CEO Column

By: David Biderman, SWANA Executive Director and CEO

My lovely wife and I recently downsized from the suburban house where we raised our children to a much smaller rowhouse in Alexandria, Virginia. It’s been quite the adventure.

One aspect of urban living that has both surprised and disappointed me is the amount of litter in our new neighborhood. On the sidewalk. In the street. In the playground and the park. Water bottles, playing cards, candy bar wrappers, fast food containers, cigarette butts, and of course, the ubiquitous masks that many people continue to wear in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each morning, when I walk the dog, I bring two bags with me. One, for the dog, and the other, to pick up whatever litter I find during my 15-minute sojourn with Charlie. I typically collect 15 to 20 pieces of litter every morning. It’s frustrating that people are so careless about the environment and the community in which they live. Although Keep America Beautiful’s recent Litter Report documented a decline in litter, I don’t see it.

In fact, litter has become a national issue in the wake of the pandemic. To quote one solid waste industry leader, “ there’s garbage freaking everywhere.” This includes both increased litter and the continued elevated amounts of trash and recyclables being generated on the residential side. The collection worker shortage that some solid waste companies and local governments have experienced over the past few months, which has resulted in delayed collection, has only compounded the problem. SWANA’s May 2021 report on this topic, which has been referenced in several media reports, offers some potential solutions to this ongoing problem.

There are a number of ways to address the worker shortage, and litter, and recycling, and your community’s recovery from the pandemic, but they all begin with leadership. Whether on a corporate, agency, or individual basis, we need to be leaders. For example, Waste Management recently announced it is offering to pay for the college tuition of its employees and eligible dependents, in an effort to recruit and retain talent. Time will tell whether this program is successful, but the initial response has been favorable.

The City of Phoenix Solid Waste Division established the Solid Waste Equipment Operator (SWEO) Apprentice Program several years ago to recruit underrepresented demographics to its Solid Waste Division. This program, which was highlighted last year in a SWANA Applied Research Foundation (ARF) report, has helped Phoenix attract and retain more female and young workers, and is a terrific example of industry leadership.

On an individual level, what can you do to be a leader, and how can you further develop your leadership skills? Answering that question is at the core of  WASTECON in Orlando on November 1-4. The educational program focuses on the needs of municipal leaders and their teams. In addition to having futurist Rebecca Ryan to help you look around the corner, we will be holding sessions and workshops on media relations and other topics that will help you hone your leadership skills. Because we are all eager to reconnect with industry colleagues and friends, we have deliberately allowed additional time for networking and collaboration. We will provide a safe environment in which SWANA members and others can learn, engage, and have fun.

As for me, I will continue picking up other people’s trash. Which makes me a garbage collector. A fitting way for me to start my day, right?