Dive Brief:
- Recycle Track Systems (RTS) has announced the launch of a free, on-demand waste and recycling collection app now available for phones and tablets.
- Customers can view pricing, schedule pick-ups, track appointments, and show the type of waste they need collected with photos.
- The New York company is a registered waste broker within the city. Their clients include Whole Foods Market, commercial real estate, government buildings, and a variety of other businesses.
Dive Insight:
Rubicon Global has been the main player in the on-demand waste app market and received major publicity. The company now has a $500 million valuation—including money from Leonardo DiCaprio—and major clients such as 7-Eleven and Wegmans. CEO Nate Morris has promised to "revolutionize the industry" and empower small operators, drawing many comparisons to Uber.
Yet RTS is clearly trying to compete. Co-founder Adam Pasquale has more than 20 years experience in New York's commercial waste business and RTS has hired some impressive talent. The company's new director of sustainability Amy Marpman was previously COO of Great Forest Inc., has experience working with Fortune 500 companies, and brings many longstanding connections from the local waste industry.
Aside from whether RTS can compete with Rubicon in securing accounts, the real question is whether clients will benefit from their apps. When asked by Waste Dive last summer, Rubicon's Morris admitted that generational interest in the technology may be an issue. Certain businesses that regularly generate large amounts of waste on a set schedule may not see the need, while others that generate random amounts and types of waste on a varied schedule could benefit.
Though both companies would likely argue that the larger point is making collection more efficient and accountable through the use of real-time data and analytics. For example, Pasquale has said that the hauler collecting from Whole Foods in New York would have normally been considered too small to get the account without the help of RTS. If these new companies can open up competition while ensuring a better customer experience, they will end up having a valuable role to play in the industry.
