“Right,” you may be thinking “what could possibly be so important about waste equipment?” A lot - especially when you take into account how much one dirty little dumpster can affect your profit margin!
Do I Have Inefficient Waste Equipment? - Part 1
Over 60% of clients in the past 18 years have had inefficient waste equipment. Could you be one of them?
In this post, we’ll go over what waste equipment is and what problems you could have.
What is Waste Equipment?
Your waste equipment comprises every waste and recycling receptacle serviced by your hauler. This includes, but is not limited to:
Compactors
Front Load Dumpsters
Open Top Dumpsters
Balers
Toters
The efficiency of your waste equipment has a direct impact on your waste spend. If you don’t have the equipment you truly need, or if you have too much equipment, you’ll overpay.
You’ll also overpay if your service levels are incorrect. “Service levels” indicate how often trash and recycling is picked up at your locations. About 70% of the clients we’ve worked with in the past 18 years are being serviced too frequently! Are you one of them?
How Your Service Levels are Ineffective
Your hauler is paid to pick up your trash, not to find cost-cutting waste solutions. As a result, we’ve seen inaccurate service levels occur in almost every state - regardless of which waste vendor was employed.
What exactly do we mean by inaccurate service levels? We mean that your real waste disposal needs have no correlation with what you’re paying for.
You may be paying for 5 pick-ups a week when you only actually need 2. Or, alternatively, your dumpsters are too big.
How would we know the difference? Let’s walk through an example that shows the level of detail we frequently use to maximize savings.
Thorough Audits Reveal Savings Opportunities
Suppose you have a location in Raleigh, NC with two 6-yard dumpsters that is serviced three times a week by Waste Management. We would find out:
How full those containers are when serviced
The equipment history for the site
Pricing options for larger dumpsters
Pricing options for less frequent service
Whether the materials in these containers can be recycled
Whether the hauler frequently misses pick ups
If there is a history of overage fees
These questions would give us the full picture of your current waste process. We’d find that your dumpsters are only about half full when serviced, and that it’s more cost-effective to pay for larger dumpsters that get serviced fewer times per week. After checking in with you, we’d implement the change, ensuring all parties involved are kept in the loop.
A typical client in this scenario could save as much $3000 over the lifetime of their waste hauler contract.
This is only one cost-cutting measure that we typically take out of many.
Waste Equipment Solutions
For clients who have insufficient equipment problems, we most often recommend one or more of the following solutions:
fewer dumpsters
a compactor
more dumpsters (with fewer pickups)
larger containers
smaller containers
What we recommend is based on several variables: whether your current hauler can amend your equipment, whether other area haulers can provide cheaper service, when your contract expires, and what limitations you may have onsite. (You may be able to pay less with bigger dumpsters and fewer pick-ups, but if you don’t have room for larger containers this isn’t a viable option for you!)
This post will cover the top two recommendations we most frequently make: fewer dumpsters and compactors. An upcoming post will cover the rest.
Waste Disposal Solutions: Fewer Waste and Recycling Dumpsters
Are your dumpsters full each time they are serviced? Does your dumpster usage differ seasonally? Do you need every dumpster at every location? You may be paying for wasted space.
We often remedy this situation by evaluating your unique location needs. First, we’ll scour your invoice history. Do you have any overages? If so, how many? If you have none at all, your dumpsters may not be used to maximum capacity. We help our client find their usage balance: you don’t want to pay for too little service and end up with overage fees. You also don’t want to pay for too much service. Our audits find solutions tailored to you.
If you have a waste container that is charged by weights, we’ll look at your tonnage history. If you consistently have low container weights, this is an indicator that either you need few containers or that you ended fewer pick-ups.
Our recommendations will take into account pricing from other market providers and your waste hauler contract specifications. We also evaluate your seasonal needs. You may need a contract that stipulates different levels of service based on the time of year. You may need five pick-ups a week in July, but only two in November. Tailored contracts make sure you’re not paying for service five times a week all year if you don’t need it.
Waste Disposal Solutions: Compactors
There are many reasons you may need a compactor, but these are the top two:
You’re a higher trash generator. Does an 8 yard dumpster picked up every day meet your service needs? If you’re generating more trash, you need equipment that can perform accordingly.
You generate food waste. You don’t need me to tell you this, but food can reek if it’s left out too long. Compactors help contain liquid and smells, keeping your location tidy and clean.
