CEO Column

Takeaways from the Waste Management Sustainability Forum

By: David Biderman, SWANA CEO & Executive Director

I had the privilege of participating in the Waste Management Sustainability Forum in late January in Arizona. This annual event, held in conjunction with the Waste Management Phoenix Open (WMPO), was both inspiring and deeply concerning, as it reflected both the commitment that Waste Management Inc. (WM) is making towards sustainability, and highlighted some of the environmental threats to our planet that may make future generations’ lives significantly different.

The Forum brought together thought leaders including former Secretary of State John Kerry and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff. It included a provocative presentation about how changing energy production and demand, coupled with America’s emerging transactional view of historic alliances and trade agreements, will likely lead to increased conflicts in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, and force a major tectonic shift in geo-political relationships throughout the world (I really hope the speaker is wrong). The Forum provided frequent reminders about Climate Change and Marine Litter, with one speaker mentioning SWANApalooza speaker Jenna Jambeck’s conclusion that oceans will have more plastic than fish by 2050 unless we change current trends.

I met with numerous WM and other industry representatives, including dozens of SWANA members, several of whom mentioned how great WASTECON had been several months earlier (in nearby downtown Phoenix). As we continue to improve SWANA’s national conferences, some of the themes and even speakers who participated in the Forum may reappear (or be recycled?) at future WASTECON’s and other events.

The Forum’s tag line was Big Ideas, Bold Action, Better World. That’s what industry leadership is about, and what SWANA strives to provide. We should not be satisfied with simply maintaining the status quo or minor, incremental improvements. WM reduced inbound contamination at its MRFs by 20% in 2019. That’s a huge success, but we need to do even better, and scale WM’s success across thousands of curbside recycling systems throughout the United States and Canada. The challenges and opportunities are simply too big to ignore – whether it’s recycling, safety, PFAS, or properly managing disposal facilities.

Next month’s SWANApalooza in Atlanta will provide you with ample opportunities to address these issues and others. We are providing a high-level technical conference featuring national and global leaders and visionaries. What’s EPA doing to implement the new national Framework on recycling? Come to Atlanta. What is Congress doing to support local recycling programs? Come to Atlanta. What does 2020 hold at the local, state, and federal levels for landfills and PFAS? Come to Atlanta. Solutions to the many challenges you and your customers face are likely on the exhibit floor. There will also be lots of opportunities for networking, renewing old friendships, and starting new personal and professional relationships.

January marked the first month of a new decade. I heard repeatedly at the Forum that this decade is our “last chance” to listen to the science if we are going to prevent worst case scenarios on Climate Change and Marine Litter. Even if you don’t agree with Greta Thunberg, the Australian wildfires that killed 1 billion animals and burned an area the size of Belgium, several of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded, and the historic retreat of sea ice in the Arctic, cannot be ignored. These are highly complicated issues that will require technological innovation, changes in behavior (on a global scale), private sector investment, and regulation. Arguably, reducing contamination levels in curbside recycling is comparatively easier. We need to explore all of the above. SWANA provides you with the tools, network, platform, and educational options to get it done. Drink deeply from the cup.