TECHNOLOGY
HOW VIDEO MONITORING SOLUTIONS CAN IMPROVE RECYCLING FACILITY OPERATIONS CAMERA SYSTEMS HELP FACILITIES RUN SMOOTHLY, PREVENT INCIDENTS, AND KEEP UP WITH DEMAND BY HEIDI SCHMIDT
T
here are roughly 18,000 recycling plants across the U.S. and their distribution mirrors population density: There are more facilities in areas with more population, as expected. The average American produces 4.9 pounds of waste every day, which leads to a whopping 292 million tons of waste per year across the country. Consequently, recycling facilities are critical to the health and well-being of the population, and their importance will only grow in the future. Recycling facilities’ operations have to run smoothly to prevent incidents and to keep up with the ever-growing demand. This is where video monitoring comes in.
VIDEO MONITORING TO STREAMLINE OPERATIONS
The first thing that comes to mind when you say “video monitoring” is security. Any camera system can provide you with security, but in recycling plants, video monitoring can do so much more than that. There are more than 16 types of recyclable materials that waste management plants have to deal with. Different equipment, different training procedures, and different processes are required for each of these materials. It’s very easy for things to fall through the cracks when you have to manage so many different systems and procedures. Moreover, recycling plants are typically huge facilities with thousands of square feet that need to be monitored. This makes it almost impossible to use human monitoring.
50
recyclingproductnews.com | JULY/AUGUST 2024
With video monitoring, all you need is a remote or on-site operator, who can: • Monitor the live feed. • Keep an eye on every piece of machinery to spot, for instance, when a conveyor belt is worn down. This can help avoid both incidents and costly downtime. • Spot inefficiencies in your processes, such as noticing that the route between the waste storage area and the waste processing area is too long and can be shortened, thus improving your overall productivity. • Spot when a piece of equipment works less effectively than normal. It may be time to schedule preemptive maintenance to improve productivity. • Spot fires (one of the biggest risks in recycling facilities) with the use of thermal cameras before they turn into disasters.
VIDEO MONITORING TO ENHANCE COMPLIANCE
Recycling facilities have to adhere to countless rules and laws, both at local and federal levels. As environmental laws become stricter all over the world, so will the rules that waste management plants have to abide by. Breaking environmental laws comes with hefty fines and even facility closure. Video monitoring can help you prove that your recycling facility is compliant. You can simply show the video records to the inspector and make your case.