Waste management is not the usual place to look for environmentally sustainable policies, but David Steiner, the president and CEO of Waste Management Inc., a comprehensive waste and environmental services company, believes that’s exactly why his company’s succeeding. Steiner collects the waste from companies including Walmart and proceeds to recycle the materials, selling it and thus turning a profit.
“About five years ago we looked at all the stuff that we took and put in the landfills,” said Steiner. “What would that be worth if we could sort it out and sell it?”
By taking what was once put in a landfill and instead recycling it, Steiner has transformed his waste disposal company without changing much of the business’s profile and general makeup. Steiner did this by using sorting technology and educating the companies that use his services.
“We taught Walmart how to take those materials that used to go into a dumpster and separate them so we can sell them,” said Steiner. “We’ve had this change thrust upon us…The beauty of it is we’re going to go into a new business model where we make more money.”
Source: The Bottom Line
By Cheyenne Johnson