In order to have successful cart set out in your community, it is important to start with a great plan. Following key steps will help set up success for cart assembly and distribution.
Meeting the needs of your waste, recycling or organics collection business requires products and processes that perform dependably, endure the harshest elements, work for a variety of customers and sustain the planet for future generations. Not only have we compiled a list of key components to ensure you have a successful assembly and delivery process, but also included are some recommendations on how to track and maintain your inventory stream.
Photos courtesy of Cascade Cart Solutions.
Cart Assembly and Distribution Success
In order to have successful cart set out in your community, it is important to start with a great plan. Following these key steps will help set up success for cart assembly and distribution:
1. Planning Meetings: It is important to start with the project scope and deliverables. Assigning key roles and responsibilities as well as key milestones.
2. Project Scope: In this crucial step, define schedules, including cart manufacturing timelines. During this process, define the number of residents to be serviced each day and the boundaries of the delivery area.
3. Communication Plan: How will you communicate the new service to the residents? Fliers, handouts and packets delivered with the carts are great idea to make sure the residents have all of the information necessary in case they have questions or need clarification.
4. Define Space Requirements: Space is critical and can be a key factor in the success or failure of meeting objectives. The space requirements include:
- A paved storage area for new carts
- Work area for assembly of carts
- Storage of new and used cart components
- Areas for freight trailers to be unloaded
- Area for delivery trucks to be loaded
- Secured storage area for delivery trucks
RFID-Enabled Cart Based Management
Garbage cans, recycling totes, wheelie bins, curbside cartsâwhatever you call them, they can be a lot to manage when you are tracking thousands at a time. Container and asset management is crucial to servicing your client base effectively.
RFID tags have become an industry standard for tracking containers and providing collection information. The practice of using RFID tags can streamline the collection process and ease the stress of client communication.
When roll-out carts are equipped with RFID tags, service teams and collection trucks can be outfitted with mobile and fixed RFID readers to collect and write data to that particular tag, giving history to that asset. The accuracy and accessibility of this information is crucial to maintaining customer accounts and positive revenue growth. The benefits of RFID technology in the waste and recycling industry include:
⢠Elimination of missed collections and unbilled services
⢠Improved asset management, reducing capital expenditures
⢠Increased recycling rates through participation verification
⢠Target marketing customers in specific zones based on data-driven variables
⢠Useful information to help manage your customers and increase operational efficiencies
Maintaining RFID Systems
Once you have decided to implement RFID technology, it is important to maintain that system to ensure your information is as accurate and up-to-date as possible to best inform your operations. As with any technology, regular use and maintenance is important for properly functioning tools. Basic maintenance includes:
⢠Operations teams interacting with software daily to ensure there are no missing inputs, and timely communication to software providers in the case of questions or errors
⢠Training maintenance employees on proper troubleshooting methods; having a super-user for the hardware is just as important as having a super-user for the software of a system
⢠Just as drivers conduct a daily safety check of their vehicle, a daily cart tip test at the yard can confirm proper function of the hardware and software before a route begins.
Although RFID technology implementations do require change amongst an operations team, the benefit of the information these systems can provide far outweigh the changes required. In most instances, the output of these tools tends to lead to more solutions than the hauler or municipality originally intended.
Fueling a Circular Economy
Most carts hold a lengthy warranty and are made to last. However, as with all products, carts do have a lifecycle. Using RFID technology, product lifecycles can be managed in order to maintain a circular economy. Carts can be recovered efficiently and sent to a recycling service. The recovered carts can be reground and used to create new carts.
It is important to strive for a circular economy. One where products are developed for long-term use and designed with end of life in mind. Using a strategy of extended producer responsibility, can empower your business, while sustaining the work for generations to come. It is a win-win for everyone involved.
The Right Path
Starting with a great plan and following these steps will set you up for success with your trash and recycling programs. Continuing to fine tune operations and look to product innovations will set you on the right path towards the goal of a circular economy. | WA
Cascade Cart Solutions (Grand Rapids, MI), a division of Cascade Engineering, was established in 1989 to supply residential and commercial containers to the solid waste and recycling industry. Since their founding, the division has sold more than 32 million carts and established long-term customer relationships with a growing list of haulers and municipalities across North America. Along with certification from The Great Lakes Womenâs Business Council (WBENC) as a woman-owned, operated and controlled business, parent company Cascade Engineering is one of the largest certified âBâ corporations in the world. For more information, e-mail [email protected] or visit cascadecartsolutions.com.