David Kaminski is Senior Vice President of QED Environmental Systems. QED supplies systems worldwide for extracting landfill leachate, dewatering landfill gas extraction wells, and dedicated ground water sampling pumps for waste disposal sites.
Waste management still remains primarily a local and regional problem. You are working around the world – what are your experiences?
There is not a single model that suits all. The drivers and policies for establishing waste management systems differ from country to country and from region to region. Naturally these differences are most noticeable between developed and developing countries, where economic issues are the major factor. However, economics become less relevant when you compare countries and regions with a similar degree of development. Factors such as social acceptance and land availability play a more important role in determining the solutions for waste disposal.
In developed countries we continue to see an increase in source separation and material and energy recovery from wastes. This will lead to a decrease in the amount of waste being landfilled. But from an international point of view, landfilling is still the main method for disposal of waste. It affords a less costly waste management solution than incineration where land is readily available. In developing countries, dumpsites will gradually develop into sanitary landfills – properly engineered and operated landfills with leachate management and landfill gas collection systems. Landfill gas extraction technology will develop and gas extraction systems will be optimized.
In practice, what is driving demand for improved landfilling standards?
From QED’s standpoint, the regulatory framework imposed at the government level has historically determined much of the demand for our products and services. Clearly, there is a steady rise in local communities and governments that desire to monitor and protect their ground water resources. Where non-engineered, poorly-located waste disposal sites are present, remediation measures are often required. My experience is that, to a greater degree than only five years ago, governments and businesses are retaining environmental firms and engineering concerns to examine potential impacts to human health and the environment, conducting detailed assessments, preparing work plans and installing equipment to address the problems in the field.
In addition to the regulatory driven demand, certain advances in landfilling practices are creating additional need for our products. For example, regulations often dictate the maximum level of leachate in a landfill. Currently there is a trend toward leachate recirculation and bioreactor landfill designs to accelerate organic stabilization and hasten landfill gas production, resulting in an operational need to extract leachate and pump it back over the waste mass, rather than a strict regulatory requirement.
Beyond selling the ‘right’ equipment, what tools are needed to participate effectively in the international environmental market?
QED is enthusiastic about the trends for what one might call a niche business such as ours. We ship out product daily, tracking the normal concerns of most environmental suppliers, i.e. contract laws and agreements, patent protection, on-time delivery and corresponding on-time payments, and customer support and satisfaction. Interestingly we do see some needs in various countries for training, at levels including the environmental technicians and the disposal site operations managers. As product development is yielding higher quality and more technically complex systems, field personnel need to become familiar with usage, maintenance and applications. Such training is readily delivered (either in person, at workshops, or electronically), but I would say more training is still needed.
How do you remain competitive across a global customer base?
Strategically, QED decided several years ago to partner with like-minded entities outside the USA to pursue our business model. In part, networking with various decision-makers, design engineers, government ministries and business project managers is a significant means to be successful. Moreover, offering unique product attributes through an ongoing programme of new product development and maintaining quality service is simply what we must do to be competitive for the long run.
As an example, there is a fast-growing trend to optimise biogas collection from landfills, both as a source of energy and to capture carbon emission credits. A common factor hindering biogas collection from both older and modern landfills is the build up of liquids in gas extraction wells and in the collection system. The presence of liquid obstructs gas flow. Working with field engineers and our product design personnel, QED has developed specialized pumps to extract the liquids from these wells, handling both explosive environments and aggressive or corrosive liquids. The result is improved collection of methane emissions and environmental issues such as leachate seeps and gas and odour emissions.
Clearly, to make the networking happen, we rely on various marketing tools and approaches, and personal relationships with our customers. Professional associations such as ISWA are very relevant to our growth ‘game plan’. An excellent network of waste professionals, including up-to-date information on changing trends, helps QED improve its year-to-year successes. These shared experiences with other professionals contribute to establishing a higher standard for waste management internationally.
Interviewer for the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA): Helena Bergman, ISWA Project Manager
e-mail: hb@iswa.dk
