Top 3 Ways Most Commercial Companies Overpay on Waste - and How to Stop!

How would you feel if your landlord let you know that they had been overcharging you by 10% on rent for the past 3 years? What if they apologized and made good on their promise to reimburse you the thousands of dollars you are owed?

There’s a certain similarity between this fictitious landlord and your waste haulers. Your waste haulers have almost certainly been charging you 10-30% more than necessary. But they’re probably going to be the very last people to admit this, and there’s no way they’re going to reimburse you.

So what can you do? Hold them accountable. Stop doing these three things:

• Not capping rate increases

• Getting too many pick-ups

• Not eliminating waste fees

These are issues we’ve fixed for many of our clients in the past 19 years, so we know that fixing these key issues will affect your bottom line positively.

Problem #1: No caps on rate increases on your waste hauler contract

Haulers, like all of us, like making profit. The problem is that most of them like doing it more than we think is fair. Haulers will raise their prices 1-4 times a year at a 10-15% increase each time! If you have multiple properties, this represents thousands of dollars in overspending.

Haulers can do this because there’s likely nothing in your current contract that limits these price hikes.

Solution: Attend to your contract. Pay attention to when your contract is up for renewal. Make sure that the “Notes” section on your contract includes price caps.

Different haulers will allow different rate caps. It depends on your region of the country and it often depends on how many competitors are in the area.

Problem # 2: Receiving Too Many Pick Ups from Your Waste Hauler.

70% of companies are getting too much service from their haulers. Why? Because haulers are compensated based on quantity of pick-ups. The more times they visit your locations, the more money they make.

So they tend to err on the side of too many pick-ups! We currently have the technology to monitor your fill levels to ensure you’re not receiving too much service. (This technology also lets us know if your hauler has missed service, and if you are due for reimbursement.)

Solution: Reduce the number of pick-ups at one of your locations. Test out how many you really need. Or, give us a call and let us do all the legwork!

Problem #3: Allowing ancillary fees on contracts.

Waste fees are fees like “administrative fees” or “waste cost recovery fees” that appear on your invoices. Most typical waste fees don’t have to be included on your contract.

And, like price hikes, if they’re not prohibited by your contract, there’s a good chance that you’ll get them on your invoices.

And we find that most waste hauling companies do exactly that.

Solution: Get all-inclusive, flat rates for your waste fees. When we negotiate client contracts, we include all fees and waste charges in one rate that is capped at a certain percentage growth. We allow the haulers to increase the flat rate at specific intervals in the contract term.

It’s fair to the haulers and it’s fair to our clients. The haulers can incrementally raise their prices to keep up with their own rising costs, but only within fair constraints. And our clients know exactly when and by how much their waste costs will rise, which really helps budgeting.

Solutions for Your Top Three Waste Problems

90% of companies have these waste problems at their locations - regardless of industry. These simply aren’t problems that most people are aware of.

But if you do the following, you will save yourself 10-30% on your waste expense every year:

• Cap price increases

• Reduce the number of pick-ups

• Eliminate ancillary fees

Doing these three simple things will help protect your bottom line and prevent future overspending.

Have you ever tried one of these solutions for your waste management?

Real Stories: Saving on Waste Expenses {Free Download}

Waste reviews are, unfortunately, not common practice in most industries. As a result, most companies overspend by 10-30% every month on too much service, inflated rates, and inefficient waste equipment.

We’ve compiled the most common waste issues in an easy-to-download document that is interspersed with our client’s take on our process. It’s the real deal, and will hopefully help you understand how other companies just like yours have saved.

Many of you have likely wondered: “Can a waste audit really help me? Will it save me money? Will it work?”

Who better to answer these questions than our clients! Throughout this document, they'll share their thoughts on the waste savings journey.

They represent different industries, and each had waste issues unique to them. But they all share one thing in common: they suspected they could be overspending on their waste expenses and they chose to do something about it.

In this whitepaper, you’ll learn how companies just like you found hidden waste savings opportunities.

We’ll show you the three steps companies took in their savings journey:

• “I could have hidden waste problems.”

• “WCI can find savings.”

• Savings achieved.

In the process, you'll learn what our waste review process was like for them, and how much they are saving or have saved as a result.

How We're Using Data to Help You Save Even More

We talk a lot around here about dumpsters, pickups, and service schedules.

If you’ve been following us for any length of time, you probably know that most US companies get too much service, and that most of them have no idea.

But what you may not know is that we now have a new way to quantify what we know by experience.

We’ve recently partnered with Compology, a company that collects data on dumpster usage. They’ve created special cameras to measure data from inside the dumpster. 

