By Thomas Metzger

In August, the leadership of the Waste Equipment Technology Association (WASTEC) met outside Washington for a two-day planning session. WASTEC is the only trade association that represents manufacturers, distributors, technology and business services companies that supply equipment, technology and systems to the waste industry. The group spent the two days prioritizing what they value most about their WASTEC membership and discussing how the group can build upon those services that they value most. A few of things seemed clear from this discussion.

The WASTEC member leaders who participated in the session and who are representative of both equipment manufacturers and service providers were unanimous in their belief that WASTEC provides vital services to their companies. According to the enthusiasm expressed by this group, if your company manufactures and sells products or sells services to the solid waste and recycling services industry, BUT is not currently a WASTEC member, it is missing out. This group most values WASTEC’s standards and statistics programs.

WASTEC is the Secretariat for the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Accredited Standards Committee Z245 on equipment technology and operations for wastes and recyclable materials. As such, WASTEC develops the requirements for the design, manufacture, installation, modification and use of waste and recycling equipment. The approved scope of the ANSI Z245 committee’s standards activities encompasses the requirements for the design, manufacture, installation, modification, servicing, maintenance and use of the equipment and technology systems that are used to collect, contain, transport, store, process, recycle, treat and dispose of solid wastes and recyclable materials, and includes the operations of facilities and activities in which these equipment and technologies are incorporated. All stakeholders have the opportunity to participate in these efforts, influencing the standards for the products that they manufacture and market. This program is hugely important because it has been instrumental in advancing safety for workers in the solid waste and recycling services industry. It also has helped advance uniformity in things like trucks and containers, allowing producers of such equipment to expand their potential customer base.

WASTEC also manages the industry market statistics programs that enable participating WASTEC members to better gauge market penetration and competition. These efforts include the Industry Market and Production Survey (IMPS) and Manufacturer Sales Data (MDS) Program. The IMPS tracks business trends every quarter and provides 23 key benchmarks for manufacturing and distribution activities. The reports contain useful information for companies interested in market trends in the waste and recycling industry.

The MDS Program consists of manufacturers reporting production and sales data in specific product categories. Depending on the product, this monthly/quarterly report covers invoiced shipments from production facilities, regardless of place of origin. Shipped product is reported by regional destination in the North American Domestic (NAD) market, which includes the United States (broken out by five regions, Canada and Mexico, and exports to all other areas from production facilities in the NAD area. The mobile equipment report also tracks sales by state and includes CNG and LNG trucks.

In addition to the standards and statistics programs, WASTEC leaders stated how they value the networking and promotional opportunities that WASTEC makes available to its members mostly through its relationship with the National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA), the association representing the private-sector customers of WASTEC members. WASTEC facilitates networking opportunities at a variety of regional and national NSWMA/WASTEC events and meetings.

In addition to organizing these meetings, WASTEC members exhibiting at WasteExpo get a discount on their booth space and receive a contribution toward their WASTEC dues. WASTEC also oversees marketing tools such as the Waste Industry Marketplace.

If your company is in the business of producing or selling equipment or marketing services to the solid waste and recycling services industry, you should be a WASTEC member. Interested in learning more? There’s more information at www.wastec.org.

For more information about WASTEC activities, visit www.wastec.org or contact WASTEC Communications Director Thom Metzger at [email protected].