What it's Like to Partner with Us - Part 2

Thanks again to Patrick Theismann of Beacon Management for sitting down with us and answering these questions.

Below, you’ll find the transcript of the remainder of our interview with him.

How much savings did we find for you all?

I think we saw a 25-35% reduction?

On a scale of 1-10 how easy was it to work with us?

10!

What service issues have we been able to help you with?

My hauling charges! And simple things like getting a new container. My managers have probably called the hauler 4-5 times, and now I can turn that over to you all.

We’ve also had missed pickups. Carolina Woods, one of our properties, is a good example. The haulers were dreadful, the containers were in terrible shape. We weren’t getting punctual removal. That has changed now!

We’ve got new containers out there and we’ve got a difference structure now. It’s been very beneficial. Carolina Woods was one where I really needed you all to step in and reach out to your hauler contracts especially since we had just taken over the management portion for that location. Taking over contract management for us

Would you recommend our services? Why or why not?

No, because I don’t want my competitors to find you!

Actually, I have recommended you all before. A lot of my colleagues and contemporaries are in similar positions to me.

I handle a lot of operations. I also wear a development hat, trying to organically grow the company whether it be through acquisition or new construction or new property management opportunities. I simply don’t have time to negotiate our hauling contracts.

Getting notifications that expirations are coming up is extremely helpful. A lot of the service contracts we have automatically renew. If I don’t know they’re coming up to the deadline of when I can serve notification, that locks me in for another year or two! I am just not as in tune with when those contracts come up.

Being able to rely on you all has made things a lot easier for me.

Hurting for Time? Three Ways We Make Your Company More Efficient: Part 1

Most companies have struggled since the onset of the pandemic. It’s caused economic upheaval and unemployment rates are still trying to recover.

As a result, you may find yourself shorter on time than ever. You may struggle with staffing. And you may find yourself with reduced profit margins to boot.

What’s a company to do?

A waste review expert can help alleviate three of the most pressing issues for most companies right now:

• lack of time

• lack of staffing

• lack of resources

For the next three weeks, we’ll discuss each of these topics.

Today, let’s focus on the first item and answer the following questions: how can a waste review help companies protect their time?

A waste review helps companies save time by delegating the review process.

Most companies are overspending on waste - we estimate this number hovers around 90% in the US. But, most companies don’t know this. And even if they did, they likely wouldn’t know how to assess their current waste issues or what to do in order to correct these problems.

This is where a waste review expert like us comes in handy. We’ve been doing waste reviews for almost 20 years. We know where to find your hidden waste problems. We know the questions to ask, the documents to review, and how to handle hauler communications. And we know how to implement the solutions you actually need.

Your team doesn’t have time to learn the right way to do an analysis then to complete a thorough one.

We do.

You can save three months of effort (the typical length of time it takes to complete a waste audit). And because our method has proven to work, you can know that there’s a 90% chance that at the end of that time, you’ll save 10-30% off of your waste expenses.

A waste review expert helps companies save time by handling service and billing issues.

Service issues can be intimidating for the uninitiated. We handled hundreds of service issues for our clients ranging from small things like missed pick-ups to larger issues like haulers who repeatedly leave trash strewn across the property.

We’ve taken the lead on behalf of multiple clients for their billing mistakes large and small as well. Haulers sometimes make mistakes that are significant. If invoices are not reviewed, you can end up overpaying by thousands over time. (We estimate billing errors occur about 10% of the time over a year.) Why take this chance?

Your staff likely don’t have the time to deal with gnarly service issues. They may not have the time to review every invoice that comes in. Let them prioritize other issues, and delegate customer service and billing review to people who know how to protect your interests.

A waste review helps companies save time by preventing waste issues.

Our services are designed not only to fix current problems, but to prevent future ones. We do this in two ways.

First, when we initially review your waste management process, we do it thoroughly. We review every waste stream and do everything we can to eliminate inefficiencies. We recommend changes that will reduce your costs, like changing equipment size, varying pick-up days, or reducing the number of pick-ups per week.

We also have the capability to collect data using sensitive cameras installed on your waste equipment. As a result, we can track missed pickups and fill levels. This allows us to make sure you get compensated for missed pickups. It also gives us a way to ensure you’re getting serviced as often as you need: if your fill levels are consistently low when they are picked up, we’ll be able to see that and update your service levels accordingly.

We also review your waste needs at the end of your contract term. Waste needs change over time, and we want you to be able to maximize every savings opportunity available to you. We make sure you still have the most cost-effective vendor by negotiating prices. We make sure you’re using the most efficient waste equipment.

All of this ensures that we are able to protect your bottom line. Missed pick-ups don’t go unnoticed. And service levels and equipment are optimized. And your waste expenses go towards what you actually need - not what your waste hauler “thinks” you need.

Protect your time with a waste review. It’s a dependable, proven way to protect your time, your staff’s time, and ultimately, your bottom line.

How could a waste review protect your time? Let us know in the comments below!

5 Reasons Why You Should Overspend on Waste - Part 1

As strange as it sounds, there are in fact some solid reasons to overspend on waste.

