Using Drones to Monitor and Manage Your Solid Waste Sites

Walden Environmental Engineering has been taking advantage of drone technology in the management of solid waste sites, particularly in Walden’s NYSDEC Part 360 Solid Waste Permitting process, to save time and money in meeting our clients’ inventory management and regulatory compliance needs.

Walden has been working with Harkin Aerial, our strategic partner as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Service Provider, to obtain site measurements from the air in locations where traditional survey measurements would be both time consuming and challenging due to site conditions. A remotely controlled drone can operate in hazardous locations that pose health and safety risks to humans, thereby decreasing liability and reducing potential site hazards.

Additionally, UAVs fast measurements from the air allow a UAV operator to travel from pile to pile without any setup or breakdown time, completing measurements in a matter of hours on-site – not days.

What can drones be utilized for to complete the collection of site data more efficiently?

  • Stockpile Volume Calculations
  • Aerial Mapping
  • 3D Site Documentation
  • Aerial Photography and Videography

In a busy, confined waste transfer site such as the one below, one of Harkin’s skilled UAV operators was able to pilot the drone from the client’s 200 foot roof, allowing for easy line-of-sight from pilot to the drone (as required by FAA regulations), and a fast and safe data capture process for the client.

 drones solid waste

For more information, contact Walden Environmental Engineering at (516)624-7200.