Earth Day – How We Help
Earth Day has gone from a movement to an imperative – 54 years after its inception, it is more vital now than ever.
With Earth Day coming up next week on April 22, Routeware wants to reiterate our commitment to this planet and all that live on it. Our overarching sustainability mission is to cut carbon emissions, reduce paper use, and reduce the amount of waste that goes into the landfill.
How We Help → Community:
- Our Community tools help reduce contamination rates and illegal dumping, plus they save paper, and they save emissions from mailing.
- They also assist in audit & education efforts for better understanding of current waste disposal practices, weak points, and successes.
- Finally, they assist in the proper disposal of hazardous waste, e-waste, etc.
- Specific Metrics
Customer Examples:
Sunnyvale, CA – Dirty, smelly carts were a barrier to community participation in the organics program and Recycling confusion and frustration with new programs was mounting. Cleaner recyclables and clearer communication led to lower contamination rates, helping the city march towards meeting their 2030 Zero Waste goal.
Software such as Routeware’s Program Tracker provides a comprehensive & customizable waste-tracking solution designed to facilitate food recovery efforts, especially for California customers in preparation for SB 1383. It allows users to track various aspects of food recovery, including Edible Food Generators, SB 1383 Tiers, Generator Type, and Food Donation Recipients.
As Laura McKaughan from Envirolutions said “Routeware enabled us to track our progress in a way no other system I’ve ever worked with has. I highly recommend Routeware for tracking outreach, implementation, compliance, and reporting purposes.”
Rogue Disposal – Improved education, communication, and engagement with customers – plus enhanced campaign tracking with digital analytics – led to lower contamination rates.
The City of Abbotsford, BC used our tools to identify hotspots and focus efforts to make their residents better recyclers.
“We really like the Curbside tool because it gives us information about specific households rather than a giant zone. We can really identify hot spots and really direct our educational efforts there.” — Julie Kanya, Solid Waste and Environmental Coordinator for the City of Abbotsford.
“By using tools like the city’s Waste Wizard and learning how to properly sort items and which items aren’t acceptable, residents can become better recyclers, which will in turn help to reduce our contamination rates and create a safer and more sustainable city.” — Ross Siemens, Mayor of Abbotsford.
Nashville, TN – “By the middle of the summer of 2021, we had reduced that 46 percent contamination rate down to 28.6%.” – Jenn Harrman, Zero Waste Program Manager for Metro Nashville Services. They adopted the tools in March 2021, meaning it took only a few months to see that massive impact.
American Refuse, Wasco, CA – “We’re one of the smallest companies (in California), yet we were the best prepared for SB 1383. It makes me feel good that we did our homework years ago. We invested in it, and we saw it coming, and we’re well prepared. And Routeware is a big part of that.” Jeff Martin, Owner.
Cambridge, MA – We helped get them ready for MassDEP mattress disposal changes. “One of the coolest things we learned was having the Waste Wizard allowed us to get the metrics on how many times people searched for how to get rid of a mattress,” Orr says. “That information — we were able to extrapolate out to give us a rough estimate as to how many mattresses we might expect. … It just gave us a good sense of what we should be planning for.” – Mike Orr, Cambridge’s Recycling Director.
The Resource Recovery and Recycling Authority of Southwest Oakland County (RRRASOC), MI – An estimated 50% decrease in recycling contamination at RRRASOC’s drop-off centers as a result of their continuous recycling education efforts combined with their digital tools.
Scottsbluff, NE – In less than a year, since launching their digital recycling tools in August 2020, Scottsbluff reached every initial goal they set – including a downturn in illegal dumping.
Cary, NC – Won Carolina Recycling Association’s 2020 Annual Recycling Award; replaced 50,000 printed materials with digital; 3% decrease in contamination rate with 50% of households using app after six months.
Other customers of ours that have won recycling based awards
Austin, TX – Within six months of launch, 85% of the city’s addresses had been searched for collection information, illustrating adoption and usage.
The University of Michigan is a leader in waste and diversion efforts, having placed first in the 2022 Campus Race to Zero Waste.
Momentum Recycling, Salt Lake City – closer to zero waste goals.
Greensboro, NC – From 2018 to 2020, more than 175,000 materials had been viewed through the Waste Wizard tool, ensuring those items end up in the proper place.
City of Buckeye, Arizona – improved their existing issues of: waste in landfills; recycling contamination; teaching residents.
City of Victoria, BC – 37% increase in diversion rate after 1 year (goal was 30%).
How We Help → Fleet:
- Cut the carbon emissions and environmental impact of your operations by using fewer trucks and burning less fuel. Typically, organizations save between 15 and 25% on fuel costs with Routeware Route Optimization software.
- Cameras and Video help drivers get clear evidence of contamination & “not-outs”, reducing go-backs and fuel use.
- Fleet Automation reduces fuel and paper used.
Customer Examples:
Casella Waste Systems – A recent acquisition project reduced miles by 21%, cut fuel use by 5,000 gallons/year, and prevented 52 metric tons of emissions/year.
Gaeta Green Environmental Services – “Routeware has definitely helped with efficiency. We analyze our routes using the breadcrumbs feature, which helps us cut down on emissions to fulfill our environmental mission.” – Rachel Lattanzio, Chief Operations Officer.