But for the majority of companies nationwide (the actual number hovers in the 90% range), these reasons aren’t actually applicable. These reasons aren’t actually good reasons to overspend! Why would you chose not to save money? Most companies simply don’t realize they’re overspending.

There are 5 reasons why you should overspend on your waste and recycling disposal expenses.

1. You can afford to make your waste hauler rich

2. You love inefficiency.

3. You don’t like to delegate to experts.

4. You like having waste problems.

5. You like to ignore relevant data.

In this series, we’ll explore all the reasons you should keep overspending by 10-30% on your waste expenses. In this blog post (part 1 of a 2-part series), we’ll look at reasons 1-3.

You can afford to make your waste hauler rich

You may be one of the few companies out there who has excess funds. You may be flush with extra revenue, so how much you pay for waste services at all of your locations isn’t of concern to you. You may not have to worry about budget forecasts or balancing the books at the end of the month.

And if you do have excess funds, you may have already decided to allocate them to overpriced waste expenses. You can afford to spend whatever the waste companies charge you. (An aside: most hauler contracts are designed to allow indiscriminate price hikes, so most companies pay more than they should for expenses incurred over the term of their contract.)

Or, you may just enjoy overspending. Maybe you like the idea of helping your chosen waste vendor become rich. You may like helping them increase profits by paying extraneous fees. You may enjoy the sudden price hikes that add to their bottom line.

But chances are, this isn’t true.

You love waste service and equipment inefficiency.

You may love knowing that you’re likely one of the 70% of companies who are being over-serviced by their trash vendor. You may enjoy getting too many pick-ups every week at your locations. After all, who doesn’t love paying for services they don’t need?

These extra pick-up only benefit one person - and it’s not you. Your hauler is likely incentivized to make additional pickups because more pickups almost always mean more revenue. When was the last time you heard of a hauler voluntarily reducing their service frequency?

Additionally, you may like leaving equipment inefficiency to chance. You may be satisfied with inefficient waste and service levels. (50% of companies have too much or too little waste equipment.) You may prefer not to have an expert review your current waste management process for redundant equipment or ineffective waste equipment.

You don’t like to delegate to experts.

You may think you have the resources to complete your own waste review. And some people are able to complete a cursory review on their own! But most CEOs and COOs don’t have the expertise it takes to do their own waste analysis. Waste reviews are not simple processes to complete. It can be difficult to know where to begin, what exactly to assess, and how to assess your current process in general.

And if they do have the expertise, it’s likely they don’t have the time. We provide our clients the two things they need most - a professional waste assessment or review, but with very little demand for their time. (Our reviews are almost always 100% remote). We’ve been doing waste reviews for the past 18 years, and we know how to find your hidden waste problems and solve them - for good!

You can keep overspending on waste . . . but you don’t have to.

We provide our clients the two things they need most - a professional waste assessment or review, but with very little demand for their time. If you don’t mind having inefficient waste and recycling services and equipment, you’ll almost certainly keep overspending. And if you don’t want to take advantage of professional expertise, you can keep paying more than you need to for expenses.

But if these reasons aren’t true of you - if you value your resources and your time - then you can chose to stop overspending on waste expenses.

Are there other reasons to keep overspending on waste? Let me know in the comments below!

What it's like to partner with us - Part 1

Not too long ago, we sat down with one of our long-time clients, Patrick Theismann. We wanted to get his perspective on what it’s really like to work with us, and how we were able to help him and his team consistently reduce waste expenses.

Read part 1 of the full interview below!

What is Beacon Management?

Beacon Management was founded in 1979, by my father in law. We manage and develop affordable housing for families and seniors. That’s the bulk of our portfolio. We do commercial as well as market rate development, but the company was really founded on affordable housing.

We have 32 properties throughout the country from Connecticut to South Carolina. The bulk of them are in North Carolina from Winston to Wilmington. And we have three in South Carolina and one in Connecticut.

How did you initially find out about our services?

I think you (Tyler Brunson, WCI’s CEO) came to my office! We talked a little bit. I think you were just getting started when we first did it. As business moves on a day to day basis, there are only certain things you have time for. One of which is negotiating contracts. I found myself negotiating more and more contracts for hauling as they were coming up or trying to save properties money.

Operating costs for an affordable community are extremely important. Our margins are pretty thin, so anything we can do to help operations is always helpful.

Taking something that I don’t necessarily like to do and working with someone who has a lot more knowledge in the industry has made things a lot easier for me.

Were you aware that you needed waste solutions or had waste disposal problems?

Not really! I knew there was ways to cut costs. I knew that we could cut costs. But without the intrinsic knowledge of the industry, I had no way to know. I could haggle with people with the best of them, but if I don’t have the knowledge of the industry, it doesn’t do me much good. That’s where I found the most value in working not only our friendship, but in working with someone who has the knowledge in the industry that I had none in as well as saving my companies and my properties more money.

What had you tried previously to reign in waste expenses?

I was haggling with hauler and they would say “this is what it is” and I didn’t have any recourse to go after them with. I found myself going to hauler to hauler trying to find competitive pricing, but I wasn’t getting any real traction because you don’t really know who to contact.

As I think as we mature in our professional careers, what you know is very important. But who you know is also very important! Me calling a customer service line, and you calling someone you actually know? Much different outcomes.

