You know what most people hate talking about? Money. It makes people really uncomfortable.

But I’ve found that when we’re honest about our pricing, the opposite happens. Our clients like knowing what they’re being charged and why.

So today, I’m going to take some time explaining our pricing. It’s something I’m often asked about.

But how do we calculate what you’re charged? 

It’s a three part process:

1. We establish your waste spend baseline

2. We develop and apply recommendations

3. We compare your baseline to your new spend 

This article will show you what you can expect to be charged when  you come on board with us. 

We establish your waste spend baseline

We identify what you are spending now by categorizing the past volumes, type of equipment, and service levels along with the rates for equipment, collection, and disposal along with recycling rates. That is what we refer to as a benchmark. 

This audit process is comprehensive - no stone is left unturned. To analyze this information, we look at the following sources for every location in your portfolio:

• Past waste and recycling invoices, 

• Every current service agreements,

• Information obtained via site survey (if necessary),

• Information obtained from location managers  

This information takes time to accumulate, verify, and document - but we bear the brunt of the burden. (Our process is tailored to minimize inconvenience to you and your staff. Most teams only need an hour or two to send us the initial documents we need!) After that, we may follow up via email or phone calls to your site managers to verify certain sections of information. 

Once we have all of the required documentation, we can move into the next phase: analysis. 

We develop and apply recommendations

After our 30-step audit process, we develop recommendations. We look for alternate services, disposal and recycling options. We find better rates, and better service schedules for you. 

We compare your usage rates and any overage charges, we look at your tonnage each month, and then we look at market rates. Comparing rates and fees helps us see if you:

• Have the ideal service levels

• Have the ideal equipment in place

• Have the ideal contract. 

Where there are issues, we bring expertise-driven solutions to the table. We know what fair prices and good contracts are - and we’ll stop at nothing to make sure you get both. 

Once we have enacted the cost-reducing recommendations, we compare your baseline spend with your new spend. 

(Fun fact: we don’t charge you until our recommendations affect your bottom line. We don’t believe you should pay for something you’re not benefiting from.)

Then, we apply those recommendations to your past data to calculate what you would have paid for services if you had been using our alternative program.  This is how we determine which recommendations make financial and operational sense.

After we implement the recommendations that you approve, and for each month going forward, we provide you with three calculations based on your actual monthly volume:

1.  We use the current months actual volume to calculate precisely what you would have spent using prior equipment, collection, disposal and recycling rates and services. 

2.  We break down precisely what you spent with our new program. 

3. Our last step is to simply subtract those two calculations and the difference is obviously what was saved for that specific month. 

Before we get paid on our first savings invoice, we can go over the details of our calculations to make sure you understand them.

Once we’ve verified your account for accuracy, we send you an invoice each month. 

The breakdown for what you owe is very clear; each invoice lists what you were paying for waste services prior to our partnership. Then it lists what you are now paying. We will charge you 50% of the difference. (Read more about our pricing here!)

We Care About What You Are Charged for Waste Expenses

We’re honest about why we charge what we charge. You deserve nothing less. 

In an industry that is often rife with shady dealings, we seek to put you back in the driver’s seat. Information is power, and what you don’t know is hurting you. 

Stop being taken advantage of. Set up an appointment today to take the first step towards leveraging waste savings.