycled plastic). Don’t give away premiums or materials that will end up in the trash.
• Distribute information in the least wasteful way. Send messages electronically, if that option is available. Route messages or post them on a central bulletin board. Print or copy using both sides of the page and format documents so there isn’t excessive white space.
• Ask employees to bring their own plate or mug to gatherings where food and beverages will be served.

Need some help with change, Keystone is always happy to share best practices and what we’ve learned from hundreds of waste audits. Give us a call 888-892-1796 or visit our website to get in touch.

Many people who find an illegal dump site wish they could do something about it. Aside from actually cleaning up the site themselves they at least would like to alert someone that has the power and resources to do something about it. With smartphones and GPS you can now tag your favourite pizza joint, check in at your local pub and in some places tag a soggy mattress in an alley. The State of Washington has started to plot illegal dump sites using Google maps to help both track the dump sites and to look for trends in illegal dumping. Check out this link for a view of what is currently sitting in the woods in Washington State.

Closer to home in Vancouver you can check out service called SeeClickFix which lets citizens tag problems that they see during their everyday travels in a city. See illegal dumping? A pothole that is swallowing SmartCars? Maybe some graffiti that could use some attention? You can report this using the SeeClickFix site and then point city officials in the right direction. Vancouver should really head in this direction to allow citizens to report in real time as they see problems. The current approach is too cumbersome (see the problem, remember where you are, go to website, fill in a nice long form here and…..oh you lost interest?…)

If you have a hard to recycle item you can try posting it on ecycler.ca, it’s a quick and easy way to find someone to remove and recycle your no longer wanted tv, fridge or furniture. Or you can borrow Uncle Bob’s truck and dump it in Stanley Park, we’ll let you make the call……

In contrast one of the first sights that I saw in the UK was a waste collection truck with the slogan “Recycling, it’s not an option, it’s your duty!” Recycling is everywhere and visible from public recycling containers to food packaging. One of the interesting differences from Canada is that in the UK the packaging actually tells you if it’s not recyclable which I have never seen in Canada. Instead of fruitlessly washing plastic containers, trucking them to recycling facilities only to have them removed on the picking line here they actually tell you, sorry this just isn’t recyclable yet. Which is kind of honest, transparent and makes me feel like the UK has a bit better handle on the reality part of recycling.

I also had a chance to meet up with Philip Mossop of The Greenhouse in the UK which was great. I have been watching the development of The Greenhouse from across the Atlantic with a lot of interest, they are truly a “Next Generation Recycling Company” and have done some really innovative things in the last 5 years. It was interesting to see how much there is in common between Canada and the UK especially when it comes to the entrenched attitudes in the waste and recycling industry and how hard it is to change.

New Westminster News Leader – New Westminster to launch food scrap recycling pilot project for apartments.

http://www.fairfieldchallenge.com/

Watch for some exciting news about Ecycler Canada coming in the next week or two.

Millions of tons of electronic waste is generated every year in North America and the amount increases with every new gadget, computer and smartphone that hits the market. In our quest to improve our lives through technology we are creating electronic waste at an unprecedented rate. In response, we have seen more attention focused on methods to reduce, reuse and recycle electronic waste.

Reduce

In the pursuit for faster computers, more features on our smart phones and better picture quality, we are constantly replacing our electronics with newer and better performing models. But what if there was a way to get that improved performance, more features and better picture without increasing the amount of stuff we buy? Well, there already is a movement afoot to reduce the amount of computer hardware that needs to be purchased in order to stay on top of the tech race. The term is “cloud computing” and although it may sound like a weather forecasting computer it is actually a concept of sharing resources such as computer memory, processing power, and software over a network. For example you may need a fast computer to run software that you don’t currently own and perhaps will only need for a set amount of time. With cloud computing you would contract with a company that has the type of computer/software/memory you need and pay them a fee to access it on the Internet.

Why you may ask is this reducing the amount of electronic waste produced? Well instead of you having to purchase another computer and more memory you can use what you need, when you need it from the company providing the service. The company will have one very large computer that runs the software you and thousands of others are using. Essentially, their one computer replaces the thousands that would have needed to be purchased to complete the same task. Their one computer can be used more effectively because while you are sleeping someone in Europe can be using your portion of the big computer which likely wouldn’t be happening if it was sitting on your desk in low power sleep mode. An additional benefit is that the company providing the service is likely to be continuously upgrading and improving the software to retain and attract customers. This means that you aren’t going to get stuck with a piece of out-of-date software in a few years. And, if you’re a business you can add users by simply buying more access instead of having to buy more software and hardware to accommodate growth. Cloud computing is both lean and green.

Recycle

We know it’s easy to recycle cans and bottles but who wants your old computer that is far from high tech? The truth is that lots of people might want it including schools, low-income earners, and even those pesky computer geeks. While it may not suit your needs anymore there is such a wide spectrum of computer uses out there that your old clunker may be just the thing that Junior could use to practice his typing or learn basic programming. Sometimes the latest and greatest isn’t the best tool for the job especially if you are looking to do a little tinkering under the hood, which is what many computer hobby hackers do. They are looking for something that they can strip down, try some new tricks on or simply strip the good parts. Whatever the use, if you can find Junior or a hobbyist, your computer will extend its useful life before it meets a shredder in the next phase, which is recycling. If you’re having trouble finding a home for your electronic waste or have large volumes consider a waste consultant who can use their knowledge and experience to find a solution.

Recycling

OK, you’ve tried to donate your outdated electronic waste but it seems nobody wants your old clunker. Now it’s time to find a recycling facility that will take your old electronic device and safely recycle the materials contained within. But a word of caution on recycling of electronic waste because all may not be well. If you find someone that is willing to recycle your electronic, ask some questions like “Where does my computer go to be recycled?” or “Can you provide proof of recycling at an approved facility?” If the answer to the first question is another country such as China or India you may want to reconsider. Not that all recyclers in China and India are irresponsible but there is considerable evidence that much of the electronic waste sent to these countries is processed in ways that is extremely harmful to the both the environment and the workers that recycle the waste. You may think your old iPhone is being carefully disassembled for valuable materials when in fact it is being processed in an acid bath over an open fire, which is then dumped into a river. This brings me to my second rule of thumb, which is asking for proof of recycling at an approved facility. Ask the recycler where they send their materials. If they can’t or won’t tell you, it is a red flag. If they will tell you, do a quick Google search on the facility they provide and see what you find. Ideally you want to have your waste recycled locally by a government certified facility that is operating a safe and ethical recycling system. Most recyclers dealing with a certified electronic waste recycler will provide a record of recycling to certify that your electronic waste was recycled at an approved facility.

The solution to the ever-increasing electronic waste issue is to use computing resources more efficiently (Cloud Computing), reuse and extend the life of electronic waste (Schools and Hobbyists), and use a responsible recycler (Local and Accountable).

Keystone Waste is a leading recycling and solid waste consulting firm that empowers our clients to reduce waste and reduce operating costs. Lean green solutions drive our business solutions.

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