What was most surprising to you about our audit process?

It wasn’t difficult! Half of our time is spend doing due diligence to close deals. Obviously getting you the service agreements and contracts are not the most difficult thing to do! There are alot more arduous tasks you have do!

I found it easy to send you the stuff — it was actually more difficult for me to find the documents. We’re trying to move to more digital records, so sending you the invoices and service contracts has helped me manage that process because we have to keep them electronically. Now every agreement that we’ve negotiated or renegotiated I have electronically, so the access makes that a little bit easier.

Was there anything that surprised you about our initial savings recommendations?

Well, it actually goes back further than that. When you and I talked, I was intrigued by your model because there’s a lot of services that will say, “If you pay me ‘x’, I will be able to find you this.” I liked your model because similar to a developer, you get what you get. If you’re able to save money, then you make some money, and you save some money.

So really, that was the biggest aspect of our meeting and why I wanted to do business with you. I knew that if you didn’t do your job effectively, I didn’t have to pay you. If you did do your job effectively, you earned it, you made the agreed amount that we had determined according to your agreement, and we also saved.

I really liked that because I wasn’t coming out of pocket right away. I found the savings, and you money that you agreed upon. It was a win-win because it wasn’t out of pocket! Liquidity as a developer is not something we have a lot of! As a management firm, we have a lot of cash that goes out for proposals and so me not having to put money up front for a hopeful savings on the back end made me rest a lot easier.

What makes a prospective partnership attractive to you? Let us know in the comments below!

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 click here: “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.

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.

5 Signs of a Great Contract {Infographic}

Chances are that reviewing your waste contract is not at the top of your list of priorities today. But thanks to the infographic below, you can easily review your waste contract to determine whether you’re overpaying.

90% of companies nationwide are overspending on their waste and recycling disposal expenses. Much of this occurs because their contracts make it easy for their haulers to make excess profits.

If you ensure that your contract has the specifications below, you’re far less likely to overspend.

These clauses are the ones we ensure each of our clients have. They’re the most critical specifications that your contract needs, and they’re the the ones that most business don’t have. (Short on time? Talk to us right now - just sign up for a free, no obligation consult to talk about your waste concerns. 15 minutes is all it takes).

Have you ever heard of these contract specifications? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

5 Reasons You Need a Zero-Risk Waste Audit ( Infographic)

When you get a waste audit, you take on zero risk - just scroll down to see why!

The entire audit process is easy and convenient for you, your staff, and your residents or visitors. It’s worth undertaking because of the high probability of finding savings. 90% of companies nationwide are overspending on their waste and recycling expenses, and we typically reduce these costs by 10-30% for the majority of our clients.

You need a waste audit, and you can get one risk-free. You can find out if you’re sitting on savings - and if you are, you only pay us from those savings. Our services are never an added line item.

What have you got to lose? Schedule a free consult today.

5 Easy Waste Tips That Will Reduce Your Waste Expenses

If you take the time to do even one of these steps, you’ll save money on your waste expense in the long run.

Most companies have waste problems they just don’t know about. Their contracts are poor quality, their equipment is inefficient, and their service levels are inaccurate.

But the tips below will address each of these issues and help you stop overspending.

1. Track your contract expiration date.

2. Eliminate your auto-renewal clause.

3. See if you can lower your service levels.

4. Ask your hauler for pricing options on other equipment.

5. Get a waste review.

The little extra bit of time it will take to put these tips into action can translate into thousands of dollars in savings.

Track your contract expiration date.

Most companies don’t know when their contract expires and they let their contract renew under the same terms they currently have. You should only allow this to happen if you know for a fact that your contract terms are stellar (spoiler alert: most aren’t).

If you don’t know your contract expiration date, you won’t have time to evaluate your services. You won’t have time to see if other haulers have less expensive prices. And you won’t save what you could have saved.

Eliminate your auto-renewal clause.

This tip goes hand in hand with the one above. You need to know when your current terms of service expire, but you also need to cancel your auto-renewal clause.

Most contracts have this clause. It allows your services to renew for another contract term. But, as we mentioned above, most contract terms aren’t great. They’re costing you. If your contract renews, they’ll keep costing you - sometimes for an additional five year term!

When you cancel your auto-renewal clause, you don’t have to renew services with your current waste disposal provider. You can, but only if you are assured that your bottom line is protected and that your contract will include all the clauses it needs to do so.

See if you can lower your service levels.

We estimate that 70% of companies get too much service. The reason is simple - the more you get garbage service, the more you get charged.

If your dumpsters are half empty when they are serviced, you’re getting too many pick-ups. See if you can reduce your service days, or the number of pick-ups. This is one of the easiest ways to start saving almost immediately.

If you get charged $100 for each pick up, and you get service four times a week, you’re paying $400 each week. But you may only actually need two of those pick-ups. That’s $200 a month ($2400 a year!) that you could be saving!

Making this change can easily save you thousands of dollars in the long run.

Ask your hauler for pricing options on other equipment.

If you have the space capability, you may be able to get larger dumpsters. This can translate into fewer pickups, thus saving you on waste expenses.