Why is this so important? Because our clients stand to save even more.

Compology’s dumpster cameras give us the following data:

• How many actual pickups vs expected pickups

• The average fullness at pickup.

• Recent pictures of fill levels

• Contamination stats

This information helps us know what your service needs actually are - and how/if the hauler is filling those needs.

It helps us ensure you’re paying for the right service levels. It makes sure you don’t pay for pickups that didn’t happen. And it keeps us up to speed on fluctuating service needs.

Without this data on waste expenses, you’re driving blind - and you’re probably paying for it. 

Like many of you, data drives the core of what we do: help people save on their waste expenses. 

When we want to get the whole picture of a company’s waste management process, we go to the invoices and contracts. These documents tell us the details of service: how often garbage is supposed to picked up, how often a particular location gets overage fees, what equipment is onsite. They also tell us who you’re working with to get trash service, and how long you’ve contracted with the service provider. 

All of this information helps us determine where you’re overspending. 

But this traditional date plus the new data we have access to increases your waste opportunities even more.

You can save by not paying for a missed pickup that would otherwise go unnoticed. You can save when the data shows us you only need twice a week service instead of three times a week.

Better data means better savings opportunities. 

How are you optimizing data in your business?

How to Renew Your Waste Hauler Contract

You should only renew your contract if you meet both of the following criteria. First, your contract may be about to expire. Most hauler contracts have a length of five years, then they automatically renew for another term. Most terms are a minimum of one year, but some contracts will renew for another five year term.

If you find yourself in the window of time prior to your contract renewing, you’re in luck! You have the freedom to evaluate whether there is better pricing or better service to be had.

Ensure your contract has these specifications, and you’ll maximize your savings opportunities.

Want to know exactly which clauses you should include in your contract?

Just give us your email address in the box below and we’ll send you a free PDF of our “Waste Contract Scorecard!”

You need to know for sure that your hauler has the best available pricing. You need to know that you are receiving the best price and the best service.

In this article, we will thoroughly examine the steps to renewing your waste hauler contract with your current vendor. (Looking to get a new contract?)

To get a new waste hauler contract with your current vendor, you’ll need to:

1. Cancel your auto-renewal clause.

2. Reach out to your sales accountant.

3. Create a new contract.

Carefully completing these steps will set you up for current savings and future opportunities.

Prior to Renewing a Waste Hauler Contract

Before you get a new contract with your current hauler, ask yourself these questions:

• Do I know for sure that no better pricing is available from other area haulers?

• Am I satisfied with the current vendor’s service record?

• Is the current hauler easy to work with?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, now is not the time to renew your contract! You need to know for sure that your current hauler is actually the best option for you.

Cancel your auto-renewal clause.

Cancelling this clause will give you the time you need to create a new contract. If you don’t cancel this clause, your contract will almost certainly renew with your current terms. This is likely not ideal because your current contract probably guarantees you’ll overspend on your waste expenses. Most contracts don’t have clauses that limit price hikes, or ancillary fees. And they don’t typically include service provisions and term limits of 3 years. Have these specifics ensures you maximize your savings opportunities.

To make sure these clauses make it into your contract, you must cancel the auto-renewal clause so you have time to draw up a new one.

Reach out to your account manager.

You must also reach out to your account manager to let them know that you are creating a new contract with additional specifications and that you are cancelling the auto-renewal clause.

In our experience, it can be difficult to get in touch with your account manager. You may need to call the general customer service line to get in touch with them; they may not have a direct line (you may rightly be suspicious as to why that is). You will also want to follow up with an email that details what you are going to do. It is always critical to have this information in writing, so that if anything is later called into question you can point to your documentation.

Some account managers are not going to be pleased since they know your specifications will likely cut into possible profits. In the event that you encounter resistance, you may need to remind your hauler that you want to agree on a contract that is mutually beneficial - not just one sided. Assure them that they will still retain your business as long as the pricing is comparable to area service rates and quality of service remains high.

Set up a new waste contract.

In almost every contract we negotiate, we try to have the following clauses in the contract.

1. Language limiting price spikes. This is by far the biggest way you’ll save. Depending on which hauler you employ, they may agree to limiting raises in your rates to one or two a year, and capped by a certain percentage. It may require a bit of haggling, but in the long run this contract specification will can easily save you thousands of dollars at one location. Read more about contract problems and solutions here.

2. No auto renewal clause. Eradicating this clause will give you the time you need to evaluate the very best pricing and service options for your waste disposal needs. It gives you the freedom to review and change contract specifications before the same old (often expensive) stipulations automatically renew.

