Guide to Waste Consultants, Waste Brokers and Waste Haulers {Updated for 2021}

“Consultants and brokers are really the same, right?”

“Are haulers responsible for pick-up, or are consultants?”

“Do brokers work with haulers, too?”

These are some of the questions we get on a regular basis about our industry, and we can’t say we blame people! There are so many roles in the waste industry and it can be really overwhelming. But the more you know about consultants, brokers, and haulers, the better decision you can make about your waste management needs.

Here’s a simple breakdown of the differences and similarities between waste consultants, waste brokers, and waste haulers.

Comparison of Waste Consultants, Brokers, and Haulers

Waste Services Comparison Chart

The waste industry can seem complicated, but having the right information will really help you make ideal decisions for your business.

Let’s look at how consultants, brokers and haulers compare in these categories:

1. Waste Payments and Billing Practices

2. Initial and Ongoing Waste Audits

3. Waste Hauler Selection, Accountability, and Payment

And after you’ve been informed about each of these categories, you’ll have a much clearer picture about what your business or organization needs in relation to waste disposal. We’ve also included one last section at the end about how to know what waste service is right for you.

Ready? let’s dive in!

Waste Payment and Billing Practices

Are you overspending on waste services? Don’t let this be you!

The next time you pay your electric or gas bill, take a quick look at the services listed. You’ll likely see a list of dates and your usage over that period of time. This is called an itemized bill. Consumers tend to appreciate these because they show exactly what they’re paying for - which makes it easier to spot sudden price hikes or mistakes.

Here at WCI, we think this kind of transparency is invaluable and we make sure our invoices reflect this. After we check hauler invoices (more on this below), we address any mistakes then send an itemized invoice to our clients. They can see exactly what they are paying for at each location and which haulers or vendors are being used. This transparency gives you the whole picture of your expenses.

Brokers, on the other hand, will send you a consolidated waste bill that likely will not show their fees, price spikes, or itemized expenses. Consolidated bills have a simplicity that some property managers really like, especially those who have multiple locations. But the convenience can come at a cost. It can be difficult to discern price spikes, or if your hauler has suddenly changed.

But brokers and consultants also differ in how they are typically paid.

As consultants, we are compensated by sharing in the savings we find for our clients. Typically, we share 50-50 in the savings.

A broker, however, will collect his monthly fee regardless of whether you are overspending. Overpaying by 20% for his hauler’s services? That’s unfortunate, and you may not ever find out about it. Spending $2000 more a year on a dumpster you don’t really need? You’ll likely never know.

This tendency to overspend on waste expenses is rampant in every industry we’ve ever serviced: food services, medical waste, retail, multi-family, you name it!

How do we combat it? By conducting extensive audits.

Initial and Ongoing Waste Audits

Due to these opposing profit objectives, consultants and brokers tend to have different approaches to initial audits.

When first setting up a contract, both consultant and brokers will conduct an initial audit. Consultants, however, tend to be much more thorough at this stage; brokers aren’t often as careful. We see this time and time again when people use brokers and as best we can figure, it happens because of the different profit objectives.

We also complete on-going site audits to make sure you aren’t being overcharged. We go over each bill to make sure it’s accurate, and fight price spikes on your behalf. WCI also looks for other ways you’re overspending in your waste and update you as needed. After all, the more savings we find for you, the better off we both are!

But since a waste broker is compensated regardless of how much expense he saves you, they often do not have the financial incentive to conduct exhaustive reviews or perform hauler audits.  

Waste Hauler Selection, Accountability, and Payment

Unless you’re planning on taking out the garbage yourself, you need a waste hauler! There a couple of different ways to partner with one.

You can create a hauler agreement between you and the hauler. But for those with many properties or properties in different states, this can create an administrative nightmare.

So a lot of companies chose to partner with a waste consultant or a waste broker. Both do the same thing: they negotiate with and manage the haulers on your behalf.

But the consultant operates from a partnership model; when we finish our review, we present our clients with a Waste Savings Summary (WSS) that shows our recommendations. We then discuss the best options with our client and implement them on his or her behalf.

The broker, on the other hand, will make this decision without consulting with the client. Occasionally, their selection of waste haulers is the ideal choice for the client - but a lot of times, it’s not. Some of our clients have overspent on their broker-selected hauler by 20-30% a month; something we quickly put a stop to.

Another major difference between consultants and brokers is whether they pay the hauler. A waste consultant will review their invoices, but we don’t pay haulers on your behalf. Brokers do. This can be great for convenience but ultimately leaves you in the dark about what exactly you are paying for.  

Is a waste consultant or a waste broker right for me?

If you want a thorough understanding of your refuse needs and on-going auditing services, consider learning more about the recurring savings opportunities offered by a waste consultant.