Ask your hauler what kinds of equipment options they offer, and then ask your representative to come up with quotes for different service levels on each. You may very likely pay less for smaller dumpsters or fewer pickups, but the exact amount will differ based on what you hauler charges for pickups and equipment.

Get a waste review.

A waste review is a thorough analysis of every waste stream at every location in your portfolio. It’s typically completed by an independent waste reviewer, someone who is not affiliated with the haulers and is thus more naturally aligned with your interests.

As experts in the waste industry, our zero risk audit can only help you save. This review has a 90% success rate and it’ll find where you’re overspending and show you the exact steps to take in order to protect your bottom line.

How much could this waste equipment help you save?

When waste service is first set up, waste haulers tend to be less than thorough in their assessment of equipment needs.

They tend to estimate what they think your facility or location needs, and that’s what gets inked on the contract.

And unfortunately, they rarely re-evaluate over the term of your contract. Which is a real shame, because your needs at a particular location may change over time. The equipment you needed two years ago may not be the same equipment you need now.

In this post, you’ll learn how these types of waste equipment can help you save:

• Front load dumpsters

• Compactors

These are common types of waste equipment, and many commercial and residential sites have them. But they have to be used correctly in order to maximize your savings opportunities.

How to save on your waste spend with front load dumpsters.

Front load dumpsters come in several sizes. In order to know which ones to use, you need a third party reviewer to evaluate your waste output.

When we review waste streams for our clients, we assess how much waste you’re really putting out. We ask your site manager(s) whether your dumpsters are completely full when serviced. We estimate that 70% of US companies get too many pick-ups, so it’s likely you fall into that category.

We help some companies cut costs simply by reducing the number of times they are serviced each week.

But we’re able to help other companies by finding the best equipment and service solution for them. For some companies this means:

• Getting bigger dumpsters with fewer pickups

• Getting smaller dumpsters with more pickups

• Alternating the days of pickups for sets of dumpsters

We’ve found this comprehensive approach typically finds our clients savings.

Compactors can reduce your waste spend.

Compactors are a great solution for high-volume trash generators. Residential complexes and restaurants are typically among them.

• Residential complex - Groups of residents generate lots of trash. If the multi-family complex is big enough, it can benefit from a compactors. Instead of paying for multiple pick-ups weekly (or daily) a compactor can reduce service to once or twice a month in some cases.

• Restaurants - Wet food waste can be smelly, and large amounts of it can be difficult to contain. A compactor solves both of these problems. It can contain the waste more effectively, making it harder for critters to access the trash. A compactor will also compress the trash so that fewer pickups are necessary from your service provider.

Compactors require a significant up-front investment in order to install, but they can significantly reduce your waste costs over time if your properties generate lots of trash.

Waste dumpsters and compactors may solve your waste disposal problems.

When used effectively, compactors and dumpsters can reduce your waste spend over time. In order to tell how best to use each piece of equipment, you need a thorough waste review. It will help you protect your resources and more efficiently manage your waste streams and processes.

What equipment do you use at your locations? How have they helped you save?

How to Put Your Waste Management on Auto-Pilot

I’m willing to bet you didn’t wake up this morning thinking about how you could spend more of your time thinking about trash.

But I’d like you to consider spending a few minutes thinking about trash today.

Why?

Well, first, 90% of companies are overspending on their waste. You don’t need to be one of them. There are too many hidden problems that most companies have, and what they don’t know hurts them.

Second, it’s easy to save on your waste expenses. You don’t have to do inordinate amounts of work. You don’t have to do tons and tons of research to try to figure out how to save.

In fact, this blog post will show you just how easy it can be to save if you don’t have the money or time for a typical waste review.

You can put your waste management on auto-pilot by:

• Delegating the waste review process.

• Taking on 0% risk during the process itself.

• Ensuring future savings

Delegate the waste review process.

In order to save on your waste expenses, you need an independent waste review. Waste and recycling haulers don’t have the financial incentive to properly evaluate your real waste needs. They rarely set up service agreements that help you save. They don’t make it easy for you to make changes to your services or contract specifications.

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.

You don’t need to be involved in the nitty-gritty details of your waste management process. You and your staff likely have more important things to attend to.

We take on the thorough examination process so our clients don’t have to. We find every overlooked savings opportunity, and show you the exact steps you need to take to find savings.

Taking on 0% risk for the off-site waste review.

The way we do business is really different from a lot of other waste auditors. If we don’t find savings during our review process, you don’t owe us anything. It’s that simple.

No savings, no charge.

It doesn’t happen often (only about 10% of the time in the past 19 years!), but when it does, we simply part ways with the client without charging a dime. In this scenario, the client essentially gets a free waste audit to ensure their waste management process is efficient.

We don’t believe in charging for services that are don’t actually help your bottom line. Lots of other companies out there don’t have a problem with that. But that’s not how we do things.

There are no monthly charges or invoicing during the initial review period. Instead, our off-site team works behind the scenes in conjunction with your staff to find your savings opportunities.

And even after the review process is completed, your risk is still mitigated. How? We are paid solely out of the savings we find for you. No extra line items in the budget. No scrounging for more resources to allocate. You can always afford us because we’re paid out of your waste savings - usually at rates of 50%.

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?

Do waste audits really find savings?