A waste compactor crushes garbage so that fewer pick-ups are necessary. The most frequently used size is 30 cubic yards. It requires an investment up front, but it can save quite a bit of money over time.
We typically recommend compactors to clients who produce large amounts of waste and those who have space at their site.
5 Reasons You May Need a Compactor
A trash compactor can help you significantly reduce waste costs by reducing the number of pick-ups needed for your location(s). A compactor does exactly what you’d think; it compacts trash so that fewer pick-ups are necessary. The most frequently used size is 30 cubic yards. It requires an investment up front, but it can save quite a bit of money over time.
Is a compactor the right solution for you? Here are 5 reasons you may need one.
You’re a higher trash generator.
Does one 8 yard dumpster picked up every day meet your service needs? If you’re generating more trash, you need equipment that will minimize your waste spend. We typically find that most high trash generators tend to be multi-family complexes, retail properties, and restaurants. Not all of these examples have the space or budget for a compactor, but for many of them a compactor represents a long-term savings option.
2. Prevent unauthorized access or illegal waste disposal.
I can’t tell you the number of times we’ve had a multi-family property manager ask us how to cut down on illegal dumping. We recently did a site survey (back in spring of 2020) where we found that someone had dumped mattresses, box frames, and toilets! Needless to say, the property manager was less than thrilled.
Unfortunately, this kind of dumping is a common problem. There are several ways that you can minimize the opportunity for people to dump, and a compactor is one of them. Depending on the design, some compactors can restrict access to employees or residents, making it more difficult for illegal dumping to occur.
3. Save valuable space.
A compactor can take up less space than several dumpsters, and it can maximize the space available to your site guests, residents, or employees for trash.
Compactors can be 30-40 feet long (though some can be much smaller!), so in order to install one you will need a good bit of space on your site. Many high-trash generators find that the upfront costs to install and rent (or own) a compactor are off-set over several years of use.
A typical compactor can contain at least 5 tons of garbage - far more than even the largest dumpsters. This means that a site can go longer periods of time between pick-ups, which can significantly decrease your waste spend.
4. Gain better control of liquid waste.
Nobody - not one single person we’ve ever talked to - enjoys the smell of garbage. We find that for sites that generate food waste, compactors can be a helpful solution to cut down on unpleasant smells.
Some compactors are specially outfitted to contain liquid and semi-liquid waste. As a result, the less than ideal smell that radiates from open dumpsters is contained (for the most part) within the compartments of the compactor. This helps keep your location smelling clean.
5. Eliminate litter from wind-blown debris.
Another feature of a trash compactor is its ability to reduce litter across a given location. If the garbage is fully contained in a compactor, it’s much more difficult for large amounts of debris to escape. This makes it less likely for garbage to be strewn about your site, which helps make a good impression on your site visitors. This also helps prevent complaints, which your employees will be happy about.
Benefits of waste and recycling compactors
Compactors can be excellent solutions for companies that are hoping to reduce their waste disposal expenses. They offer an opportunity to reduce pick-ups by compressing waste, can minimize illegal dumping, and can keep your location clean and tidy.
How much could a compactor help me save?
If you’re a high-volume waste generator, a compactor installation could be one solution that could help you save 10-35% on your waste expenses. By reducing the number of pickups, we can significantly reduce waste disposal expenses. When we conduct our thorough audit for clients who may need this piece of waste disposal equipment, we typically evaluate short and long term savings opportunities based on your location, the pricing for equipment, and the service estimates provided by area haulers.
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Do I have inefficient waste equipment? - Part 2
In part I, we talked about what waste equipment is and how easy it is to overspend on it. We also talked about the solutions we frequently recommend to our clients.
Today, we’re going to talk about additional solutions for ineffective waste and recycling equipment.
At any one of your locations, you may need:
more dumpsters (with fewer pickups)
larger containers
smaller containers
A thorough waste audit will show what cost-cutting solutions are right for you.
You need more dumpsters but with fewer pickups.
You may be in a situation where it’s cheaper to pay for additional dumpsters, but fewer pick-ups. Assuming your dumpsters are being emptied when they are completely full, adding more dumpsters can be a cheaper option than paying for more pick-ups.
This solution depends on:
What your haulers charge for pick-ups
What your waste haulers charge for dumpster rentals
When your contract expires.