But if you find yourself in a position where you don’t want as much say in the haulers you work with, or want the simplicity of a consolidated bill, a broker might be best for you.

It’s really a question of how involved and informed you want to be in the management of your haulers and your waste and recycling streams.

What kinds of issues do you have with your current waste management process? Do you have any recurring frustrations with your hauler? We would love to answer any questions you have. You can always get in touch with us at info@wasteconsultantsinc.net.

Everything you Need to Know about Waste Consultants, Waste Brokers and Waste Haulers

“Consultants and brokers are really the same, right?”

“Are haulers responsible for pick-up, or are consultants?”

“Do brokers work with haulers, too?”

These are some of the questions we get on a regular basis about our industry, and we can’t say we blame people! There are so many roles in the waste industry and it can be really overwhelming. But the more you know about consultants, brokers, and haulers, the better decision you can make about your waste management needs.

Here’s a simple breakdown of the differences and similarities between waste consultants, waste brokers, and waste haulers.

Comparison of Waste Consultants, Brokers, and Haulers

Waste Services Comparison Chart

The waste industry can seem complicated, but having the right information will really help you make ideal decisions for your business.

Let’s look at how consultants, brokers and haulers compare in these categories:

1. Waste Payments and Billing Practices

2. Initial and Ongoing Waste Audits

3. Waste Hauler Selection, Accountability, and Payment

And after you’ve been informed about each of these categories, you’ll have a much clearer picture about what your business or organization needs in relation to waste disposal. We’ve also included one last section at the end about how to know what waste service is right for you.

Ready? let’s dive in!

Waste Payment and Billing Practices

Are you overspending on waste services? Don’t let this be you!

The next time you pay your electric or gas bill, take a quick look at the services listed. You’ll likely see a list of dates and your usage over that period of time. This is called an itemized bill. Consumers tend to appreciate these because they show exactly what they’re paying for - which makes it easier to spot sudden price hikes or mistakes.

Here at WCI, we think this kind of transparency is invaluable and we make sure our invoices reflect this. After we check hauler invoices (more on this below), we address any mistakes then send an itemized invoice to our clients. They can see exactly what they are paying for at each location and which haulers or vendors are being used. This transparency gives you the whole picture of your expenses.

Brokers, on the other hand, will send you a consolidated waste bill that likely will not show their fees, price spikes, or itemized expenses. Consolidated bills have a simplicity that some property managers really like, especially those who have multiple locations. But the convenience can come at a cost. It can be difficult to discern price spikes, or if your hauler has suddenly changed.

But brokers and consultants also differ in how they are typically paid.

As consultants, we are compensated by sharing in the savings we find for our clients. Typically, we share 50-50 in the savings.

A broker, however, will collect his monthly fee regardless of whether you are overspending. Overpaying by 20% for his hauler’s services? That’s unfortunate, and you may not ever find out about it. Spending $2000 more a year on a dumpster you don’t really need? You’ll likely never know.

This tendency to overspend on waste expenses is rampant in every industry we’ve ever serviced: food services, medical waste, retail, multi-family, you name it!

How do we combat it? By conducting extensive audits.

Initial and Ongoing Waste Audits

Due to these opposing profit objectives, consultants and brokers tend to have different approaches to initial audits.

When first setting up a contract, both consultant and brokers will conduct an initial audit. Consultants, however, tend to be much more thorough at this stage; brokers aren’t often as careful. We see this time and time again when people use brokers and as best we can figure, it happens because of the different profit objectives.

We also complete on-going site audits to make sure you aren’t being overcharged. We go over each bill to make sure it’s accurate, and fight price spikes on your behalf. WCI also looks for other ways you’re overspending in your waste and update you as needed. After all, the more savings we find for you, the better off we both are!

But since a waste broker is compensated regardless of how much expense he saves you, they often do not have the financial incentive to conduct exhaustive reviews or perform hauler audits.  

Waste Hauler Selection, Accountability, and Payment

Unless you’re planning on taking out the garbage yourself, you need a waste hauler! There a couple of different ways to partner with one.

You can create a hauler agreement between you and the hauler. But for those with many properties or properties in different states, this can create an administrative nightmare.

So a lot of companies chose to partner with a waste consultant or a waste broker. Both do the same thing: they negotiate with and manage the haulers on your behalf.

But the consultant operates from a partnership model; when we finish our review, we present our clients with a Waste Savings Summary (WSS) that shows our recommendations. We then discuss the best options with our client and implement them on his or her behalf.

The broker, on the other hand, will make this decision without consulting with the client. Occasionally, their selection of waste haulers is the ideal choice for the client - but a lot of times, it’s not. Some of our clients have overspent on their broker-selected hauler by 20-30% a month; something we quickly put a stop to.

