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

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

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

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

• Not capping rate increases

• Getting too many pick-ups

• Not eliminating waste fees

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Problem #3: Allowing ancillary fees on contracts.

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

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

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

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

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

Solutions for Your Top Three Waste Problems

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

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

• Cap price increases

• Reduce the number of pick-ups

• Eliminate ancillary fees

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

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

Real Stories: Saving on Waste Expenses {Free Download}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• “I could have hidden waste problems.”

• “WCI can find savings.”

• Savings achieved.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Compology’s dumpster cameras give us the following data:

• How many actual pickups vs expected pickups

• The average fullness at pickup.

• Recent pictures of fill levels

• Contamination stats

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Better data means better savings opportunities. 

How are you optimizing data in your business?

How to Renew Your Waste Hauler Contract

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Cancel your auto-renewal clause.

2. Reach out to your sales accountant.

3. Create a new contract.

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

Prior to Renewing a Waste Hauler Contract

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

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

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

• Is the current hauler easy to work with?

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

Cancel your auto-renewal clause.

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

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

Reach out to your account manager.

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

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

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

Set up a new waste contract.

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to 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?

How can I save 10% on my waste invoices?

You can likely save 10% on your recurring waste and recycling expenses by carefully and critically examining your monthly invoices. In the 18 years we’ve been in business, we’ve found that this is the rate that errors occur on average. How much has this cost you in the past 5 years?

In this article, you’ll learn:

• Why errors happen.

• What kinds of errors happen.

• How they can cost you.

• What you can do about it.

The more you know about the billing errors, the more equipped you’ll be to spot them.

Why do waste and recycling invoice errors happen?

There are a couple of different reasons that invoice errors happen. Sometimes they happen when service changes occur at your site. Suppose we learn that you need to reduce your dumpster sizes from 8 yards to 6 yards to reduce costs. It’s possible that your hauler may continue to charge you for the 8 yard dumpsters after your 6 yard replacements are on site. If you don’t carefully check your monthly invoices, you won’t find these mistakes. In the wake of other more seemingly urgent tasks, this effort may seem superfluous. But over time, it’s likely to help you save hundreds if not thousands of dollars on your waste contract.

Other times, your hauler will charge you despite certain stipulations in your contract to the contrary. We recently worked with a client who had about a dozen hotels in the midwest. They had recently signed a new contract that prohibited regulatory fees on their waste disposal expenses. But we found out they were continuing to be charged for this fee - and were paying for it.

We documented the exact amount of overcharges and the months they occurred, then presented it to the vendor. They couldn’t deny the charges or what the contract stipulated. So they agreed to provide several hundred dollars in credits.

You can follow this exact process with your hauler. Hold them accountable when their charges are not in accordance with your contract, and you’ll protect your bottom line.

What kinds of errors can occur on waste and recycling invoices?

As in the case above, you can be charged something that is prohibited by your contract. This often occurs by oversight - we haven’t found hauling companies to be the best at communication between departments. The salesperson that draws up your original contract may not make billing aware of all of its specifications. As a result, the billing coordinator may charge you for fees not in your contract.

Typos are another example of errors. They happen to the best of us, but they’re particularly inconvenienced when they make you overpay. A misplaced decimal can be extremely costly - just ask this client whose waste invoices increased by 900% in one month!

How much can these errors cost me?

Typically, waste and invoice errors will cost you about 5% of the amount invoiced.

Waste and recycling invoice errors will actually cost you in two ways. They can be expensive monetarily, of course. But they can also drain other resources, like your time. In my experience, resolving a waste service issue will take a minimum of two communication touches. This is the case for smaller waste issues, like moving a dumpster from one spot in a parking lot to another, or requesting an additional pickup. I will typically make an initial communication to address the issue, then will follow up to ensure the request has been resolved.

These two communications can take up to an hour, depending on how long I have to wait on hold, and how many people I have to speak to to get the issue addressed. Smaller problems, like a missed pick-up, can usually be resolved by the initial representative I speak with. Other issues like adding a pick-up day or confirming the specifications of a contract term often need to be resolved by speaking to the account manager. Some haulers seem reticent to disclose their direct phone numbers, so it can be a little tricky to get in touch with them.

If the company is one of the few more responsive haulers, only two communications via phone (or email) will be necessary. Unfortunately, this is not necessarily the case with significant billing errors. Depending on the hauler and the significance of the error, it can take months to fully resolve.