3. A service provision. If you’ve ever had service issues at any one of your sites, you probably understand why this clause is so critical. If your hauler fails to perform, you need an easy out of your contract.

4. Short terms. We highly recommend getting three year contract terms instead of five year terms. You need the freedom to review your market waste disposal options as frequently as possible so that you can take advantage of better pricing. Shorter terms allow you to do just that, thus saving you money.

5. Limited or eliminated ancillary clauses. There’s no law saying that fees have to appear on your invoices. We prefer to have them included in the rate since your base rates are hopefully already capped. It’s really hard for your hauler to bump up your fuel charge if your contract prohibits you from having one.

How to Turn Recurring Waste Cost Into Recurring Waste Savings

You can turn your recurring waste costs into recurring waste savings.

How? Delegate your waste management process to an independent reviewer.

Delegation is critical to your success as a leader. After all, as Eli Broad put it, “The inability to delegate is one of the biggest problems I see with managers at all levels.”

Delegation lets you pour more of your energy and time into big-impact priorities. For most people, trash simply does not fall into that category.

This is why one of the key components of our model intentional takes waste management off of your plate. You have better things to do. So do your staff.

Delegating the your waste management to a waste consultant means that you and your staff won’t have to:

• constantly review invoices for billing errors

• try to find new ways to save

• waste hours at a time with hauler customer service.

• get trapped in an ineffective contract.

Most companies in the US are doing exactly this, and they don’t realize there’s a better way. They don’t know what they don’t know. They also don’t realize how much capital they’re losing on a yearly basis because of poor quality contracts and service.

Leave waste management to the experts.

Covid hasn’t given more companies extra resources - it’s drained them. You and your staff may be up to your eyeballs in crises and are just trying to stay afloat.

You can protect your time by delegating things that aren’t urgent. And you can protect your resources by ensuring your waste management is always cost-effective and effective. When companies bring us on to review and monitor their waste management, we:

• Ensure they’re paying fair rates.

• Prevent future price hikes

• Periodically review less expensive service options

• Review invoices for errors.

• Ensure your service frequency and equipment is cost-effective

The result? You pay the best rates for the best service. And when things do go wrong (when service is missed, or when there are billing issues), we handle them on your behalf.

In fact, this is one of the things that our clients most appreciate about us. Customer service issues can be tiresome and frustrating. We know who to call and what to say in order to get your issues resolved quickly and fairly - and we’ve done it for the past 18 years.

You need a waste ally - someone who knows the industry and can show you where your savings opportunities are. You don’t need to have the time or expertise to do it yourself. You can delegate the entire process to a trusted industry expert.

Future Savings Opportunities are Never Missed.

After your initial review process is completed, we continue to periodically review your account for other savings opportunities.

• We track all contract expiration dates. Prior to your contract’s expiration, we evaluate your market to see if other less expensive haulers are available.

• We renegotiate expiring contracts. We ensure that you get the best terms available to you. We know exactly what should - and should not - be in a new contract, and we make sure that’s exactly what you get.

• We handle the negotiate process for new contracts. If a better, less expensive vendor becomes available at the right time, we handle all the negotiations and make sure you get the ideal contract terms.

So on top of the 10-30% reduction in waste expenses every month, companies can continue to expect support to solve and prevent future waste disposal problems.

Put waste savings on auto-pilot.

Having a waste ally allows you to find waste savings automatically. During the initial audit period, we require minimal documents and interaction with your team.

Our thorough review happens entirely off-site, and we continually review your account for more savings opportunities.

The entire process maximizes your resources. We protect your time and your investment in the review process, and our results are reliable - 90% of companies we work with see a reduction in waste expenses.

What questions do you have about putting your waste savings on auto-pilot?

"How often do haulers increase their rates?" (Copy)

If your contract doesn’t include rate caps, it’s not a matter of when and if you will receive price increases, it’s a matter of when, how much and how egregious the price increase will be.  

You can expect your hauler to increase prices up to two times each year, by as much as 15% each time. In the worst cases, we’ve seen up to four prices hikes in one year. Most haulers will only increase your rates once a year, but if there’s nothing stopping them from increasing more frequently, chances are they will.

Take the screenshot below, for example. This Republic customer’s rates increased by 200% over the past two years.

They were paying $275.42 for service. Now they’re paying almost $300 more - $573.15. That’s a 200% increase at a single location! If this increase occurred in a portfolio of many locations, this client would in effect be overpaying by thousands - something they could have prevented by just a few additional lines on their contract.

