As our infrastructure bill deep dive shows, the Senate’s infrastructure bill detailed the budgets for several segments of infrastructure, including $55 billion to maintain and improve drinking water in America. Appropriately, among the featured categories for this month are businesses that provide services and products for water systems. Here are our newest categories to increase your success in sourcing for what you need.

1. Post-Consumer Recycled PET Packaging

Post-consumer recycled PET is produced from bottles that have been used by consumers already. Some of the largest beverage companies in the world are aiming to increase sustainability by utilizing more recycled PET in their plastic bottles. By 2030, one of the most popular beverage companies targets recycling 100% of all bottles they produce, showing the direction this category is heading into this decade. 

2. Piping Insulation Contractors

Piping insulation can help keep energy costs low, prevent condensation, and reduce hazards that exposed uninsulated piping may cause. Optimal insulation for heated pipes can save businesses nearly $200 every month.

3. Anything as a Service (XaaS)

Anything as a Service (XaaS) is an all-encompassing term related to services provided remotely or through the cloud. For instance, third-party server centers and outsourced manufacturing, also known as Manufacturing-as-a-Service (MaaS). With just one subcategory – Software-as-a-Service – projected to hit over $300 billion by 2026, the potential of this category as a whole is clear.

4. Shipping & Handling Indicators

Shipping and handling indicators can be attached to packages and containers to provide information on mishandling, temperature, and humidity during the shipment process. These indicators are an important consideration as sourcing for shipping in Q3 is projected to increase by up to 8%. They also can be used for packages stored in warehouses.

5. Burn Boxes

In laboratory and medical settings, burn boxes are used to dispose of hazardous materials that are not safe to dispose of through other means. Utilizing local suppliers provides a bigger safety net for labs and medical facilities that require frequent and safe disposal of hazardous materials, a consideration made more important in the light of COVID-19.

6. Managed Network Services

Large businesses have to stay connected with other branches, consumers, and outside organizations. Businesses that provide managed network services remotely operate and manage such networks for other companies. The scaling up of 5G in 2021 is likely to improve the efficiency of third parties that provide these services.

7. Vanilla Powder

Vanilla powder is a key ingredient in the production of many beverages and pastries. Major food and beverage retailers have experienced shortages in such key ingredients, providing the need to find new sources. In 2020, sourcing for baking equipment rose nearly 60% over the previous year, which likely points to an increased demand for baking ingredients.

8. Roller Pumps

Several industries utilize roller pumps for the spraying and conveying of different fluids, particularly the agricultural and industrial industries. Sourcing for agricultural equipment is on the rise, which includes sprayers for pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers.

9. Disposal Boxes

To safely store things such as broken glass in an industrial or laboratory setting, disposal boxes are used. The importance of workplace safety has been underlined by COVID-19 and providing disposal boxes allows for safe handling in environments where glass or other sharp materials are frequently handled.

10. Grease Hoods

Fire protection systems saw a sourcing increase of 287% in Q1 2021. There is a connection between utilizing active systems such as these and the use of more passive precautions like grease hoods, which may increase in popularity like fire protection systems for the same reasons. 

11. Power over Ethernet (PoE) Extenders

Power over Ethernet provides a way to supply both AC power and transmit data through a single cable, and power over ethernet extenders provide a way to reach devices that are farther away. One application is in connected lighting systems, a component of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) market, estimated to hit a value of over $12 billion in 2024. PoE provides a more future-proof upgrade system when compared to its network-controlled alternative.

12. Limescale Removers

In industrial settings, piping and water reservoirs, particularly those that carry hot or hard water, are prone to the build-up of limescale on their inner surfaces. Limescale remover is used to remove these deposits in order to maintain system efficiency. With the current consistent funding for water projects and the continual need for industrial heat exchange, removal of limescale buildup remains a necessity.

13. Employment Screening Services

The need to employ capable labor is one that unites all industries, providing the need for employee screening services. As older employees in the workforce begin to retire, it opens up spaces for younger replacements and the need to properly assess them. 

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