If your trash hauler overcharges you by several hundred dollars, it’s likely going to take more than a few calls to rectify the situation. When we fight overcharges on our client’s behalf in the past, it has taken up to three months for the billing cycle to reflect the correction. Your staff may not have this kind of time, which is why it’s a service that an independent waste auditor provide.

What can you do about it?

When it comes to auditing your waste disposal and recycling invoices, there are two best practices.

First, you and your staff need to carefully review your waste hauler invoices. Look for price hikes and inexplicable fees. How different is this month’s invoice from last month’s? Are there any charges that seem high or shouldn’t be there?

When you find these errors, you’ll need to call your hauler and ask for a billing credit for the next invoice cycle. Prepare to be persistent! We have found that many haulers are reticent to provide credits to you that may adversely affect them.

Second, you’ll need to be fairly familiar with your waste hauler contract. Are you allowed to be charged ancillary fees? Does it prohibit price hikes or cap them at a certain rate? Your contract will specify what can and cannot appear on your invoices. Be sure to look for what is there in addition to what isn’t! If you don’t have certain terms included on your contract, you’ll get surprise price hikes, and your contract may automatically renew - all of which can cause overspending.

Want to know for sure how quality your waste contract really is? Use our free Waste Hauler Contract Scorecard - just fill out the form below and we’ll immediately send you a copy!

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!

4 Reasons You Can Benefit From a Medical Waste Review

If you generate medical waste, you’re almost certainly paying more than you should for it’s disposal - just like most companies out there.

Check out the infographic below or click here to download this resource.

How to Turn Recurring Waste Cost Into Recurring Waste Savings

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

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

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

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

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

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

• constantly review invoices for billing errors

• try to find new ways to save

• waste hours at a time with hauler customer service.

• get trapped in an ineffective contract.

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

Leave waste management to the experts.

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

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

• Ensure they’re paying fair rates.

• Prevent future price hikes

• Periodically review less expensive service options

• Review invoices for errors.

• Ensure your service frequency and equipment is cost-effective

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

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

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

Future Savings Opportunities are Never Missed.

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

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

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

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

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

Put waste savings on auto-pilot.

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

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

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

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

The Ultimate List of the Top 9 Articles to Help Reduce Waste Expenses

At the end of every year, we take a look back at our most read blogs.

This year, you all resonated with the topics of waste contracts, equipment, and understanding utility audits. You all were also really interested in the details of utility audits and valet services.

Each of these articles is a great introduction to the basics of their respective topics. And taken all together, this list is a great primer to familiarize yourself with the ways you could possibly be overpaying for each of these services.

1. Your Waste Hauler Contract is Garbage. Here’s How to Fix it!

2. What is the Industrial Recycling Process and How Can I Save on it?

3. How Hauler Contracts Make You Overpay on Waste Expenses

4. Medical Waste Disposal 101

5. Five Pieces of Waste Equipment

6. Five Ways Your Waste Hauler is Ripping You Off

7. What to do When Everything Goes Wrong with Your Valet Services

8. How Valet Services Overcharge You

9. What Are Ancillary Waste Fees?

What would you like to hear about for next year? Feel free to comment below!

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?

Top 3 Commercial Waste Disposal Problems - and Their Solutions!

Business owners who don’t routinely examine their waste expenses typically pay 10-30% more than those who don’t.

You have better ways to allocate resources.

Today, we’re tackling the top three commercial problems that contribute to this overspending. If you can fix these three things, you may actually save on your waste disposal expenses.

These three problems are:

• Not capping rate increases

• Getting too many pick-ups

• Not eliminating waste fees

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

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

Your waste hauler contract will include specifications about what you will be charged for services. Most hauler contracts will include this information on the first page of the contract.

Typical hauler contracts will not include language that caps price increases. Why? Because this is a key way that haulers make their profit. It’s not in their best interest to include this language.

Haulers will raise their prices 1-4 times a year at a 10-15% increase each time. This represents a significant threat to your bottom line.

Solution: When you contract is up for renewal (or when you get a different contract with a new vendor,) you will need to make sure that the “Notes” section on your contract includes price caps.

Below is a Waste Management contract, with the notes section highlighted. This contract does not have specifications about rate caps, but if it did this is where it would appear.

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

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

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

Many haulers aren’t intentionally being dishonest when they set up your service for too many pick-ups. They simply don’t have the financial incentive to ensure the services you receive are truly efficient. They may estimate what they think you need based on typical service schedules for locations your size. But estimates are, by definition, not exact.