Another major difference between consultants and brokers is whether they pay the hauler. A waste consultant will review their invoices, but we don’t pay haulers on your behalf. Brokers do. This can be great for convenience but ultimately leaves you in the dark about what exactly you are paying for.  

Is a waste consultant or a waste broker right for me?

It can seem like there are too many options for waste management!

If you want a thorough understanding of your refuse needs and on-going auditing services, consider learning more about the recurring savings opportunities offered by a waste consultant.

But if you find yourself in a position where you don’t want as much say in the haulers you work with, or want the simplicity of a consolidated bill, a broker might be best for you.

It’s really a question of how involved and informed you want to be in the management of your haulers and your waste and recycling streams.

What kinds of issues do you have with your current waste management process? Do you have any recurring frustrations with your hauler? We would love to answer any questions you have. You can always get in touch with us at info@wasteconsultantsinc.net.

Three Key Differences Between Waste Consultants and Waste Brokers

One of the most significant decisions you can make about waste disposal is whether you hire a waste consultant or a waste broker. This choice can effect your P&L, so it’s important to know the facts about each profession.

Consultants and brokers are similar, but there are some crucial differences. Let’s take a look at how these differences impact their relationship with you, their client.

Waste Disposal Review

Both consultants and brokers will conduct an initial review of the disposal needs at your locations. In this review, they compile basic information like the number of dumpsters, their size, and your current pick-up frequency.

Consultants are often much more expansive in their research and analysis, whereas brokers don’t tend to be as thorough. In fact, we find that brokers typically discover only about 10% of the possible savings at any given site.

Here at Waste Consultants Inc. (WCI) after we partner with a client, one of our project managers completes a free, exhaustive audit. They review the last 6-12 months of your invoices, copies of current contracts for haulers and recycling vendors, and may even do an on-site visit. The project manager then makes a list of expense reduction recommendations.

Waste Disposal Process Implementation

Brokers make waste management choices as seems best to them but consultants let you make these decisions. Consider the way brokers and consultants select haulers.

Brokers can choose haulers based on any number of variables, but the decision is up to them. They act as middlemen to set up hauler contracts on your behalf.

Here’s an example of one such contract. It lists terms and conditions, the number and type of waste containers, pick up frequency, and rates.

Brokers negotiate agreements like the one above. Their hauler selections may align with the needs of your locations, but they may not. And since a broker’s client has little oversight, it can be difficult to tell if their selections are truly in the best interest of that client.

Consultants, on the other hand, let you make the decision not just about which hauler to employ, but the frequency of pick-up, and the waste equipment you use. Our exhaustive audit lets us see where expense reduction methods can be implemented - but we never make those choices on your behalf. We give you all the information you need to make the best decision possible, then help you implement per your direction.  

We often make recommendations like renegotiating service agreements, obtaining more efficient equipment, and increasing frequency control. This past spring, one of our manufacturing clients chose to implement these recommendations at all three of their locations. The client is now saving $12,000 a month in waste expenditures.

Waste Billing Processes

Brokers and consultants differ in how they are paid and in what their bills specify.

Brokers are paid regardless of the savings they find for you. Their broker fee remains the same if they find you $100 of monthly savings or $1000. As a result, many are not motivated to look for the maximum amount of waste reduction options for their client.

Consultants, on the other hand, are paid only when you save. We share in the profit with you only after you have implemented our recommendations. For most companies we work with, we typically share in the savings fifty-fifty.

If we don’t find savings after conducting our audit, you are not charged! This certainly happens on occasion, but for 90% of the businesses we work with, companies typically reduce their waste costs 20-40%.

But brokers and consultants also differ in billing transparency.

A broker will send you a monthly consolidated bill for all of your waste charges. This bill includes all expenses from the trash haulers who service your location or properties. It may or may not be itemized, but it will always include a hauler service fee.

For those with many properties in multiple cities or states, a consolidated bill can provide convenience. While they may be simpler to manage, they are not designed to show you price spikes or make mistakes easy to spot.

At WCI, we take a different approach. We audit all hauler invoices to ensure their accuracy and we also monitor them for unexplained price hikes. And each month, we also send you a savings summary sheet that itemizes your past and present waste expenditure. We want you to see exactly what is contributing to your monthly savings.

Summary

Consultants and brokers approach waste management from two different mindsets.

Waste brokers make decisions about your waste disposal process with little oversight. Their bills can make it difficult for you to tell what services you are paying for or if you even need all of those services.

Waste consultants, on the other hand, empower you to make the best disposal choices for your locations and are only paid when their recommendations impact your bottom line.

If you want a simple, single waste bill and are less concerned about waste management decisions, consider retaining a waste and recycling broker.

But if you value the ability to make informed decisions and having billing transparency, a waste consultant would likely be a great fit for you!

What other questions do you have about the differences between waste consultants and waste brokers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!