This is why we’re so intent on solving every contract issue you have. When we lock in your in your price, we eliminate the possibility that this will happen to you. Your staff will be able to budget with confidence for the entire term of your contract since your rate increases will be capped. And we’ll be there to hold the hauler accountable if they “forget” the price cap.

Are Some Price Spikes Legitimate?

As time passes, the cost of providing services increases. Fuel prices tend to rise over time, disposal charges at the landfill increase, as do the price of dumpster and garbage trucks. It’s reasonable for your hauler to increase prices to match the cost of doing service. But price spikes often go beyond these allowances.

How do we know? We know how haulers calculate their costs. To service your locations, your hauler incurs the following charges. We would expect for them to pass on some of the cost of these fees, but we find that they typically pass on the majority of them - and how much is added in on top of that.

Disposal cost to drop off waste materials at disposal facility. Waste disposal facilities (landfills) charge for the garbage they receive. Haulers must pay this fee, and this fee can be passed onto you in its entirety.

Cost of hauler equipment. Dumpsters, garbage trucks, and compactors are expensive to make and they can be extremely expensive to service. The trash haulers isn’t gentle on equipment. Dumpsters lose tops. Dumpster container bottoms become rusted. Compactor parts stop working. Since most companies rent the dumpsters or compactors from their waste hauler company, the haulers have to buy the equipment and service it.

Cost for servicing account. It’s expensive for haulers to drive their trucks to and from your locations. Haulers have to take into account employee compensation, the fuel charges, and the cost of maintaining the trucks. Haulers will typically divide up the number of locations they have to service to figure out how much to charge each customer.

This means you aren’t necessarily charged exactly what it takes to get from your location to another; it’s presumably divided up equally among those who are on the same route. However, it must be said, there’s no external oversight on this. Most companies trust that their haulers are accurately and fairly charging them.

Haulers should make a profit doing what they do - it’s important work! But they don’t need to overcharge simply because they can. 

Want to know more about how you’re overspending?

Get premier access to our on-demand webinar. Fill out the information below and we’ll redirect you to the video so that you can start watching immediately!

"How do I Renegotiate my Waste Hauler Contract?"

Prior to a renegotiation, you need to:

• Know what a good contract has in it, 

• Evaluate your own contract, 

• Decide what you want to change, 

• Know what market rates for services are. 

Set yourself up for success, and spend some time gathering some critical waste disposal information. 

See all of our resources on how to stop overspending!

Before you Begin the Renegotiation Process

You’ll need to know what your current contract length is. If your contract is a almost up, consider including some service or pricing addendum in the next contract. It’s much easier to negotiate a renewing contract than a current one. (This is also why those of you with month-to-month contracts actually have the best shot at renegotiating!)

And it’s also important to keep in mind that it’s incredibly difficult to renegotiate a contract that has quite a bit of time left in it. It’s not impossible, but it’s not something that we recommend doing. Haulers are simply not as likely to agree to new terms simply because you want them - there has to be some benefit in it for them as well. And since you’ve already signed a contract with them, they know they can just tell you “no” and go on their merry way. 

However, if your contract is about to expire, you have some leverage. The haulers know that if they don’t give you at least some of what you want, you’ll likely switch to a different provider. So they have incentive to bend a little more than they would otherwise. 

Determine if your contract is month to month. If it is you have more leverage and should get pricing from 1-2 other waste haulers if possible to determine the market pricing in your area.

Know What a Good Contract Looks Like

Most people don’t really know what a good contract includes. A good contract is one that has terms that are fair to the client as well as the hauler. 

Good contracts:

• Limit price spikes

• Has accurate service levels

• Limits ancillary fees

• Is easy to cancel

• Has provisions for poor service

A contract that includes these things will actually prevent waste headaches before they start. If you have a haulers who keeps missing pick-ups, you’ll already have a penalty in place. If a hauler tries to raise prices above a certain percentage, you can point to your contract and kindly say, “Not today, amigo.”

In short, you’ll have immediate recourse for when things do go wrong. 

Download our free Waste Hauler Scorecard!

Know What You Want to Change About Your Current Contract

Make a list of things you want to change about your current contract. Some of these things may include:

• Service levels (the number of pick-ups made by the hauler per week)

• Term (the length of the contract)

• Price Increase Caps - language that limits or eradicates price hikes

• Fee Caps - language that limits or eliminates ancillary fees.

• Auto-renewal - cancelling your auto renewal puts you in the driver’s seat when it comes to whom you entrust your waste disposal.