Waterloo, Iowa – issues with cart abuse and mis-use, leading to go backs and contamination, that Routeware helped stop, saving on fuel, emissions, and ensuring proper waste disposal.
City of Lexington, Kentucky – we helped them save on paper by eliminating the need for printed paper sheets on routes; we eliminated 10 trucks from the waste fleet due to newfound efficiency, saving on fuel and emissions.
City of Grand Rapids, MI – reduced go backs, saving on fuel and emissions.
Municipality of Anchorage, AK – Per day, paper-based routes used more than a ream of paper that took half an hour to print – we put a stop to that. Increased efficiency due to digital routing allowed a new organics collection program to launch and scale from 120 customers in 2017 to 2,000 in 2021. When organic waste accumulates and decomposes in landfills or in anaerobic conditions, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas that, due to its structure, traps more heat in the atmosphere per molecule than carbon dioxide.
Meridian Waste – Freed up 34% of their solid waste vehicles and eliminated 26% of their trash routes; Reduced route miles and related emissions by 21%; and Phased out aging collection vehicles without the need to replace them. All of which saves on fuel and emissions.
City of Medicine Hat, AB – “Drivers used to have to run a route three times to get it. With Routeware, it only takes once or twice.” Dallas Sutherland, Solid Waste Collection Supervisor. This saves on fuel and emissions.
City of Loveland, CO – Number of stops per route decreased by 30 percent, which saves on fuel and emissions. Drivers can monitor collected materials, tag carts, and answer customer questions along routes, helping reduce contamination.
“I love the weekly reminders and clear calendar of pickup days. It’s so helpful to have that just available on an app, especially since I just moved to Sacramento. I also love that you can look up how to dispose of items super clearly and it’s all in one place. I even got a reminder today about the new organics composting collection starting July 1st (the yard waste/green bin will now also be able to be used for food scraps and food, soiled paper for composting!) and it was worded very clearly.”
“I like having a reminder message the evening before, as I would previously, sometimes, forget. Now I never have to miss another debris pick up date or wonder which week it is, (garbage, recycles, yard debris, etc) since the schedule does vary. Also, it’s nice to be notified of any changes due to inclement weather and holiday schedules! Other info on the app is useful as well. Thank you!”
“I’ll admit it, I’m a pretty forgetful person. Trash is my chore, and before this app! Regularly forgot to take my bin to the curb on trash day. The weekly reminders have made me MUCH better about getting trash to the curb on time. Plus, there are helpful reminders about pickup schedule changes due to holidays or weather issues. My spouse is happier, my house is happier, I’m happier. Thanks, Sanipac.”
“When I first got this app. I really didn’t have high expectations. I mean it’s a government app. How great could it be? I can’t believe how functional and efficient this app is! The best part of it is the reminders. When you travel a lot, the fact that recycling doesn’t occur every week can be really frustrating & confusing–unless you have this app. Since I got it, we haven’t missed recycling once! Seriously, get it. You’ll wonder why you didn’t get it earlier.”
Across Languages & Demographics
“So useful. I brag about that app to my friends from Montreal. It makes everything simple. Both in French and English language. Every city should do it like Kingston does it.”
“Love the reminders. We are old and forgetful – it is really a great service and lets us know we need to put the cans out. And which cans! Will be even more useful when we need to make the change to organics.”
Our tools cross linguistic & cultural barriers, as well as being accessible for all (we are annually audited by a third-party organization to confirm our compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG AA 2.1) with our web tools and mobile app.) and easy to use for an aging population.
Temporary Residents & Visitors
“Perfect! I’ve used this app since its inception and I have ALWAYS received notification of the days the DAY BEFORE! I travel out of town A LOT so I can always advise my kids that tomorrow etc is “Bin” day. So they can’t forget anymore! I also like that I can check out….what goes where??? Very helpful!”
In Avon, Colorado, Walking Mountains Science Center Sustainability Programs Manager Nina Waysdorf says the area features some 55,000 full-time residents, plus a “huge” transient group of seasonal tenants and tourists from all over the world. In addition, some 25% of the population there speaks Spanish.
From presentations, zero-waste events, social media posts and beyond, Waysdorf says she and her team work hard to create inclusive programming. Recycling tours and materials are offered in Spanish, and translations are not only technically accurate, but also culturally relevant to their community, she says.
While there is no feasible way to translate waste and recycling information to every language spoken in the county, Waysdorf says they have found that pictures are an incredibly helpful tool to reach people no matter the language they speak.
Overall, Waysdorf says tapping into any and all forms of communication can yield a higher chance of finding something that resonates with the community.
Moving Forwards
The waste and recycling industry is in a season of rapid change. More than ever, its leaders are relying on technology solutions to help meet growing demands.
The good news is, today we know that resilience goes hand-in-hand with profit and sustainability. And the people we serve not only want, but expect, digital-first experiences. For high performing waste organizations, integrated technology solutions are no longer just an option – they present the clear path forward.
With Routeware, enterprises and municipalities get the purpose-built technology and 360° integration they need to deliver exceptional service while achieving environmental and financial targets.