If you’re spending more than $10,000 a month on waste, we can likely help you save 10-30% on your annual waste and recycling spend.

For some companies it will be a little less, for others, it will be more.

The actual percentage you save depends of course on the amount you’re currently spending on waste expenses.

Take Tad Dolbier, for instance. He had a gross savings of $6800 each month in savings. Scott Alderman of Landura Management (multi-family management) is saving a total of $116,000 every year. We’ve found millions of dollars in savings for our clients - how much are you sitting on?

And Lisa Russell of Ardmore? Click the video below to find out how much she saved!

Why is the average savings percentage so dependable? 

We know these percentages are reliable because it’s the average amount of savings companies have saved with us for the past 18 years. We’ve become experts in finding the gaps in your current waste management process. We know where to find your biggest hidden savings opportunities, and we know how to fix them.

Click the presentation below to see how much just a few of our clients have saved! (You can also download this file here.)

What if you don’t find any savings? 

On the rare occasion we find no savings, you don’t owe us a dime. When this happens, you get a free audit and the assurance that you’re managing your waste costs efficiently. You will only pay us when we find and implement precise solutions for you. 

Our services are guaranteed to be cash-flow positive. You only pay us out of the savings we find for you, so our services are not an added expense.

Our business model is unique, and we believe that it is one that is in your best interest. You take on zero risk to see if you are one of the 90% of companies nationwide who can stand to cut their waste expenses by 10-35%. Your odds are better than good that you’ll save - in fact, they’re great.

Schedule a free consult now!

What it's Like to Partner with Us - Part 2

Today, Patrick shares with us how much savings we found, how easy it really was to work with us, and some specific examples of service issues we’ve helped with.

We work remotely with the vast majority of our clients, but Patrick happens to be about an hour down the road from us. Thanks again for your time, Patrick!

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How much savings did we find for you all?

I think we saw a 25-35% reduction?

On a scale of 1-10 how easy was it to work with us?

10!

What service issues have we been able to help you with?

My hauling charges! And simple things like getting a new container. My managers have probably called the hauler 4-5 times, and now I can turn that over to you all.

We’ve also had missed pickups. Carolina Woods, one of our properties, is a good example. The haulers were dreadful, the containers were in terrible shape. We weren’t getting punctual removal. That has changed now!

We’ve got new containers out there and we’ve got a difference structure now. It’s been very beneficial. Carolina Woods was one where I really needed you all to step in and reach out to your hauler contracts especially since we had just taken over the management portion for that location. Taking over contract management for us

Would you recommend our services? Why or why not?

No, because I don’t want my competitors to find you!

Actually, I have recommended you all before. A lot of my colleagues and contemporaries are in similar positions to me.

I handle a lot of operations. I also wear a development hat, trying to organically grow the company whether it be through acquisition or new construction or new property management opportunities. I simply don’t have time to negotiate our hauling contracts.

Getting notifications that expirations are coming up is extremely helpful. A lot of the service contracts we have automatically renew. If I don’t know they’re coming up to the deadline of when I can serve notification, that locks me in for another year or two! I am just not as in tune with when those contracts come up.

Being able to rely on you all has made things a lot easier for me.

"How much can I save on my waste spend?"

We help 90% of our clients reduce their waste and recycling expenses by 10-35%. It’s likely that you’re sitting on multiple savings opportunities, which is exactly why there’s a need for independent auditors.

Waste audits reliably find savings.

Because of the way the waste industry typically operates, most companies will overspend in waste expenses in one of six ways. The most common one? 80% of our clients have overspent on their service levels. The more pick-ups waste disposal haulers make, the more profit they make. So while many haulers are not actually out to trick you, the system is set up in their favor.

They don’t have incentive to evaluate the efficiency of their services, so they rarely do.

Our gross client savings of 10-35% is reached so consistently because haulers are consistently unfair and/or indifferent to your actual needs.

In all fairness, we could go out of business in six months if all haulers everywhere decided to offer fair contracts and reliable services. But many garbage service companies are not willing - or not able - to make changes that could undercut them financially.

Unfortunately, this is how the industry functions. But you don’t have to be held hostage by it. Get recourse by using a third-party waste auditor - they’re trained to find your unique savings opportunities. See some specific client examples below.

How does your pricing work?

Different independent waste auditors have different pricing models. We use a shared savings model - we share in the savings we find at a rate of 50%. If we find you $200,000 in savings a year, you’ll keep $100,000 and we will be compensated $100,000.

Ultimately, using performance-based pricing is in your best interest. It encourages a higher discovery of savings because it motivates us to find every opportunity available for you.

What if there are no savings?

When no savings are found, we charge you nothing.

Over the years, there have only been a small percentage (about 10%) of companies that don’t benefit from our services. 

There can be any number of reasons for this. Sometimes certain markets are really tough. Other times, there are external factors that keep the companies from savings. 

On the rare occasion when this happens, the client in essence gets a free waste audit. They get the assurance that they’re not overspending - that all of their waste and recycling disposal streams are working at maximum efficiency.

Here’s Why You Have Hidden Waste Problems

Most companies are overpaying on waste and recycling problems, and most companies also don’t do anything about it. Why? Because they don’t know they’re overpaying. 

