– May 23, 2024 –

WasteExpo 2024 drew to a close earlier this month. From May 6-9 in Las Vegas, North America’s most significant solid waste, recycling, organics, and sustainability trade show took place. 

It was a testament to the power of innovation and sustainability, showcasing the latest, cutting-edge tech (like AI) that is shaping the future of our industry. This event allowed attendees to engage with some of the most inspiring creatives and thinkers, sparking hope and optimism for a more sustainable future.

For practical insights to invigorate or revolutionize your company’s efforts, delve into the following three key learnings from this year’s WasteExpo!

 

#1 – Measuring Your Company’s Emissions is Critical

One heavily discussed topic across the panels and show floor was how critical it is to measure your company’s emissions. Many businesses are now focusing on accurately measuring and reporting scope 3 emissions, which can account for around 90% of a company’s total carbon output and 75% of its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

To make it possible for organizations to commit to sustainability and reduce emissions, a fundamental solution discussed was to develop a system to manage your data collection process. Data-driven insights assist leaders in establishing meaningful goals and cultivating stakeholder trust. Many steps are involved, and having someone to manage the complexities allows your business to focus on its core: caring for your customers.

💡 Tips to Consider:

• Engage the C-suite and board to ensure that everyone in your company comprehends the implications of Scope 3 and how it will affect their business area.
• Minimize the amount of waste produced in operations and implement recycling/reuse measures that result in net greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions.
• Explore the option of sourcing materials locally and look for low-carbon opportunities. Substitute high GHG-emitting raw materials and transportation modes with lower GHG-emitting alternatives.
• Decrease energy consumption and reconsider energy sources (e.g., generate energy on-site using renewable sources).

By following these tips, you’ll progress towards your sustainability goals, know where you stand, and identify areas for improvement.

 

#2 – Sustainability is a Continuous Effort

Sustainability is never a one and done thing. Continuous improvement provides a practical approach for organizations to achieve long-term sustainability goals. It involves constantly assessing and improving processes and systems to achieve better outcomes.

By applying continuous improvement principles to address environmental sustainability, you can identify areas for changes and improvements that will lead to more sustainable practices. Keeping this in mind will ensure a continued focus on specific initiatives to support them.

 

#3 – Reporting: Demonstrate Commitment (Internally & Externally)

Another key topic was how valuable sustainability reporting is for demonstrating your company’s commitment to transparency and building trust with your employees, partners, and stakeholders. By providing clear and auditable data on environmental inputs, leaders can keep all informed about the amount of recycled materials and motivate everyone to continuously improve. 

This fosters a culture of accountability and responsibility, and communicates a commitment to environmental, social, and governance goals to the public and employees. Ultimately, this engagement highlights a dedication to creating positive social and environmental impacts.

For more useful tips from events like WasteExpo, Quest invites you to review our 2023 recap, our most recent South by Southwest visit, or follow Quest’s social media channels (LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook) to stay current with our articles and posts. And save the date for WasteExpo 2025 on May 5-8 in Las Vegas, NV!

 

About Us

Quest Resource Management Group (NASDAQ:QRHC) is a national provider of waste and recycling services that uses deep expertise to build single-source, client-specific solutions to address a wide variety of waste streams and recyclables across multiple industry sectors. Quest also provides information and data that tracks and reports the environmental results of Quest’s services and provides actionable data to improve business operations.