What Happens When We Run Out of Landfill Space?

Where Does the Trash Go Once Landfills are Full?
Where Does the Trash Go Once Landfills are Full?

How much do you know about what happens to waste once it’s transferred to pick-up with your dumpster moving equipment? Out of 258 million tons of solid waste produced in the United States each year, roughly one-third is recycled while the rest goes to landfills.

Unfortunately, land is a non-renewable resource and the country’s 2,000 landfills are running out of space. How did we reach this point, and what can we do to solve the problem?

An Industry in Crisis

Experts point to two significant factors contributing to dwindling landfill space.

– The amount of waste generated in the U.S., is already the highest in the world, and has been increasing over the last few years.

– China, which once accepted one-sixth of our country’s recyclable material, enacted strict bans at the beginning of 2018. As a result, waste companies have been forced to deposit the spillover in landfills.

According to a report from the Solid Waste Environmental Excellence Protocol (SWEEP), U.S. landfills are projected to reach capacity within 18 years. The situation is particularly dire in the Northeast, while landfills in the West are in slightly better shape.

Solving the Landfill Problem

– Data from the Environmental Protective Agency (EPA) indicates the U.S. currently produces energy by burning 33 million tons of waste per year. That number could rise, but the tradeoff in pollution may be unacceptable.

– More landfills could be created, but the process takes time and often meets resistance from local communities.

– Regulators, manufacturers and consumers can band together to develop more sustainable packaging and be proactive with waste-reduction activities.

Eco-Friendly Dumpster Moving Equipment from DJ Products

Our dumpster moving equipment is designed to make waste removal easier and reduce risk of workplace injuries. Contact us today for more information.

The Logistics Industry Hits a Growth Cap Due to the Current Labor Shortage

Tips to Protect Your Warehouse Employees and Boost Performance
Tips to Protect Your Warehouse Employees and Boost Performance

Is your powered trailer mover tapped out? Warehouse workers are too. With the rapid growth of e-commerce, labor supplies are drying up.

Unsustainable

There will be an estimated 452,000 warehouse and distribution positions in need of fulfillment in 2018-19. However the industry is already labor-strapped, with the volume of positions outpacing the labor pool’s ability to fulfill demand by 180,300 positions per year since 2013. How will the industry cope with this shortage as e-commerce sales continue to accelerate?

Filling-in the Blanks

Retailers, delivery companies, and third-party logistics firms are dealing with the labor crunch in each (or all) of these three ways:

• Recruiting from Other Industries

Recruitment from other industries has proven successful in recent years, with government data showing a 66% increase in employees moving to the transportation and warehouse sector from other industries from 2011-15, though this arena won’t lend enough to meet demand.

• Automation to Boost Efficiency

Robots and autonomous vehicles can boost the productivity levels of existing employees.

• Market Expansion

Moving into new sectors with readily available workforces.

What Metros Offer Light in the Darkness?

Federal employment data points to multiple markets with the right combination of availability, quality, and cost of labor, as well as proximity to large customer populations for warehouses and distribution, including Memphis, Nashville, Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Louisville, Denver, Indianapolis, and Oakland, to name a few.

Intelligent Design

Smart analysis of labor sources is essential. To protect the bottom line, intelligent site selection efforts take into account the fact that labor contributes to more than 20% of total supply chain cost as well as 75% of final-touch distribution.

Short on manpower? Up the ante, saving time and labor with a powered trailer mover from DJ Products. Learn more today.