Now, prioritize that list. You have to be prepared to not get everything you want - especially if you’re trying to renegotiate in the middle of a term. Having clear top priorities will help you let smaller issues go, if need be. 

Know the Waste Market Prices

Even if you’re not intending to switch haulers, it can be exceedingly helpful to have a few bids from other area haulers. Some bids may be higher than your current service fees, but some are bound to be lower. 

Knowing waste market prices will give you an additional bargaining chip. Unfortunately, a lot of times haulers are banking that you don’t know what other haulers charge. If you’re blind, you’re more likely to accept the prices they’re charging you. 

But if you know market prices, you’ll have a pretty good idea about what’s fair and, well, what isn’t. 

If you know what you don’t like about your contract, what a good contract includes, and what area haulers charge, you’ll be well armed to renegotiate your contract. 

Renegotiating Your Contract Is a Critical Part of Your Waste Expense Reduction Strategy

Your contract can play a huge part in protecting you and your bottom line from waste expense increases. Renegotiating your contract can be time consuming, but you’ll reap the benefits for years to come. 

Ignoring waste problems don’t make them go away, unfortunately. Strategizing about how to stop overspending on your waste disposal and coming up with a plan of attack can yield surprising savings - and peace of mind!

Take a step towards savings: schedule a free consult today.

How to Renew Your Waste Hauler Contract

You should only renew your contract if you meet both of the following criteria. First, your contract may be about to expire. Most hauler contracts have a length of five years, then they automatically renew for another term. Most terms are a minimum of one year, but some contracts will renew for another five year term. If you find yourself in the window of time prior to your contract renewing, you’re in luck! You have the freedom to evaluate whether there is better pricing or better service to be had.

Ensure your contract has these specifications, and you’ll maximize your savings opportunities. Want to know exactly which clauses you should include in your contract? Just give us your email address in the box below and we’ll send you a free PDF of our “Waste Contract Scorecard!”

Second, you need to know for sure that your hauler has the best available pricing. You need to know that you are receiving the best price and the best service.

In this article, we will thoroughly examine the steps to renewing your waste hauler contract with your current vendor. (Looking to get a new contract?)

To get a new waste hauler contract with your current vendor, you’ll need to:

1. Cancel your auto-renewal clause.

2. Reach out to your sales accountant.

3. Create a new contract.

In the next article, we’ll look at how to the next step of renegotiating your contract.

Carefully completing these steps will set you up for current savings and future opportunities.

Prior to Renewing a Waste Hauler Contract

Before you get a new contract with your current hauler, ask yourself these questions:

• Do I know for sure that no better pricing is available from other area haulers?

• Am I satisfied with the current vendor’s service record?

• Is the current hauler easy to work with?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, now is not the time to renew your contract! You need to know for sure that your current hauler is actually the best option for you.

Cancel your auto-renewal clause.

Cancelling this clause will give you the time you need to create a new contract. If you don’t cancel this clause, your contract will almost certainly renew with your current terms. This is likely not ideal because your current contract probably guarantees you’ll overspend on your waste expenses. Most contracts don’t have clauses that limit price hikes, or ancillary fees. And they don’t typically include service provisions and term limits of 3 years. Have these specifics ensures you maximize your savings opportunities.

To make sure these clauses make it into your contract, you must cancel the auto-renewal clause so you have time to draw up a new one.

Reach out to your account manager.

You must also reach out to your account manager to let them know that you are creating a new contract with additional specifications and that you are cancelling the auto-renewal clause.

In our experience, it can be difficult to get in touch with your account manager. You may need to call the general customer service line to get in touch with them; they may not have a direct line (you may rightly be suspicious as to why that is). You will also want to follow up with an email that details what you are going to do. It is always critical to have this information in writing, so that if anything is later called into question you can point to your documentation.

Some account managers are not going to be pleased since they know your specifications will likely cut into possible profits. In the event that you encounter resistance, you may need to remind your hauler that you want to agree on a contract that is mutually beneficial - not just one sided. Assure them that they will still retain your business as long as the pricing is comparable to area service rates and quality of service remains high.

Set up a new waste contract.

In almost every contract we negotiate, we try to have the following clauses in the contract.

1. Language limiting price spikes. This is by far the biggest way you’ll save. Depending on which hauler you employ, they may agree to limiting raises in your rates to one or two a year, and capped by a certain percentage. It may require a bit of haggling, but in the long run this contract specification will can easily save you thousands of dollars at one location. Read more about contract problems and solutions here.

