Okay, other than that cool space coup George Jetson darted about in as he made his way to the office, or that really neato mask Jane would hold up to her face when someone called her before she had her glam on for the day making it appear she had totally been up for hours—it would be the proverbial understatement to say much of the Jetson-era has now become reality.   

And while perhaps not quite to the point yet where we all have a Rosie cruising through the house with a feather duster keeping all things in order, who doesn’t know of at least 2 or 3 homes with a Roomba on recon duty patrolling their floors at any given moment keeping the crumbs and dog hair at bay?

Whether you’re in the camp that thinks these machines are mechanical wonders, or mechanical menaces, much like the toothpaste that’s already out of the tube, at this point there’s no going back.

But for the sake of brevity—as well as letting those bow out quickly on the mechanical menace side of the argument—we’re going to consider the positives of machines, or more specifically robots, particularly as that’s filtered through the eyes of sustainability.

For just a moment, imagine having a co-worker who never gets tired, can lift way more than the heavy coffee table you struggled with last weekend, and doesn't even flinch at the word "overtime." That’s exactly what companies like Figure are cooking up with their robots. Make no mistake.  These aren't your typical clunky machines; they're designed to mimic human movements and handle tough jobs that are, honestly, not always that great for us to be doing.

Or as their website states: “With the first robots by our side in the workforce, we’ll have the ability to create and produce so much more, address drastic labor shortages, and reduce the number of workers in unsafe jobs.”

While some would argue all three of those points ring true, the very real labor shortage hits closest to home for us at Food Loops. I don’t know if you’ve tried sourcing workers in the market in the past 2 to 3 years, but as a company fairly dependent on contract workers to work events handling waste sorting, paying far above minimum wage, it is not a rosy picture. 

Don’t get me wrong, without exception, our contract workers are bar none the best there are.  It’s just that the field of those willing to work is limited.

Another plus in the robot column is the fact they handle situations like operating in less than ideal conditions.  Until you’ve sorted waste in a parking lot for a major street fair during a cloud burst—which our Food Loops team can attest to firsthand—you have no idea how inviting this idea is. That’s not even taking into account all the other conditions that have potential safety issues making the average person say, "No thanks!" that gives the pro-robot argument a bit of a boost.

And while we’re keen to focus on the sustainability world, with more and more people steering clear of physically demanding or less than pristine jobs, robots can have a major impact there as well.  Take farming or other critical industries where robots can step in during busy seasons, ensuring things run smoothly no matter what. It’s definitely something to consider.

But here’s arguably the best part—robots are also kind to the planet. Going back to the farming example, robots can help use resources like water and fertilizers more efficiently, which is huge for reducing our environmental footprint.  And who wants to argue with that?

So yes, while it's awesome to think about all the ways robots can absolutely be a help, clearly it's also imperative we make sure they're being used through the best lens. No one wants anyone losing their jobs over this, so it becomes all the more important to find that sweet spot where robots can work alongside us, making our jobs more efficient, safer, and even easier without them displacing workers who truly want and need to work.

Who’da thunk back in 1962 the creators of the Jetsons would be the prescient group they’ve turned out to be? One things for sure—as we continue to explore this robot revolution, it’s becoming increasingly clear that it’s more about embracing this next chapter in technology while simultaneously maintaining our human touch in the workplace.