Waste is an issue that every business faces, and it can be time-consuming and costly if you generate a lot of trash at your company. With waste disposal attracting fees, increasing regulations, and taxes, it’s crucial for your business to reduce the excessive waste bill. Luckily, there are different ways to reduce waste management costs at your business.
Tips on How to Reduce Waste Management Costs
There are several ways in which you can save money by reducing trash at a business, such as recycling or using fewer materials. In turn, this reduces waste management costs. You can also reduce your waste bill by:
1. Find Out How Much Waste Your Business Generates
You may not think about how much waste you produce or if your dumpsters are always full when collection time comes. Start by finding out where and how much waste your business generates. Understanding how much resources your business’s internal process consumes and the waste it generates helps you set a strategy for cutting waste.
The first step is assessing the waste you routinely collect and checking whether your waste containers are full at the time of collection. Find out whether waste levels remain consistent throughout the year, or fluctuate significantly throughout the year. The following tips will help you cut business waste costs immediately if you regularly don’t fill your dumpsters before collection:
• Reduce the size of your commercial garbage containers
• Using fewer waste containers that you hire
• Cutting down the frequency of business trash collection
If your waste containers are only half full during collection, move from a biweekly waste service to weekly. You will save tens of thousands of dollars that’s returned to your bottom line entirely free of charge.
2. Negotiate the Waste Management Costs
Negotiating your waste management costs is the best way to reduce your commercial trash bill. Most commercial trash removal contractors charge huge margins on their contracts, and they know you are less likely to review your waste bill. Some of them may take this opportunity to overcharge trash at business.
Your trash collector usually has big margins built into their pricing and are willing to drop their prices. They can comfortably knock off 10-20% of your current pricing. Though negotiating may be time-consuming and take weeks without the right contacts, it’s worth the hassle.
Your current contractor may be able to propose suitable alternatives through negotiation. However, if they cannot meet your needs, it may be time to find another contractor.
3. Partner with Other Businesses and Cost Share the Waste Bill
Partnering with other businesses is one of the best ways to cut down your waste bill. Get in touch with other companies in your area and work together to reduce waste by consolidating your garbage bins and sharing the recycling dumpers if they never get full.
Smaller contracts offer fewer savings on waste management costs. Still, you don’t have to go alone, even if your facility is too small to share waste services with another facility. Join forces with other businesses, and you’ll have more bargaining power. Then, when you renegotiate the contract, negotiate for two locations instead of one.
4. Keep an Eye on Your Waste Bill for Extra Fees
Pay attention to your waste bill to avoid getting hit with additional charges by your recycling and trash remover. While most commercial trash removal providers differ, some will bill you an overflow or overage charge, the most expensive fee on your waste bill. They will charge for everything from open lids to trash beside dumpsters.
Talk to your employees and ensure that the dumpster lids are completely closed with no garbage outside the container. You can then request your provider to waive the additional fees, which also apply to recycling issue fees, late fees, and any one-time charge on your waste management bill. So next time your waste bill is higher than the previous one, find out why it’s happening and fix it.
5. Reduce Waste and Recycle
Once you understand the type and amount of waste your business produces, you can estimate the number and size of dumpsters you require and the collection frequency. Less waste means lower disposal costs, so consider recycling a more critical component of your waste management program to reduce waste management costs.
Reducing waste through recycling is an excellent strategy for cutting down on your business waste management costs. Not only is recycling good for the environment, but it is also much cheaper. While the prices may differ by company and location, recycling can even result in credit back on your bill. There is even the possibility of saving money on taxes based on location.
Talk to your trash removal provider and consider using alternative products or reducing packaging. Reducing waste will mitigate any increases in costs, and nowadays, recyclable waste has a growing international market.
There may be a commercial value in some of your recyclable waste streams, so you should determine its value since it could provide an essential source of revenue.
6. Switch Commercial Waste Providers
You might find a better service for a lower price by contacting alternative waste removal contractors. You will find the one with the most appropriate waste collection services for your business by consulting different contractors. They will create a customized waste disposal plan to optimize your company’s waste management by minimizing, recycling, and recovering waste.
Interestingly, many local providers offer significantly lower rates than national brands and might be more flexible in helping your business. Ultimately, finding the best deal requires research since switching providers can be challenging and stressful. But it also means thousands of dollars in savings.
Saving Money on Waste Management: Conclusion
It is not necessary to have high waste management costs, so these six easy steps will help you improve your plan. Assess your waste, negotiate, cost share, reduce, and recycle. If you take advantage of any of these ideas, you could cut the cost of your commercial dumpster and haul it by half. It’s time to take total control of your waste management plan.