The waste industry has certain norms in how they operate. These norms ensure that rates go up year over year, and that you won’t have the time to find better rates before your contract automatically renews. They ensure that you won’t have much recourse when service issues arise and that you have the wrong service levels. They ensure that you overpay. 

In this article, you’ll learn why these problems remain hidden (and why you likely have them). 

These problems remain hidden because of three false assumptions:

• You can’t make changes to a proposed contract.

• Your stated service levels are accurate

• Your waste hauler is being fair. 

None of these things are necessarily true. We have great success negotiating contract terms. Most service levels are actually inaccurate (70% of our clients have received too many pick-ups). And your waste hauler isn’t always fair - particularly when it comes to price hikes. 

 Learn more about your waste problems here!  

You CAN make changes to a proposed contract  

If you remember nothing else about this post, remember this: you can ask for different terms than a standard waste contract. In fact, you absolutely should. 

Most default waste contracts are set up to help your hauler:

• Increase profits

• Not be accountable for poor service issues

• Retain your employment at the end of your contract. 

You have to be proactive about putting specific language in your contract to make sure price hikes are limited and service provisions are provided. You’ll also need to make sure no auto-renewal clause occurs in the contract. 

You should ask for the following inclusions on your contract:

• Short terms (3 years - no more)

• No automatic renewal

• Limited price hikes

• Provisions for poor service

• No ancillary fees

If your hauler wants your business, they’re going to be willing to listen to some (if not all) of your requests. If they aren’t willing to work with you, you may be able to find another vendor in your area who will. 

Your service levels ARE inaccurate 

70% of our clients in the past 18 years have had inaccurate service levels. Why? Because many haulers are paid based on the frequency of service. The more pick-ups they complete, the more they’re paid. So when they set up your contract, they’re likely going to err on the side of too many pick-ups. 

Your hauler is not often going to take the initiative to find cost-cutting solutions for you. They’re paid to pick up your trash, not reduce your waste spend. Doing so would run counter to their desire to make a profit. 

Check your dumpster fill levels. If they’re consistently less than half full prior to pick-up, you’re paying for too many pick ups.  

Your waste hauler ISN’T necessarily being fair 

Your hauler isn’t going to tell you if they’re charging more than their competitor. They’re not going to tell you that they plan to raise your base rates twice in the next year. They’re not going to volunteer information that could cut into their bottom line. 

 They’re going to do what is typical in the waste industry. They’re going to hand you a contract to sign and assume that you won’t want to tweak any of it. They’re going to assume that you won’t carefully look over it and that if you do, you won’t want to make any changes.  

It’s not necessarily because they’re out to get you - it’s simply because the industry has evolved this way because profits are paramount.  

It would be fair of them to:

• Agree to limit price spikes to a certain percentage -and timeframe. 

• Agree to cancel the contract without penalty if they can’t provide adequate serviced as agreed to. 

• Give you plenty of time to get bids of other service when your contract expires 

But again, most haulers are not going to voluntarily do this. 

The good news is that many of them will if you ask them to. Ask for what you want. The worse you can hear is a “no.”

Go in depth: learn more about hidden waste problems

We’ve created a free, comprehensive mini e-course for you to learn more about your waste problems. There are 5 ways you’re likely overpaying on waste expenses, and we go over every one of them in depth.  

Sign up below and we’ll send you the first video immediately - and include an additional downloadable PDF.  

5 Reasons Why You Should Overspend on Waste {+ Infographic} - Part 2

Incredibly, there are reasons to keep overspending on your waste and recycling expenses. Most companies in the US are overspending on their disposal services, but there are some who may prefer it that way. Below, we’ll go over the last two reasons why.

1. You like having waste problems.

2. You like to ignore relevant data.

In this series, we’re exploring all the reasons you should keep overspending by 10-30% on your waste expenses. In this blog post (part 2 of a 2-part series), we’ll look at the last two reasons.

You like having waste and recycling disposal problems.

You may actually enjoy the surprise of waste problems. You may love it when your staff tells you your hauler has missed pick-ups at a particular location for the third time this month. You not have a problem with recurring issues because you may think this is normal.

Additionally, you may not have a problem devoting the time and energy needed to resolve these situations. You may have lots of spare time to call your hauler, wait on hold for 20 minutes and then have a customer service rep tell you that they can’t help and that you’ll need to get in touch with your account manager. You may have the expertise to know who to navigate hauler customer “service” departments, but most people don’t.

And, more importantly, they don’t have the time to waste. Do you?

You like to ignore relevant data.

Take a look below - these are the stats we’ve found after 18 years of service in the waste industry. Bottom line? Most companies are overspending, and they have no idea. Don’t be one of them.

If you have the resources to make your hauler rich, you should keep overspending on your waste expenses. If you don’t mind having inefficient waste and recycling services and equipment, you’ll almost certainly keep overspending. And if you don’t want to take advantage of professional expertise, you can keep paying more than you need to for expenses.

But if these reasons aren’t true of you - if you value your resources and your time - then you can chose to stop overspending on waste expenses.

Are there other reasons to keep overspending on waste? Let me know in the comments below!