For clients that are in the middle of a current contract term, we see if the hauler is willing to adjust service levels. Our success depends entirely on the hauler. Some haulers are more amenable to mid-term adjustments than others. It’s much easier to make changes to a contract if you are nearing the end of your contract term. The hauler likely wants to keep your business, so they are more willing to give allowances they wouldn’t otherwise be open to.
You may need larger waste and recycling dumpsters.
On the other hand, you may have the opposite waste disposal problem. Instead of needing more dumpsters, you may just need larger ones.
Suppose you have three 6-yard waste dumpsters on your site location that are picked-up 3 times a week. We do an extensive audit, and we find that these dumpsters are not used to capacity. Then we evaluate your options and find that the best option is to replace your current dumpsters with 2 8-yard waste containers instead. As a result, the larger size will allow you to decrease service to once a week. The rent for the larger dumpsters will be more expensive, but you’ll save more over time because you’ll be paying for fewer pick-ups.
More companies need a solution similar to this - and they have no idea! As a result, many overspend by thousands of dollars over the term of their contract.
Most haulers we’ve seen aren’t going to volunteer cost-cutting solutions. Of course, few are willing to cut into their profits to benefit you. But there’s another reason - haulers are experts on trash and recycling pick-up, but they’re not experts on evaluating waste streams. There’s a difference between knowing how to service your dumpsters and being able to thoroughly evaluate your waste output, service levels, and equipment. Haulers are incentivized to make as many pick-ups as possible, not to find cost-cutting solutions that are right for your business. What they do and what we do could not be more different!
Haulers are haulers - not waste consultants.
You may need a smaller waste or recycling container.
If your dumpsters are not full when serviced, you may need to downsize the containers. But you may also need more frequent pick-ups. How can you tell what’s right for you?
When we find that one of our clients is in this situation, we get in touch with the hauler and ask which would be least expensive. Pick-up rates and rental fees for dumpsters vary based on what hauler you use and your geographical location. Hauler A may be more expensive than Hauler B. And waste rates tend to be less expensive in the midwest than in the southeast. There are no blanket fixes that are right for everyone, which is why we tailor our solutions to you.
In the end, we would typically recommend implementing the least expensive option based on your particular variables.
Smaller containers vs. fewer pickups
When we evaluate a location, we also weigh the benefits of getting smaller containers against keeping the current containers and instead getting fewer pickups.
Suppose you have four 8 yard dumpsters, but we find that they’re only half-full when they’re picked up. So long as there are no seasonal usage issues to keep in mind, we would likely recommend that you remove two of those dumpsters. Why pay for what you’re not using?
You could keep the same pick-up schedule; but you’d be paying significantly less.
Implementing Waste And Recycling Changes
When we conduct an audit, we persistently look for common and creative ways for you to save on your waste expenses.
Before we implement any changes, we first talk to your site managers, and then with you.
We get in touch with every site manager and go over their waste and recycling details. We ask questions about current service levels and pick-up frequency. We ask about the equipment they have on site. We ask these things to ensure that we have accurate information. Hauler invoices sometimes say one thing, but the reality may be something completely different!
We also find it invaluable to talk with those who have day-to-day knowledge of your current waste management process. We’ve found that they often have information that allows us to tailor our recommendations to the real needs of that location.
For instance, when our senior analyst will often ask “I’m thinking about “X” solution for this particular problem. Have you all ever tried that before? Would that work for your location from your perspective?”
Sometimes the site manager will give us really good reasons why that idea may or may not work. Maybe there’s a construction issue we don’t know about. Maybe there’s a vendor issue we haven’t heard of. Before we present our final recommendations to you, we run them by the site manager who will likely know how feasible a possible solution really is.
Then, we present our findings to you.
We go over our findings from the audit, and show how much you can save - and how. The recommendations themselves show what changes you ought to make to reduce expenses at every applicable location. (Some sites save thousands of dollars, some don’t have any savings. Overall, we reduce most client’s annual waste and recycling expenses by 10-35%.)
Then we get your feedback. Most clients are excited to have us quickly implement the vast majority of savings solutions immediately. Every so often, there are minor adjustments that need to be made to implementation timelines or other lesser changes that need to be made. We talk through every step of the implementation process to ensure you are kept in the loop about exactly what to expect on each of your sites.
Learn more about how to save on waste expenses>>
Do I Have Inefficient Waste Equipment? - Part 1
Over 60% of clients in the past 18 years have had inefficient waste equipment. Could you be one of them?