2. No auto renewal clause. Eradicating this clause will give you the time you need to evaluate the very best pricing and service options for your waste disposal needs. It gives you the freedom to review and change contract specifications before the same old (often expensive) stipulations automatically renew.

3. A service provision. If you’ve ever had service issues at any one of your sites, you probably understand why this clause is so critical. If your hauler fails to perform, you need an easy out of your contract.

4. Short terms. We highly recommend getting three year contract terms instead of five year terms. You need the freedom to review your market waste disposal options as frequently as possible so that you can take advantage of better pricing. Shorter terms allow you to do just that, thus saving you money.

5. Limited or eliminated ancillary clauses. There’s no law saying that fees have to appear on your invoices. We prefer to have them included in the rate since your base rates are hopefully already capped. It’s really hard for your hauler to bump up your fuel charge if your contract prohibits you from having one.

Free Access: Mini E-Course, "Your 5 Hidden Waste Problems"

When was the last time you heard someone complain about their waste contract? Probably never, right?

This is because most people don’t see the waste problems right under their own nose.

They don’t know they have hidden waste problems - and chances are that you’re one of them.

This is exactly why we created this free mini course. We spell out exactly what you should look for to save.

Check out the first video of the series below!

These issues can steal thousands of dollars from your bottom line, but they can absolutely be prevented.

This course is the first of its kind and is designed for busy professionals who want to save on their company’s waste expenses.

Why this free course is necessary

90% of companies nationwide are overspending on waste by 10-30% every month. Why? Because they don’t know how they’re overspending.

Not many people have the time or expertise to carefully review their waste and recycling contracts before they sign them. You have more important things to do during your day, right?

And even fewer people know what to look for on those contracts - and when they’re hiring a hauler, or renegotiating a current contract.

But there’s another reason these problems are hidden. It’s because most haulers are not going out of their way to charge fairly and set up honest contracts. Haulers are out to make a profit, and they will sometimes go to extremes to ensure they retain your business.

In the course, we talk about how having automatic renewal clauses makes it difficult for you to change vendors. We talk about how not capping price hikes will make you overpay. We talk about how you actually aren’t required to pay ancillary fees.

We take a behind the scenes look at how haulers try to pull fast ones. And we show you what you can do about it.

How this course is delivered

One section of this 7-part course is delivered to your email inbox every three days. At the end of the course, you’ll receive a link with access to all of the videos and additional PDFs so that you can easily and permanently access the course.

This course is:

• Easy. We break down concepts and make it clear how each problem can impact your bottom line.

• Convenient. We’ll email you once every three days, so you can view the videos at your convenience. No rush, and no deadlines.

• Completely free. We’ve distilled 18 years of waste experience in this course and you can access it all for free.

And if you sign up right now, we’ll include an additional free PDF with even more savings tips!

Click here to sign up >>

3 Steps to Getting an Airtight Contract (Infographic)

Why bother with making sure your valet contract is airtight?

Because you deserve to not overpay.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of valet contracts don’t include key clauses that prevent price hikes or poor service. If you don’t have those clauses, you’ll pay more than you need.

Take a look below to learn how to make sure your valet contract protects you and your resources.

5 Reasons You're the Perfect Candidate for a Utility Audit {Infographic}

Wanting to reduce your recurring expenses, but not sure how? A utility audit may be exactly what you need to start saving on your utilities!

Utility audits are a unique opportunity for a professional to review your utility expenses. When we do our audits, we thoroughly look over your invoices and contracts to find ways to save. We also evaluate tax brackets to ensure you’re paying what you should - and not paying for what you shouldn’t.

Below, you’ll find some helpful ways to evaluate if you’re a candidate for this kind of opportunity.

Free Download: Fix Your Waste Hauler Contract

Your waste hauler contract is likely your core issue when it comes to overspending on your waste contract.

Why?

It doesn’t prohibit what it should prohibit. It doesn’t limit price hikes. It doesn’t limit ancillary fees. It doesn’t limit the auto-renewal. All of which cost you.

Learn what clauses you should have in your contract today by downloading our free Waste Hauler Optimum Clause Worksheet.

This download will show you the clauses you should have in your contract to protect your bottom line. We’ve condensed 20+ years of experience in the waste industry into those concise document to help you take control of your waste expenses - for good!

It includes the same language that we make sure to include on our client’s contracts.

What questions can we answer for you about your waste contract? We’d love to hear!

Free Download: "7 Ways You're Making Your Hauler Rich!"

Let me share a little secret with you: you’re almost certainly overpaying your waste hauler.

The industry isn’t designed to help you save. It’s designed to help your haulers make more and more money off you. In the past 20 years we’ve been in business, it’s something we’ve seen again and again.

