What keeps you up at night as a waste and resource management professional?

For many in waste and resource management, the answer is no longer abstract. It’s concrete, urgent, and personal: worker safety.

While technology, automation, and detection systems are transforming workplace safety at a rapid pace, we know that teams need technical training, tools and equipment for prevention, and a community for crowd-sourcing solutions to stay ahead of the curve in risk reduction.

Fires started by the improper disposal of lithium-ion batteries (LIB) is a risk that’s rising, from curbside collection to MRFs and disposal sites: LIB fires burn hotter, spread faster, and are often triggered during routine handling (compaction, sorting, or crushing), creating a growing list of sleepless-night questions for our industry:

• How do we protect workers while handling increasingly volatile materials?
• How do we train teams to recognize and respond to emerging hazards?
• How do we keep facilities operational amid rising risks?
• How do we engage and educate the public to properly dispose of materials?
• And how do we adapt faster than the waste stream itself is changing?

The research makes one point clear: safety challenges in waste and resource management are evolving faster than any single organization can address alone.

SWANA members rest easier at night knowing that trusted safety tools, technical training, and, perhaps most importantly, a community of peers and experts are just a click or a phone call away. Discover how SWANA can transform your safety culture and improve your bottom line through memberships for individuals and organizations.

SWANA’s member community connects public and private sector professionals who face the same challenges. Members work in different regions, facility types, and regulatory environments, coming together to share their unique perspectives to reach shared goals of bringing workers home safely and keeping critical infrastructure running.

Here are a few examples for how SWANA and its members turn data into actionable resources for our industry:

• SWANA’s blog is accessible to all and features Safety First blog posts with downloadable flyers you can print and display throughout your facility.
• SWANA, NWRA and ReMA released a Guide for Developing Lithium-Ion Battery management Practices at MRFs that is available for the public to download.
• More than 67 Applied Research Foundation (ARF) reports are available with best practices for reducing curbside recycling contamination, guidance for waste managers on carbon dioxide avoided emissions, and more.
• SWANA Tips and Tricks eBook with year-round safety reminders related to driving, equipment use, PPE, and more to help safety stick for your team.

Through its safety initiatives, technical resources, and member driven workgroups, SWANA provides a platform for professionals to learn from one another and turn data into action.

For resource management professionals asking what keeps them up at night, the answer increasingly points to safety. The path forward, however, is not isolation—it’s shared knowledge, collective problem-solving, and a commitment to learning together.