In this post, we’ll go over what waste equipment is and what problems you could have.
What is Waste Equipment?
Your waste equipment comprises every waste and recycling receptacle serviced by your hauler. This includes, but is not limited to:
Compactors
Front Load Dumpsters
Open Top Dumpsters
Balers
Toters
The efficiency of your waste equipment has a direct impact on your waste spend. If you don’t have the equipment you truly need, or if you have too much equipment, you’ll overpay.
You’ll also overpay if your service levels are incorrect. “Service levels” indicate how often trash and recycling is picked up at your locations. About 70% of the clients we’ve worked with in the past 18 years are being serviced too frequently! Are you one of them?
How Your Service Levels are Ineffective
Your hauler is paid to pick up your trash, not to find cost-cutting waste solutions. As a result, we’ve seen inaccurate service levels occur in almost every state - regardless of which waste vendor was employed.
What exactly do we mean by inaccurate service levels? We mean that your real waste disposal needs have no correlation with what you’re paying for.
You may be paying for 5 pick-ups a week when you only actually need 2. Or, alternatively, your dumpsters are too big.
How would we know the difference? Let’s walk through an example that shows the level of detail we frequently use to maximize savings.
Thorough Audits Reveal Savings Opportunities
Suppose you have a location in Raleigh, NC with two 6-yard dumpsters that is serviced three times a week by Waste Management. We would find out:
How full those containers are when serviced
The equipment history for the site
Pricing options for larger dumpsters
Pricing options for less frequent service
Whether the materials in these containers can be recycled
Whether the hauler frequently misses pick ups
If there is a history of overage fees
These questions would give us the full picture of your current waste process. We’d find that your dumpsters are only about half full when serviced, and that it’s more cost-effective to pay for larger dumpsters that get serviced fewer times per week. After checking in with you, we’d implement the change, ensuring all parties involved are kept in the loop.
A typical client in this scenario could save as much $3000 over the lifetime of their waste hauler contract.
This is only one cost-cutting measure that we typically take out of many.
Waste Equipment Solutions
For clients who have insufficient equipment problems, we most often recommend one or more of the following solutions:
fewer dumpsters
a compactor
more dumpsters (with fewer pickups)
larger containers
smaller containers
What we recommend is based on several variables: whether your current hauler can amend your equipment, whether other area haulers can provide cheaper service, when your contract expires, and what limitations you may have onsite. (You may be able to pay less with bigger dumpsters and fewer pick-ups, but if you don’t have room for larger containers this isn’t a viable option for you!)
This post will cover the top two recommendations we most frequently make: fewer dumpsters and compactors. An upcoming post will cover the rest.
Waste Disposal Solutions: Fewer Waste and Recycling Dumpsters
Are your dumpsters full each time they are serviced? Does your dumpster usage differ seasonally? Do you need every dumpster at every location? You may be paying for wasted space.
We often remedy this situation by evaluating your unique location needs. First, we’ll scour your invoice history. Do you have any overages? If so, how many? If you have none at all, your dumpsters may not be used to maximum capacity. We help our client find their usage balance: you don’t want to pay for too little service and end up with overage fees. You also don’t want to pay for too much service. Our audits find solutions tailored to you.
If you have a waste container that is charged by weights, we’ll look at your tonnage history. If you consistently have low container weights, this is an indicator that either you need few containers or that you ended fewer pick-ups.
Our recommendations will take into account pricing from other market providers and your waste hauler contract specifications. We also evaluate your seasonal needs. You may need a contract that stipulates different levels of service based on the time of year. You may need five pick-ups a week in July, but only two in November. Tailored contracts make sure you’re not paying for service five times a week all year if you don’t need it.
Waste Disposal Solutions: Compactors
There are many reasons you may need a compactor, but these are the top two:
You’re a higher trash generator. Does an 8 yard dumpster picked up every day meet your service needs? If you’re generating more trash, you need equipment that can perform accordingly.
You generate food waste. You don’t need me to tell you this, but food can reek if it’s left out too long. Compactors help contain liquid and smells, keeping your location tidy and clean.
A waste compactor crushes garbage so that fewer pick-ups are necessary. The most frequently used size is 30 cubic yards. It requires an investment up front, but it can save quite a bit of money over time.
We typically recommend compactors to clients who produce large amounts of waste and those who have space at their site.