So we distilled the most common way people overpay in this handy download, which can be yours for free with the click of a button!

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Stop making the same waste mistakes over and over - for good!

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Free Access: Mini E-Course, "Your 5 Hidden Waste Problems"

When was the last time you heard someone complain about their waste contract? Probably never, right?

This is because most people don’t see the waste problems right under their own nose.

They don’t know they have hidden waste problems - and chances are that you’re one of them.

This is exactly why we created this free mini course. We spell out exactly what you should look for to save.

Check out the first video of the series below!

These issues can steal thousands of dollars from your bottom line, but they can absolutely be prevented.

This course is the first of its kind and is designed for busy professionals who want to save on their company’s waste expenses.

Why this free course is necessary

90% of companies nationwide are overspending on waste by 10-30% every month. Why? Because they don’t know how they’re overspending.

Not many people have the time or expertise to carefully review their waste and recycling contracts before they sign them. You have more important things to do during your day, right?

And even fewer people know what to look for on those contracts - and when they’re hiring a hauler, or renegotiating a current contract.

But there’s another reason these problems are hidden. It’s because most haulers are not going out of their way to charge fairly and set up honest contracts. Haulers are out to make a profit, and they will sometimes go to extremes to ensure they retain your business.

In the course, we talk about how having automatic renewal clauses makes it difficult for you to change vendors. We talk about how not capping price hikes will make you overpay. We talk about how you actually aren’t required to pay ancillary fees.

We take a behind the scenes look at how haulers try to pull fast ones. And we show you what you can do about it.

How this course is delivered

One section of this 7-part course is delivered to your email inbox every three days. At the end of the course, you’ll receive a link with access to all of the videos and additional PDFs so that you can easily and permanently access the course.

This course is:

• Easy. We break down concepts and make it clear how each problem can impact your bottom line.

• Convenient. We’ll email you once every three days, so you can view the videos at your convenience. No rush, and no deadlines.

• Completely free. We’ve distilled 18 years of waste experience in this course and you can access it all for free.

And if you sign up right now, we’ll include an additional free PDF with even more savings tips!

Click here to sign up >>

Free Download: "7 Ways You're Making Your Hauler Rich!"

Let me share a little secret with you: you’re almost certainly overpaying your waste hauler.

The industry isn’t designed to help you save. It’s designed to help your haulers make more and more money off you. In the past 20 years we’ve been in business, it’s something we’ve seen again and again.

So we distilled the most common way people overpay in this handy download, which can be yours for free with the click of a button!

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Stop making the same waste mistakes over and over - for good!

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What We Don't Do - Part 2

As waste consultants, our process is different from waste haulers or waste brokers. We believe we’ve created an audit and savings process that puts your interests first.

We don’t:

• “Estimate” your waste needs.

• Leave your savings unprotected.

• Perform waste services. 

Why? Because they are not ultimately in line with your interests. As a third-party auditor, it’s our responsibility not only to find the savings you’re sitting on, but to prevent future waste and recycling issues. Doing any one of these interferes with both of these objectives. It’s our goal to protect your interests - not undercut them.

We don’t “estimate” your waste disposal and recycling needs.

We don’t just give your waste needs our “best guess” and move on. 

Our waste audits take a minimum of two months. Why? Because you deserve to take advantage of every savings opportunity available to you. 

Not most of those savings opportunities. Not many of them. All of them. 

We don’t do perfunctory audits - we dig deep. We record all service information and perform history audits for every piece of equipment that is over 8yds long. We look for and record price fluctuation, increases, and fees. 

Then we analyze: 

• where you’re overspending

• what equipment is working and not working

• identifies gaps in your service

• Where there may be opportunities to introduce technology

• the best way you can stop overspending. 

Regardless of whether you have 1 location or 100 locations, we will look at every nuance to make sure no savings opportunities slip through the cracks. 

90% of companies are sitting on hidden savings. How much are you sitting on? 

We don’t leave your savings unprotected

After our initial audit is complete, we implement all recommended savings opportunities. We may make equipment switches or service changes that benefit your bottom line immediately or longterm. We may also adjust your service levels so they’re efficient. When the changes have been made and all transitions are complete, the savings show up on your invoices. Typically, we are able to decrease your annual waste and recycling spend by 10-35%.

It would be pointless to achieve these savings and then not protect them.

Accountability protects savings.

Most haulers are out to make a buck. They know that most people don’t care about what they pay for waste. They know that most companies will pay whatever they charge for waste services.