The hauler is unlike to do a thorough waste review to access your true needs. They aren’t going to look through your invoice history. They aren’t going to see if your current equipment is what you actually need. They’re simply going to give you a contract based on what your past needs have been, or based on their best estimate.

Solution: Have your waste services reviewed and reduce the number of pickups as necessary. Most companies here in the US have never had their waste needs evaluated by an independent professional. As a result, they are paying for too many pick-ups and they are robbing themselves of potential savings.

Problem #3: Allowing ancillary fees on contracts.

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

We find that when companies allow fees like these on their contracts, haulers tend to indiscriminately raise their charge rates. One month a company may be charged 5% for a fee, the next month they may be charged 6%. If your contract doesn’t cap these increases, the company can charge whatever they want for each category of fees.

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

5 or 6% may not sound like much, but it can translate to thousands of dollars when you have multiple locations with years-long contracts.

Solution: We include all fees and waste charges in one flat rate that is capped at a certain percentage growth. In other words, we allow the haulers we select for our clients to increase the flat rate at specific intervals in the contract term. That way, the hauler can only raise his fees up to that percentage.

This solution is fair to the haulers, and it’s fair to our clients. The haulers are prevented from charging unfair rates and the clients don’t receive unplanned hikes.

This also allows the client to be able to budget accurately for the fiscal year. If they know when and by how much their rate will increase, they will know how much to allot for waste expenses with certainty.

Solutions for Your Top Three Waste Problems

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

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

• Cap price increases

• Reduce the number of pick-ups

• Eliminate ancillary fees

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

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

What would you do with an extra $12,000? This company found out!

Not too long ago, Anita Huffman got in touch with us. As the corporate director of a large manufacturing plant, Anita knew that there was a chance that they could be overspending on waste. They had several dumpsters and compactors on site, but they were also producing plastic byproducts that weren’t being sold.

When they got in touch with us, we explained that they would take on zero risk during our audit process. They wouldn’t pay us anything if we didn’t find savings.

We began the audit process in 2018 and we examined every waste stream that was available to them.

In the end, we found $12,000 worth of monthly savings!

Anita wrote us:

“My team and I were pleasantly surprised how much of a difference you made on our bottom line. 

During your audit, you uncovered more than $12,000 in monthly savings opportunities. Your exhaustive process and your team’s dedication to our success has permanently changed our approach to waste management. 

With your help, we’ve reduced our waste spend by thousands of dollars every year. We’ve decreased equipment inefficiencies, and we have service schedules that align with our production needs. 

Your team has gone the extra mile, and we couldn’t be happier with the results.”

Anita were overspending on their waste and they had no idea! She and her team found out that they were unknowingly making some critical waste management errors. But now, thanks to our exhaustive audit, they’re saving.

Too many companies in the US are overspending on their waste and recycling expenses. You don’t have to be one of them! What could you do with the savings from a 10-30% reduction in waste?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why this free course is necessary

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

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

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

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

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

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

How this course is delivered

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

This course is:

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

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

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

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

Click here to sign up >>

What We're Thankful For

Gratitude is an essential part of life, so we thought we’d share some of what the staff here at WCI is thankful for this year.

Tyler Brunson, CEO of Waste Consultants

I’m very thankful for the time I spent with my family in Yellowstone this past summer. As my 4 kids get older, it has become more and more clear to me that time is my most precious asset. I’m also very thankful for my family’s health.

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Hunter Rhodes, Office Administrator

I am grateful for the opportunity to pursue a masters in business administration concurrently with my work. And on a more personal note, I am thankful for a feeling of strengthened friendships and community around me this year.

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Vicki Boyles, Billing Coordinator and Assistant PM

I'm thankful for the time this spring that I was able to spend with my parents. To help keep them Covid-safe, I did the grocery shopping and ran errands.

I was also able to help my dad with yard work and take him to doctor appointments and sit with my mom on the sunporch, drinking coffee together with obscene amounts of creamer while we giggled at silly things.

These are moments I'll always treasure.

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Andrea Suarez, Marketing

I’m so thankful for all the professional lessons I’ve learned this year. I’ve really dug into the graphic design platform Canva, and I’ve been able to learn so much about designing and editing as a result.

I’m also really thankful for the time I get to spend at home with my son. He’s hilarious!

Tony Perkins, Program Manager

I’m thankful for being able to get out and interact with people!