Ross Guberman on the AI-Powered Waste Management Revolution

The Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti

The Green Impact Report

Quick take: Ross Guberman reveals how AI sensors and tech-enabled waste management can slash building operating costs while hitting zero waste targets—turning dumpster diving into data science.

Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion

Ross Guberman is a seasoned executive with a strong focus on sustainability and environmental management. Currently serving as the SVP of Sustainability at Recycle Track Systems, he has a proven track record of leading organizations towards high profit and impactful practices.

His diverse experience includes founding and leading Great Forest as CEO, where he honed skills in contract negotiation and program development. Ross's early career as an Environmental Volunteer with the Peace Corps in Cape Verde reflects his long-standing commitment to environmental issues.

With a strong educational background in Mathematics from Rutgers University, he combines analytical skills with strategic planning expertise. Ross is passionate about creating enjoyable workplaces while driving sustainable development initiatives.

🌱Breaking Ground on Better Building

In this episode, Ross revolutionizes traditional waste management approaches:

Key Insight #1: AI Sensors Turn Waste Bins Into Smart Infrastructure

• The Challenge: Building managers have no visibility into bin fullness, leading to unnecessary pickups, contamination, and wasted hauler routes

• The Solution: RTS Pello sensors with cameras and sonar monitor bin levels 24/7, detect contamination, and automatically alert haulers when service is needed

• ROI: Eliminates truck traffic, right-sizes service schedules, and provides real-time contamination feedback to reduce recycling stream pollution

Key Insight #2: Consolidated Portfolio Management Beats Fragmented Haulers

• The Challenge: Large building portfolios juggle multiple waste haulers with separate invoices, no data consistency, and zero optimization across sites

• The Solution: Single technology platform managing 1,000+ locations with unified billing, data analytics, and sustainability reporting

• ROI: Dramatic time savings for accounting teams, consolidated invoicing, and leveraged negotiating power across entire portfolios

Key Insight #3: Gamification Makes Waste Reduction Tangible

• The Challenge: Energy and water savings are invisible to building occupants, making sustainability engagement difficult

• The Solution: Reverse vending machines that reward recycling behavior with instant incentives like raffle entries and discounts

• ROI: Creates visible sustainability touchpoints that change behaviors and build environmental awareness across building communities

Sustainable Soundbite

"With waste, everybody touches waste. I don't know if you've been to a party, but anytime you say anything that you do anything in waste management, everyone wants to talk about it. This is a way to really engage people and let them see sustainability." – Ross Guberman

Your Green Building Action Plan

Transform your next project with these steps:

1. This Week: Conduct a detailed waste audit across different floors and areas to understand your building's waste generation patterns

2. This Quarter: Pilot AI-enabled waste monitoring in one building to demonstrate cost savings and contamination reduction

3. This Year: Implement portfolio-wide waste consolidation and technology integration to achieve 90%+ landfill diversion rates

Connect & Learn More

• 🌿 Explore RTS's waste technology solutions: RTS.com

• 📚 Recommended reading: Nonviolent Communication:

• 🗒️ Read the transcript here

• 🔗 Connect with Ross Guberman: LinkedIn

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