In the past, most waste management facilities were managed using tedious and prone to error manual approaches. This meant that a lot of paperwork was involved in the process. Technology has had profound impact on virtually every industry across the globe with the waste management industry being no exception. The ways in which this industry operates has changed significantly over the years, thanks to the advancement of technology. In an exclusive event (Africa Waste is Wealth Series), organized by thought leaders (Takataka Ni Mali) in the waste management sector, the role of technology in waste management was a key drive of this cogitation.
Among the panelists, Dr. Ehud Gacugu, Director Ajiira Digital linked the aspect of demographics to the intersection between waste management, technology and job creation. In his delivery, Dr. Ehud stated that youths are easy to integrate in technology as most of their activities are geared towards technology. However much the waste management industry offers high monetary returns, he highlighted that its contribution to the GDP cannot be found as result of missing statistics. This gap can be bridged by integrating technology in waste management to provide these statistics. He further explained that adopting technology will inspire innovation, drive research, create jobs to young demographics, and manage the value chain and aid in sound decision making process.
Akansha Sharma, Head of Program at Climate Tech and Digital Utilities sees waste as a market system that has potential to create value at each stage of the value chain, provide fair and decent employment and offer climate and environmental benefits. She views technology solutions as an efficient way to improve transparency in the value chain.
Demonstrating the role of technology during this conference was a case study of an innovative locally designed digital solution, ECOLOOP, a whole ecosystem that brings together stakeholders across the waste management value chain by leveraging on technology to trace waste movement, conversion and access its impact to the environment. During his presentation, David Ngechu, Digital Strategist at Taka Taka ni Mali, expounded on how Ecoloop will enhance data – driven decision making, by availing data metrics to aid in informed decision making. David highlighted features of this product as;
- Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) which aids in planning how to reduce, measure, track and act.
- Management dashboard which helps the management to understand their impact on the value chain, Social Media Integration to showcase organizations ‘practices towards achieving sustainability.
- ESG reporting which is becoming increasingly important for investors, regulators, stakeholders and customers as they seek to evaluate the sustainability of a business. With the pressure mounting to find more environmentally friendly ways of working to reduce carbon footprints, it is a topic that belongs in every business boardroom today. ESG data enhanced by Ecoloop will provide valuable insights into a company’s ESG performance and help businesses increase transparency, improve decision-making and identify areas for improvement.
Elaborating on the benefits of its use, he affirmed that for companies Ecooop will;
- Unlock brand value which he equated to brand love as consumers of product only want to associate with environmentally sensitive investments,
- Enhance compliance to laid policies and regulations by the authorities
- Form public private community collaborations by ensuring that it’s not only how the company is operating as an autonomous entity but its impact as a whole by working with different players in the ecosystem
- Reduce Carbon footprint .This, Ecoloop enhance through provision of data metrics sets for different timeframes. Comparison of these data sets will see understanding of the variables to provide reason and areas of adjustment for responsible consumption and production
It is clear that technology is having a big impact on the waste management industry by making the waste management process more efficient. The future of waste management looks set to be even more reliant on technology as new solutions are developed to address the challenges that the industry faces. Technology plays a vital role in supporting the advancement of the circular economy by transitioning from a wasteful traditional model of waste management, linear economy. From better resource tracking and tracing, through to gaining visibility into the lifecycle of a product or resource, technology can help to make the circular economy a reality.
In conclusion, technology is central in modern waste management systems, streamlining processes and promoting sustainability. Automated waste collection systems, smart bins, and RFID tags optimize collection routes, reducing fuel consumption and emissions. Advanced sorting facilities utilize optical sorters and magnetic separators to efficiently separate recyclable materials, while innovative techniques like pyrolysis and anaerobic digestion enable resource recovery and waste-to-energy conversion. Moreover, data analytics and predictive modeling enhance decision-making, optimizing waste management strategies and promoting a circular economy approach. Ultimately, technology empowers waste management authorities to tackle waste-related challenges effectively, minimizing environmental impact and fostering a more efficient and eco-friendly waste management ecosystem.