5 Reasons Why You Should Overspend on Waste - Part 1

As strange as it sounds, there are in fact some solid reasons to overspend on waste.

But for the majority of companies nationwide (the actual number hovers in the 90% range), these reasons aren’t actually applicable. These reasons aren’t actually good reasons to overspend! Why would you chose not to save money? Most companies simply don’t realize they’re overspending.

There are 5 reasons why you should overspend on your waste and recycling disposal expenses.

1. You can afford to make your waste hauler rich

2. You love inefficiency.

3. You don’t like to delegate to experts.

4. You like having waste problems.

5. You like to ignore relevant data.

In this series, we’ll explore all the reasons you should keep overspending by 10-30% on your waste expenses. In this blog post (part 1 of a 2-part series), we’ll look at reasons 1-3.

You can afford to make your waste hauler rich

You may be one of the few companies out there who has excess funds. You may be flush with extra revenue, so how much you pay for waste services at all of your locations isn’t of concern to you. You may not have to worry about budget forecasts or balancing the books at the end of the month.

And if you do have excess funds, you may have already decided to allocate them to overpriced waste expenses. You can afford to spend whatever the waste companies charge you. (An aside: most hauler contracts are designed to allow indiscriminate price hikes, so most companies pay more than they should for expenses incurred over the term of their contract.)

Or, you may just enjoy overspending. Maybe you like the idea of helping your chosen waste vendor become rich. You may like helping them increase profits by paying extraneous fees. You may enjoy the sudden price hikes that add to their bottom line.

But chances are, this isn’t true.

You love waste service and equipment inefficiency.

You may love knowing that you’re likely one of the 70% of companies who are being over-serviced by their trash vendor. You may enjoy getting too many pick-ups every week at your locations. After all, who doesn’t love paying for services they don’t need?

These extra pick-up only benefit one person - and it’s not you. Your hauler is likely incentivized to make additional pickups because more pickups almost always mean more revenue. When was the last time you heard of a hauler voluntarily reducing their service frequency?

Additionally, you may like leaving equipment inefficiency to chance. You may be satisfied with inefficient waste and service levels. (50% of companies have too much or too little waste equipment.) You may prefer not to have an expert review your current waste management process for redundant equipment or ineffective waste equipment.

You don’t like to delegate to experts.

You may think you have the resources to complete your own waste review. And some people are able to complete a cursory review on their own! But most CEOs and COOs don’t have the expertise it takes to do their own waste analysis. Waste reviews are not simple processes to complete. It can be difficult to know where to begin, what exactly to assess, and how to assess your current process in general.

And if they do have the expertise, it’s likely they don’t have the time. We provide our clients the two things they need most - a professional waste assessment or review, but with very little demand for their time. (Our reviews are almost always 100% remote). We’ve been doing waste reviews for the past 18 years, and we know how to find your hidden waste problems and solve them - for good!

You can keep overspending on waste . . . but you don’t have to.

We provide our clients the two things they need most - a professional waste assessment or review, but with very little demand for their time. If you don’t mind having inefficient waste and recycling services and equipment, you’ll almost certainly keep overspending. And if you don’t want to take advantage of professional expertise, you can keep paying more than you need to for expenses.

But if these reasons aren’t true of you - if you value your resources and your time - then you can chose to stop overspending on waste expenses.

Are there other reasons to keep overspending on waste? Let me know in the comments below!

How often do waste and recycling haulers increase their rates?

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!

What to Expect Before a WCI Waste Audit: Preparations

Suppose you know that you have a waste management problem.

You know that what’s “normal” in your dealings with your waste hauler is actually hugely problematic: the price spikes are egregious, and you have constant service issues. You know that you need a solution to your waste disposal problems.  

And you know that we provide these services. We monitor billing, we create airtight contracts, and we find every savings opportunity available to you. 

But you’re not sure what the next steps might look like. 

What kind of terms does our contract include? Will our audit process take too much time from your staff? And how sure are we that we’ll find savings for you?  

We’ve included answers to these - and a whole lot of other related questions - below for your convenience, organized by topic. 

Questions about Savings and Service Charges

How much do you think I could save?

If you’re spending more than $10,000 a month on waste, we can likely help you save 10%-30% on your waste spend. For some companies it will be a little less, for others, it will be more.

This is the average amount of savings for a company. How did we come up with this average? In the 17 years we’ve been in business we’ve helped hundreds of clients. And we typically have saved them 10-30% on their waste spend. 

Why is this number so dependable? It’s because we know how the waste industry operates. They’re going to try to overcharge you. Your waste hauling rates are going to increase, and you’re going to charged for all kinds of fees that aren’t really service related (LINK). They’re going to overcharge you because it’s the industry norm: because they can. 

How sure are you that I’m actually overspending by 10-30% each month? If you’re spending north of $10,000 on waste, there’s a 90% chance you’re overspending. We help mid-size companies across every industry reduce and manage their waste. Most companies need our services. They’re overspending, and they have no idea. They’re sitting on potential savings opportunities, and they aren’t aware of them at all. 

What if you don’t find any savings? Over the years, there have only been a small percentage (about 10%) of companies that don’t benefit from our services. 

There can be any number of reasons for this. Sometimes certain markets are really tough. Other times, there are external factors that keep the companies from savings. 