Haulers are rarely held accountable. As a result, you’ll likely have price hikes several times a year, and you’ll pay ridiculous ancillary fees, and you’ll have very little recourse when pick-ups are consistently missed.

This isn’t sustainable. So we provide the much-needed accountability haulers need to charge you fairly. We ensure our hauler contracts prohibit or cap price spikes, auto-renewal clauses, and terms longer than 3 years - among other specifications. So if your hauler raises prices, we can point to the contract provisions and insist on billing credits. Our contracts allow us to hold your haulers accountable for their billing practices and service quality.

We’re invested in protecting your savings.

We audit your waste invoices going forward. Vendors make mistakes 10% of the time - and some of them aren’t small. 

As an independent third party, we painstakingly monitor your invoices to make sure that service is being provided as specified in your service agreement. 

And as an added bonus, we take on all the service issues you may have on site. You and your staff have enough to do, so you can leave service concerns to the experts. 

Both of these on-going services protect your time. As waste experts, we are efficient billing auditors because we know where to look for mistakes - and how to get billing credits when necessary. Likewise, we resolve service issues for you. Here are some service issues that we’ve taken care of for our clients in the past few months:

• Moving the waste and recycling dumpster to the corral from the parking lot

• Increasing pick-up due to higher trash production

• Coordinating the transition of a new hauler

• Calling and sending reminders to a hauler who would consistently “forget” to service a compactor.

Most service issues aren’t particularly difficult or challenging, they just take time. We ease this burden for your staff, who almost always have other priorities to attend to.

Every so often, we have a major service issue that needs resolution. Earlier last year, a client in North Carolina had a valet vendor that had multiple service failures. They kept losing the compactor key and forgot to service entire floors. They also dragged garbage through the hallways, leaving unsightly smells and trails of garbage residue. At our request, the company gave our client a refund, which was the right thing to do. But the situation didn’t end there.

The issues didn’t stop, and after several turnovers of valet porters, we knew we had to terminate service. We had included a service provision clause for this express purpose. If your vendors consistently don’t perform, you need to be able to exit the contract without paying any kind of fee. Because we were looking out for our client, this clause was included in their contract.

In the end, this client terminated without penalty and had a new provider with a better track record of performance by the end of the week.

We have the time and expertise to find and fight billing errors and to permanently resolve waste, recycling, and valet service issues.

We don’t perform waste services 

We are waste and recycling solutions providers - auditors. We are experts in waste streams and invoice analysis, but we are not waste haulers.

We don’t own any dump trucks or waste equipment; you’ll never see us on your site lugging garbage around. We coordinate all these services on your behalf, but we don’t provide the services ourselves. 

We pride ourselves on being independent, third-party auditors. This allows us to objectively look at your waste streams and find solutions that will yield savings. If we were haulers, we wouldn’t have the incentive to find solutions that would reduce your waste expenses - ultimately costing haulers revenue in the process.

Because we’re not haulers, we aren’t paid based on how frequently we service your site or how many pieces of waste equipment you’re renting from us. We aren’t monetarily incentivized to over-service the locations in your portfolio. We’re paid based on the actual savings we provide for you.

Our waste and recycling audit services protect your interests.

We protect your time and your bottom line.

To provide you the very best service, we are thorough, we monitor hauler’s invoices and resolve service issues, and we remain an independent voice in the waste industry.

Learn more about what we do - and why our audits have such a high success rate.

5 Reasons You're the Perfect Candidate for a Utility Audit {Infographic}

Wanting to reduce your recurring expenses, but not sure how? A utility audit may be exactly what you need to start saving on your utilities!

Utility audits are a unique opportunity for a professional to review your utility expenses. When we do our audits, we thoroughly look over your invoices and contracts to find ways to save. We also evaluate tax brackets to ensure you’re paying what you should - and not paying for what you shouldn’t.

Below, you’ll find some helpful ways to evaluate if you’re a candidate for this kind of opportunity.

3 Steps to Getting an Airtight Contract (Infographic)

Why bother with making sure your valet contract is airtight?

Because you deserve to not overpay.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of valet contracts don’t include key clauses that prevent price hikes or poor service. If you don’t have those clauses, you’ll pay more than you need.

Take a look below to learn how to make sure your valet contract protects you and your resources.

10 Top Tips to Reduce Waste Expenses

In the past 20+ years, we’ve seen it all when it comes to overspending on your waste expenses.

So today, we compiled our top tips to help you start saving. These tips are a key part of our approaching to helping companies just like you save on your your waste equipment, and your waste services.

Which one is most helpful to you? Just let me know in the comments below!