WasteExpo well-timed for this new managing editor

For the past two months, I’ve been learning all about the waste and recycling industry as I’ve stepped into the managing editor role at Waste Today and its sister publication, Construction & Demolition Recycling. With 20 years of writing for and editing daily and weekly newspapers, I’m no stranger to the business of publications; however, learning about the waste and recycling industry has been and will continue to be an exciting challenge.

The timing of WasteExpo could not have been better for me, offering the opportunity to meet many experts in the field, including some I’ve spoken with during the opening weeks of this new career. The week spent at WasteExpo was very energizing for me; in fact, I wish I had a few more days to spend learning the ins and outs of the technology, markets and people who make this industry so dynamic. I spent a great deal of time in sessions and was given the 30,000-foot view of the industry by Michael E. Hoffman, managing director of Stifel Financial Corp., and a host of c-suite officials from some of the most influential companies in the industry at the Waste360 Investors Summit May 9. I now have a much better idea of how all the separate threads of waste collection, recycling and resource recovery are tied together.

In this edition, Tarek Abichou, a professor of civil engineering at Florida A&M University-Florida State University, discusses the benefits of evapotranspiration landfill covers topped with topsoil and vegetation. Prior to WasteExpo, I would have understood Dr. Abichou’s submission but not necessarily its place in the business of landfill gas reduction. Now, after hearing about the regulations surrounding landfills at WasteExpo, I understand the critical role landfill covers play in reducing methane emissions from landfills.

Likewise, learning that waste hauling is among the most dangerous industries in the nation gave me a greater appreciation for any gains companies can find to protect their equipment and, most importantly, their employees. During WasteExpo, I attended two sessions focused on material recovery facility design, both of which were fascinating. I also learned about some of the safety features of the industry’s newest trucks and the software that helps guide them. One area I did not specifically hear about at WasteExpo was tire safety and the different factors hauling companies need to consider when choosing tires and structuring maintenance plans in different environments. Recycling Today Media Group Senior Editor Brian Taylor explores this topic further with Goodyear National Fleet Manager Jim Faherty in this edition.

These are just two examples of the types of unique coverage I hope to continue offering in Waste Today with help from my new friends in the Recycling Today Media Group.