When we don’t find any savings for a company, we actually see this as a benefit for them. First, the company now knows for certain that they’re paying fair prices for their waste spend. 

They know that their contracts are airtight, and they know that what they’re paying is commensurate with the market.

Secondly, the company just got a free waste audit. We don’t believe that you should pay for something you don’t benefit from. It’s part of our performance-based pricing. If our services aren’t of benefit to you, you don’t owe us anything. You only pay us when we find savings that affect your bottom line. 

How do you charge us?

It’s pretty straightforward. We don’t use algorithms or percentages; we charge you half of the savings. 

This means if we find you $5,000 in savings every month, we’ll send you an invoice for $2500. 

And to be clear, after we complete our initial audit process and begin invoicing you, we don’t just sit on our laurels. 

We monitor your bills for accuracy. Why? Because there are inaccuracies on one out of every ten of your invoices. We know because we find them for our clients. Haulers are human too, and we find that they often make unintentional mistakes. Sometimes these mistakes aren’t that big of a deal. But sometimes they are!

And even if they are small, they’re can be a pain to get resolved. Our staff spends hours every week resolving customer service and billing issues. This is time that your staff can devote to other, more significant projects .Our staff makes your staff more efficient.  

We are the first line of defense against haulers that miss pick-up or leave trash strewn across your property. Or when you get a 900% rate increase on your bill. We know what’s normal, and what’s not. And we know how to negotiate for fair charges and resolutions on your behalf. 

Have you ever heard of a waste audit? Sound a little too good to be true? Sound off in the comments below!

How do we implement changes to yield savings?

We may have all the great ideas in the world, but if we can’t make them happen, they’d be useless. 

We’re as intentional about our audit implementation process as we are about evaluating your utility, telecom, and waste disposal process  - and finding savings. 

To enact savings, we typically make changes to your:

• Service levels

• Waste Equipment

• Vendor

These changes occur with your full knowledge and consent. We go over each and every savings solution we have found with to ensure they really are the right solution for you.

Let’s take a close look at how exactly we implement changes. 

Changing Waste or Utility Service Levels

Suppose our exhaustive audit shows that you can save $4,000 every year by being serviced twice a week instead of four times a week. We evaluate your service levels and find that you weren’t actually producing enough garbage to justify all those pick-ups. After sharing our full savings plan with you, we would carefully coordinate the needed changes.

We would call your service provider and explain that we need to eliminate the unnecessary services. We would propose an amendment to the current contract, and explain why the change is necessary for you, the client. 

The vendor would likely agree and send over an updated contract. We would review it to ensure that the new rates are fair and that pricing is equitable. 

After reviewing the contract, we would send it to you for your signature. (We don’t ever sign documents on your behalf - you’re in the driver’s seat!) Once you signed, we would send it back to the vendor, and it would likely take effect the following month. 

We update our records accordingly, and let you know when to expect the update. With changes like this were service levels are being adjusted, we frequently ask our clients to get in touch with us if the service levels don’t change. Waste disposal hauler companies can be pretty big - and communication that happens with a sales rep isn’t always successfully communicated with the trash hauler, or driver. 

We try to anticipate problems before they become issues. We’ve learned it’s a lot easier to deal with concerns when they’re small before they have a chance to get big! 

Waste Equipment Changes 

If there’s anything people hate more than taking the trash out, it’s not having a place to take the trash to! Making sure that dumpster or compactor changes happen without service disruption is vital to your sanity - not to mention your resident’s or customer’s satisfaction levels. 

Sometimes we recommend that you stick with your original hauler, but use a different hauler-provided dumpster or compactor. 

When this is the case, the process is really simple. We simply ask the hauler to switch out the dumpster with one that is the correct size effective on a certain date. We ensure this date is ideal for you, and that there aren’t any events happening at the site that could interfere with the proposed delivery. 

Waste Vendor Changes

But other times, equipment changes happen because you are changing waste disposal service providers. 

Suppose you’ve been paying $500 a month for bi-weekly service on you two 8-yard dumpsters. But we found a vendor who will only charge you $350 (this big of a price change is not actually that unusual)!
So your term with your current provider ends, and we facilitate the paperwork for you to sign up with a new service. 

We first make sure that the new service date will work for you. Then we contact the old provider in plenty of time to cancel the contract without incurring a termination fee. We ask them to remove their dumpsters the day prior to the date the new service begins. 

The week before the switch-out is set to take place, we call the new and old vendor to confirm they have the switch-out in their records. 

If there are any problems - if the old hauler takes a little longer to remove the equipment, or if the new vendor’s truck breaks down and can’t deliver the new equipment - we troubleshoot. We make sure that you’re in the loop, and that you know we’re working for solutions on your behalf. 

Rest Easy Knowing that Your Savings are in Good Hands 

We carefully implement service level, equipment, and vendor changes. We understand your concerns about smooth transitions - you don’t want your residents or visitors up in arms!

We don’t leave things to chance. We proactively anticipate hitches and prevent them. We make sure you are in the loop at all times about what is going on at your locations. 

We’re as careful about the implementation process as we are with your audit. Because your peace of mind matters - and with us, it takes priority.