This week, Green connected with Gary Lougher, founder and COO of DumpsterGard; created in 2011 as a method to reduce contamination in commercial dumpsters and adhere to environmental regulations, DumpsterGard offers a simple solution to a complex challenge: waste management.
Let’s learn more about Gary and his mission!
Tell us a little bit about you, your background, and your current role:
About 10 years ago, I founded DumpsterGard, LLC, with a mission to provide a better way to cover roll-off dumpsters.
When organizations don’t handle their waste properly, it’s both a business liability and a risk to the environment we all share. With our dumpster covers, we hope to empower businesses to stay on the right side of environmental regulations and protect their communities.
Along my business journey, I’ve learned a lot about finding the right technology and resources to help make my job easier and grow the business. I’ve recently partnered with an industrial commerce company called Inxeption. With purpose-built commerce technology and a team of experts assisting me with logistics, marketing, and payment processing, I’ve been able to hang up my day job as a GM in the propane industry to focus on scaling DumpsterGard. Soon, I will be relocating from Las Vegas to Harrisburg, Pa, as I have reconnected with my first girlfriend after 32 yrs. 
What is a fun fact about you?
Over the years, my dad has shared hilarious and wild stories about his childhood. I am writing a book inspired by him and the stories he shared.
Why do you think climate change and sustainability is such an important topic today?
Because at the very least, the quality of our future depends on it. At the worst, the future of humanity and other species is at stake.
What do you envision your industry looking like 10 years from now?
DumpsterGard is currently exploring new materials to enhance our product design and reduce our environmental footprint. We are also looking into a more complex design that will allow the covers to more securely attach to the roll-off with minimal hardware or modifications, so the covers remain easily transferred from dumpster to dumpster.
For the industry in general, the rapid pace of technological change makes this question very difficult to answer. Hopefully, the waste industry will have less waste to deal with as businesses look for ways to reduce it. One area of particular interest to me is how modular construction and 3d printing technology will affect construction site waste.
What can the average person do to make a difference?
Demand for consumer goods continues to rise. It seems there is an addiction to “stuff.” We can explore which things we can do without and challenge the notion that more stuff is what we need in our lives. It also seems we need to let go of our attachment to the way things used to be and embrace new technology. I humbly include myself in those statements, and I acknowledge, it can be pretty challenging. As I see it, current and past technology is a significant contributor to the present state of our environment, and new technology can move us forward in improving it.
Green Success Stories is a television show, podcast, social media, and news platform, hosted by Dylan Welch, that highlights climate change scientists, renewable energy experts, and clean tech entrepreneurs by giving them a voice in the mainstream media. The Green podcast highlights leading experts in cleantech, sustainability, media, finance, and real estate. Tune in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple or Spotify to listen to interviews with leading cleantech and sustainable experts. If you are interested in being featured on Green, click HERE.
